The Everett, Washington, facility of Aviation Technical Services is a better-paying aerospace firm, where more than two-thirds of repair mechanics in 2013 earned more than $20 an hour.
SHARE By Dominic Gates/The Seattle Times Corrine "Cookie" Peterson, a 72-year-old widow, arrives at AIM Aerospace's manufacturing plant in this city about 30 miles south of Seattle at 6:30 a.m. to assemble ventilation ducts for Boeing jets. Arthritis restricts her to a 40-hour week, with no overtime. Some days, she comes home with hands orange from chemicals, her eyes itchy from the fiberglass. After seven years, she's worked her way up from a starting wage of $10 an hour to $13.30. Peterson supports the 17-year-old grandson who lives with her thanks to her monthly Social Security check for about $1,000. "That's my house payment," says Peterson. "I mainly work for my utilities and food and to keep him in clothes. I've gone to the food bank quite a few times." Peterson's low wages are not exceptional. In 2013, outside of Boeing, a third of production workers at area aerospace parts manufacturers companies that get tax breaks intended to preserve good jobs in the state earned between $10 and $15 an hour, a Seattle Times analysis of state data shows. AIM's filing to the state shows that three quarters of the 314 production workers at its Sumner plant at the end of 2013 earned $15 an hour or less. Two thirds of the production workers at AIM's Auburn and Renton manufacturing plants fell in the same low-wage category. Boeing is the jewel in the crown of Washington's world-renowned aerospace cluster, paying well and still, despite recent erosion, providing enviable benefits to its 80,000 employees here. But at the hundreds of local aerospace companies, most of them suppliers feeding parts to the jet maker and also taking the state tax breaks, it's a different story. More than 30,000 people work locally at such companies, including airplane repair shops and engineering firms. While the nearly 4,500 engineers they employ are paid well, often earning more than $30 an hour, more than 5,300 production manufacturing workers earn no more than $15 an hour. Entry-level wages in this sector are typically $10 to $12 an hour, according to workers. Seattle's new minimum wage law has established $15 an hour equivalent to $31,200 a year without overtime as the basic threshold for the lowest-paid workers in any field by 2017. Even the top of that range is close to a poverty wage: A married couple with two small children earning $31,000 a year qualifies for federal food stamps. Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that studies state job-creating incentives, said that if state government gives tax breaks to corporations for jobs that pay so little the workers are forced to rely on food banks and social services, "that's a perverse outcome of economic development spending." Legislators in the state's capital, Olympia, passed the aerospace tax breaks in 2003 and extended them last year. Aerospace companies get a 40 percent reduction in the tax on corporate revenue, with the stated intention "to provide jobs with good wages and benefits." Instead, low wages persist in the sector. That spurred a bill in Olympia this year, supported by the labor unions at Boeing, that would set a minimum wage at companies taking the tax breaks. The bill would require such companies to pay employees who've been on the job more than three years a minimum hourly wage of $15.74 next year, and at least the state median wage by 2018. That median is now $19.67 an hour. The bill is opposed by aerospace companies and is currently stalled in the Legislature. State Rep. Reuven Carlyle, a Seattle Democrat, chair of the House Finance Committee, said the bill represents "a legitimate and reasonable and fair public policy" but lacks broad bipartisan support and so is "a heavy lift to pass." One factor executives at suppliers cite repeatedly for the surprisingly low pay in aerospace manufacturing is the constant pressure from Boeing to reduce the costs of its parts. Several said the jetmaking giant which, based on revenue generated in the state, must itself save well over $100 million annually from the tax breaks simply wouldn't accept the price increases that would result from suppliers paying higher wages. J.C. Hall, director of sales at Hytek Finishes in Kent and chairman of the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance, a trade group of local suppliers, said passing higher wage costs up the line "would encourage Boeing to take the work elsewhere." One of the better-paying aerospace firms is Aviation Technical Services, the aircraft maintenance and repair firm that local management acquired from Australian investment bank Macquarie Group in a 2013 buyout. The used jets ATS rolls out for airline service must meet Federal Aviation Administration safety standards, just like new Boeing jets. "There's always cost pressure," said Gabe Doleac, ATS' senior vice president of strategy, "but neither ATS nor our customers put cost ahead of quality and safety." As a supplier to the airlines, not to Boeing, ATS escapes the Boeing cost squeeze. Indeed, its wages are pushed up by competition from Boeing in the hiring of mechanics. ATS today employs about 1,100 people in Everett and another 50 or more at its new facility in Moses Lake. According to state wage data, more than two-thirds of ATS' 556 repair mechanics in 2013 earned above $20 an hour, and only 67 earned $15 or less. Nevertheless, in February Doleac testified in Olympia against the proposed minimum wage for aerospace companies, arguing that it would make ATS uncompetitive in the global aircraft maintenance market. If the bill became law, Doleac said, "we would have to opt out of the aerospace tax incentives incentives that we have used over the past several years to invest in growth here in Washington." On a recent visit to ATS' main hangar on Paine Field airport, the facility resembled a busy service station, with eight aging Boeing 737 jets in various states of intense transformation, each surrounded by mechanics on step ladders and scissor lifts. Three older planes were stripped to the bare aluminum. Passenger ventilation systems and wiring dangled from the ceiling. As mechanics strengthened floor beams, flight control cables were visible through the partially removed cabin floor. Off the main hangar floor, a young mechanic repaired two small underwing panels with blown-out fastener holes. Zacharia Boelter, 21, sealed the panels in a vacuum bag and hardened the repair patch at a carefully controlled temperature. As he worked, he consulted and annotated an inch-thick dossier of paperwork, precisely documenting the repair to ensure FAA compliance. Starting out at ATS earning less than $12 per hour, Boelter has been promoted twice already in his 18 months there. He's doing a three-year apprenticeship training program that will certify him as an aircraft mechanic. After that, he aims to get a higher-level Airframe & Propulsion license. "This job has great opportunities for moving up," said Boelter. "If I get an A&P license, I could go anywhere in the company." Washington's lowest-paying aerospace suppliers make parts rather than working on complete airplanes like ATS or Boeing, and are owned by conglomerates or private firms located outside the state. The state's highest proportion of low-paid workers is at Kent-based Carlisle Interconnect Technologies, which ships up to 80,000 cable and wire bundles a month, each assembled by hand for installation in aircraft interiors. In 2013, 84 percent of CIT's 620 production workers in Kent earned $10 to $15 an hour. CIT is part of a multinational conglomerate headquartered in North Carolina. With Kent one of seven global locations, CIT made a profit last year of $132 million and began construction of a new $28 million plant in Nogales, Mexico, "to meet growing demand." Zodiac Aerospace of France, which manufactures airline seats and cabin interiors, tops CIT in the number of low-paid employees if its different operations in the state are combined. At plants in Marysville, Bellingham, Everett and Redmond, a total of 613 Zodiac production workers earned $10 to $15 an hour in 2013. Executives at CIT and Zodiac did not respond to requests for comment. The parent company of AIM Aerospace, AIM Group, is based in Southampton, England. Its wealthy executive chairman, Jeffrey Smith, runs several additional investment companies and for more than 30 years has bred a large stable of racehorses. According to U.K. corporate filings, AIM made an operating profit of $9.8 million on sales of $98 million from its three Washington plants in 2013, which would have given it a state tax break worth about $190,000. That year, a total of 547 AIM production workers earned $10 to $15 an hour. John Feutz, president of AIM Aerospace, declined to discuss his company's wage policy in detail. In an email, he said that "any increase in costs ... causes additional challenges to suppliers like AIM that need to remain competitive." Other executives talked more freely about the competitive pressures. Mike Brown, general manager at Aero-Plastics, which produces plastic and metal parts for Boeing, was named PNAA's 2014 "Aerospace Executive of the Year." Aero-Plastics pays its small workforce of less than 50 better than many in the sector. In 2013, only four employees earned $15 an hour or less. Yet Brown felt his business threatened enough by the minimum wage bill that he, too, testified against it. "I'd love to give everyone a $10 raise. But we have a business to run," said Brown in an interview. "We've been bringing in people with hardly any experience and training them ... To pay journeyman's wages to inexperienced individuals doesn't work." Brown said that if the state substantially raised the minimum wage as a condition of taking the tax breaks, "We would just choose not to take the tax break. That would be the logical decision for a company our size." Brad Lawrence, the former chief executive of Esterline who retired as chairman last year, contrasted the wages at its Kent subsidiary Hytek Finishes with the much higher wages at another Esterline subsidiary, Everett-based electronics company Korry. At Korry, where just 22 out of 317 production workers earned $15 an hour or less in 2013, assembling electronics boxes requires skills in soldering, reading blueprints and following "fairly sophisticated work instructions," Lawrence said. At Hytek, where just over half of the 200 production employees earned $15 an hour or less, workers put metal parts on racks that are then dipped by a crane operator into various chemical baths for anti-corrosion treatment. "The amount of education required to do the job and the skill level and experience required is much lower," Lawrence said. "Businesses ... pay what the market will bear for the skills that a worker has," he said. "It's all market driven. If ($15 an hour) makes us noncompetitive, we'll have to move the work to where we can be competitive or exit that line of work." For the workers, age and circumstances determine how they cope. Clayton Eaton, 24, works the graveyard shift at Hytek from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. and after a year on the job earns $13.20 an hour. One paycheck a month mostly goes to pay his $700 rent. The second has to cover his car, gas and living expenses. Eaton said he plans to "put my nose to the grindstone and work hard" with the hope of progressing to a better salary as he gains skills. Richard Hopkins, 43, is paid $12.60 an hour after two-and-a-half years at AIM, bumped up from $11 per hour after the Machinists union organized the Sumner plant last year. That gives him a paycheck every two weeks of about $720, rising to about $840 if he works overtime. He lives with his sister and her grown children in Auburn. Unable to afford a car, he depends on rides from co-workers to get to work. "I like my job. I just don't like the pay," said Hopkins. "I'm sick of living paycheck to paycheck." Salah Abdeslam had claimed that "he was ready to restart something from Brussels, and it's maybe the reality," Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said. Reynders gave credence to the suspect's claim because "we found a lot of weapons, heavy weapons in the first investigations, and we have seen a new network of people around him in Brussels." Abdeslam, captured Friday in a police raid in Brussels, was charged Saturday with "terrorist murder" by Belgian authorities. He is a top suspect in the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead. Abdeslam was wounded during the raid, and a senior Belgian police official said that he was shot in the leg as he ran toward officers outside an apartment in the Molenbeek neighborhood. The head of Belgium's special federal police unit, Roland Pacolet, told broadcaster RTL that one hypothesis being studied by police was that the suspect wanted to commit suicide. "When someone comes out running toward the police, we have to ask ourselves some questions. What did he have in mind? What was he going to do? Either he wanted to get killed by the police, or he wanted to blow himself up near the police," Pacolet said. He said that Abdeslam was unarmed. Speaking to security experts at a German Marshall Fund conference in Brussels, the foreign minister said "we have found more than 30 people involved in the terrorist attacks in Paris, but we are sure that there are others." Reynders urged European intelligence, law enforcement, and border authorities to exchange more information to help track the suspects down. Interpol also has called on European countries to be vigilant at their borders, saying Abdeslam's accomplices may try to flee after his capture. The international police agency recommended closer checks at borders, especially for stolen passports. Many of the Nov. 13 attackers and accomplices traveled on falsified or stolen documents Abdeslam's Belgian lawyer, meanwhile, threatened to launch legal action Monday against a French prosecutor, accusing him of breaching the confidentiality of the investigation into the deadly rampage in Paris. Sven Mary told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF that part of the press conference given on Saturday by Paris prosecutor Francois Molins "is a violation. It's a fault, and I cannot let it go unchallenged." Molins said Abdeslam, 26, told Belgian officials he had "wanted to blow himself up at the Stade de France" as a suicide bomber, but that he backed out at the last minute. France is seeking Abdeslam's extradition for trial there, but Mary said he would fight any attempt to hand over his client and that investigators have much to learn from the suspect, who was born in Belgium but has French and Moroccan nationality. "Salah is of great importance to this investigation. I would even say that he is worth gold. He is cooperating, he is communicating, he is not insisting on his right to silence. I think it would be worthwhile now to give things a bit of time ... for investigators to be able to talk to him," Mary said. In response, an official in the Paris prosecutor's office said French law allows prosecutors to speak about elements of an investigation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss this issue publicly. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens was cautious about how the legal proceedings will unfold against the suspect, but said the kind of extradition procedure being used would limit the possibilities for Abdeslam to appeal. "It could take two months, two and a half months, and we will not be certain of the result before then," Geens said on RTL television. The next official step in the legal process comes Wednesday when Abdeslam faces court in Brussels. The suspect, who could be one of the rare jihadis to face trial and possibly speak during proceedings, awoke Sunday after his first night in a prison just outside the city of Bruges, western Belgium. The prison has a special section for high-profile prisoners, with specially trained guards. Cells have double doors and any furniture or equipment is attached to the floor. Abdeslam was shot in the leg Friday along with a suspected accomplice when they were captured during an anti-terror raid in Brussels. He was found at an apartment a mere 500 meters (yards) from his parents' home, where he grew up. As Kannapolis Police Chief Woody Chavis lowered the American flag outside of the citys old police department for the last time, his lip trembled. Although the building is cramped and outdated, it was home to Chavis and his department for 26 years. Its a sad day, really. You get attached to something when you have it for so long, Chavis said. I spent half of my life in this building. Chavis and Lt. Daniel Wallace folded the flag together in silence, a ceremony of nostalgia. It flew over the police department for the last time, Chavis said. I think this one is going home with me. The police department has been operating out of rental properties since 1983, with the first location on West A. Street in what was later used as the first site for the N.C. Music Hall of Fame. Then in 1989, the department moved to the old Whitleys Funeral Home location on Main Street. Chavis, who has been with the department for almost 33 years, worked in both of those buildings. When the department moved out of the building on West A. Street, Chavis said it was supposed to be a temporary fix and they were told they would be there for five years. Every time we got close to being about to build a new department, we had a drought or a recession. It just never got to that point, Chavis said. It wasnt like the city wasnt trying. But all of these obstacles kept popping up. Making the best of the situation When the department moved into the funeral home, Chavis said there was still a wooden casket in the basement. They had to make numerous modifications to pass accreditation and were strapped for space. Paul Brown was the chief at the time, and Chavis said he set an example for his officers. So while they didnt have the best quarters, they had great equipment and utilized every square inch of the building. Ive got to give Brown credit; he was a visionary, and the guys never complained, Chavis said. We always had great cars and great equipment; people were jealous of all we had. But then we came back home to this building. There was no conference room, nowhere to interview people, and if multiple arrestees were brought in at a time, there was only a small bar to handcuff them to. Chavis said there were cases when people would try to escape out the back door. And the building didnt have enough space to house the entire force, so the Criminal Investigations Department relocated into the two-story house next door. Those building served their purpose, Chavis said. We survived. But he said during those 26 years, the department maintained its professionalism. People were still happy to be hired here because of the professionalism, Chavis said. They knew a new building would happen sometime. The end of one era and beginning of another The ribbon cutting for the new Kannapolis City Hall and Police Department was held in December 2015. Although Chavis shed a tear or two when closing the old department, he beamed with pride as he entered his new office in his brand new police department. The building, located at 401 Laureate Way, is more than 10,000 square feet of space, sitting on 6.6 acres that were donated to the City of Kannapolis by billionaire David H. Murdock. The building stands three stories, and about 40 percent of it houses the Kannapolis Police Department. Its unbelievable compared to what we were working with before, Chavis said. Its surreal sitting on the second floor looking out. I can almost see the house I grew up in. With its interview rooms, numerous storage space for weapons, e-commerce parking spaces, sally port and video system that monitors every inch, its everything Chavis dreamed it would be. Other perks of the building are break rooms complete with refrigerators and stoves as well as a gym with machines and equipment to accommodate every fitness level. This gym is a huge recruitment tool. The guys talk about how much money it saves them because they dont have to join the gym, Chavis said. They take really good care of the stuff because they are proud of it. The building also has a training room that can hold 54 people and can operate as an emergency operation center. Chavis said people have already been flocking to Kannapolis to use the training room. The move to the new department will be complete this week when the communications division officially moves. They were the last part of the department remaining in the building on Main Street when Chavis took down the flag. And as he sits in his office and looks out across the N.C. Research Campus, Chavis said he can be proud that his goal aspiration to have a new department before the end of his career has come to fruition. One of my goals before I retired was to get in that new facility, Chavis said. I was going to retire three years ago, but I wanted to see it come to reality. Every family needs a home. We are a family, and we finally got one. E-commerce Companies Expand to On-Demand Services The e-commerce industry in India has identified on-demand services like installation, servicing, and after-sales services as key to improving the online shopping experience. This is particularly relevant for categories like large appliances and furniture that may require additional services like setting up, repair, and maintenance. Such services are easily accessible to customers when buying from brick and mortar stores, and online portals are catching up to the lucrative market. Different strategies have been adopted to this end. While e-commerce companies Snapdeal, Pepperfry, Paytm, and Quikr have established partnerships with on-demand service platforms, Amazon and Flipkart have instead made targeted investments. Global bigwig Amazon invested US $226,176 (Rs 150 crore) in services start-up Housejoy in 2015, and Indian e-commerce leader Flipkart acquired a stake in the appliances installation service provider Jeeves. Paytm, which has been backed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, acquired services marketplace Near.in. These business-to-business relationships have also boosted the revenues of online services start-ups such as LocalOye, Timesaverz, Handymen, and EasyFix. Customized services is next on the agenda as e-commerce companies continue to fight for a larger consumer base in the fiercely competitive market. Indias Aviation Market Ninth Largest India has the ninth-largest civil aviation market in the world with a market size of around US $16 billion. International passenger traffic grew by 7.6 percent from April 2015 to January this year to reach 45.4 million. Domestic passengers grew by 20.6 percent over the same period to touch 138.8 million passengers. New policy initiatives now seek to make India the third-largest civil aviation market by 2020 and the largest by 2030. The strong growth in the aviation industry comes from Indias strong demand-side economics, such as the ever-growing consumer population and rising disposable incomes. This has been assisted by expanding foreign direct investment (FDI), strong bilateral trade prospects with Canada and the US for aviation development, and falling oil prices. However, supply-side problems continue to hinder efficiency and serious reforms are needed to make doing business in this sector more competitive. For instance, the repeated excise tax hikes on ATF (jet fuel) are often challenged in the parliament but remain some of the highest in the world. Similarly, the 5/20 rule, which stipulates that a domestic carrier can only engage in international operations by having at least five years worth of operating experience and a fleet of at least 20 aircrafts exists only in India further hampering the industry. The aviation industry, which is a key transport medium of commerce, is one that can have a multiplier effect on Indias growth and productivity. Diligent policymaking and a greater ease of doing business is required to convert this potential. Indias Exports Continue to Decline amid Subdued Global Demand Indian exports declined for the 15th straight month to reach 5.6 percent year on year in February. From April 2015 to February 2016, exports were US $238.4 billion as compared to US $286.3 billion over the same period in the previous year. Some respite comes from the fact that this is the slowest decline since December 2014 when exports fell by 3.77 percent. However, services exports also dropped, by 12 percent, to reach US $12.5 billion in January (the third monthly drop). Despite these figures, the overall deficit improved due to the decline in Indias imports. Of the top 30 export sectors, 14 sectors grew in February, including gems and jewelry (11.2%), pharmaceuticals (8.8%), and chemicals (4.5%). Exports that registered a decline include engineering goods (-11.2%), readymade garments (-0.72%), and petroleum products (-28.3%). Indias exports have suffered from a prolonged slowdown in global markets and weakening commodity prices. The Indian services sector has additionally faced increased competition from countries like the Philippines. The forecast for services export growth has been downgraded from more than 30 percent to a realistic 12 percent in the new fiscal year (April 2016 March 2017) by industry group National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended that India explore research and development as a new high-value category for services exports, and increase the quality and value of manufactured goods to better combat global market conditions. About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email india@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. Managing Your Accounting and Bookkeeping in India In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we spotlight three issues that financial management teams for India should monitor. Firstly, we examine the new Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS) system, which is expected to be a boon for foreign companies in India. We then highlight common filing dates for most companies with operations in India, and lastly examine procedures and regulations for remitting profits from India. Taking Advantage of Indias FDI Reforms In this edition of India Briefing Magazine, we explore important amendments to Indias foreign investment policy and outline various options for business establishment, including the creation of wholly owned subsidiaries in sectors that permit 100 percent foreign direct investment. We additionally explore several taxes that apply to wholly owned subsidiary companies, and provide an outlook for what investors can expect to see in India this year. An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2015 (Second Edition) Doing Business in India 2015 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in India. As such, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Indian market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to keep up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes. We discuss a range of pertinent issues for foreign businesses, including Indias most recent FDI caps and restrictions, the key taxes applicable to foreign companies, how to conduct a successful audit, and the procedures for obtaining an employment visa. The first ever joint initiative by four export promotion councils,got off to a good start with all foreign buyers finding the platform effective to forge long-term ties for their import requirements.inauguratedyesterday, the three-day event focused on chemicals, plastics and allied products sectors. Jointly hosted by four export promotion councils,the event aims to be a platform for interactions between overseas buyers, merchant exporters, etc. with over 250 exhibitors. Exports seem to be a major thrust now with Department of Commerce campaigning well on its way successfully. CAPINDIA 2016 concludestomorrow.SaidConsistency of quality is very important to us. We find this as a major challenge in countries such as China. European exporters are often not keen on smaller quantities. The Indian exporters are very eager to do business overseas. Not only do we get more consistent quality but also the exporters are more eager and the government more supportive. Ofcourse, the price advantage has been a traditional strength in India. This sentiment was echoed by buyers from countries as diverse as Kenya and Belarus.Paints, dyes, pigments, plastics and specialty chemicals seem to be the biggest draw at CAPINDIA 2016. These products are attracting buyers across the world. The global downturn in international trade is perhaps proving to be a blessing in disguise as overseas buyers are looking beyond their traditional markets and looking into India as a reliable point of sourcing their requirements. This is already evident since the Exports of sector have grown in terms of quantity. With serious questions being asked about the consistency in quality from Chinese manufacturers, India is fast emerging as an alternative destination.Aimed to consolidate Indias position in world exports, the event is aimed to showcase the countrys capability and strengths to the world. Foreign buyers participating in CAPINDIA 2016 have come from 25 countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania, Morocco, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Chile, Columbia, Senegal, Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Prime minister is scheduled to meet top officials of all banks and insurance companies this week in Mumbai to discuss the implementation of. (FC)has announced the launch of its new Unit-Linked Insurance Plan - Aviva Affluence. It is an exclusive product aimed at high net-worth individuals and will be offered by Aviva Life Insurances best advisors, in view of the consumer profile it is intended for.The Foreign Investment Promotion Board has granted approval tofor increasing its stake in(RLI), a part of Reliance Capital, to 49%.affiliated to CPI(M) today offered to bear the entire education expenses of Kowsalya, widow of the Dalit youth Shankar, who was hacked to death in a suspected case of honour killing last week. (thenewsminute.com)Money managers increasingly are buyingto supplement their technology security strategies to both combat data breaches and deal with repercussions if hackers do break in. (home.pionline.com)New Hampshireregulators are working with their counterparts in Maine to monitor a financially struggling health insurance cooperative that serves both states. (heraldcourier.com)President Ma Ying-jeou said that he hopes the Chinese students studying in Taiwan can be included in the country'sprogram as soon as possible. (focustaiwan.tw)Western NationalGroup has named Terril, Lewis & Wilke Insurance as one of its Circle of Excellence Agencies for 2016. (yakimaherald.com) Bharti Airtel has entered into a definitive agreement with American Tower Corporation (American Tower), through its subsidiary company, Airtel Tanzania Limited, for the sale of approximately 1,350 of its communications towers in Tanzania. Under the agreement, American Tower may acquire up to approximately 100 additional sites currently in development for an additional consideration. Airtel will be the anchor tenant on the portfolio under a lease with a ten-year initial term.Christian de Faria, MD & CEO (Africa), Bharti Airtel, said We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with American Tower in Africa. The proposed transaction is a continuation of our stated philosophy of divesting passive infrastructure assets and promoting sharing of towers to enhance operational efficiencies that will further the overall growth of telecom services. Airtel remains committed to Tanzania and will continue to invest in its operations and serve customers with world-class services.We are extremely pleased to announce our entry into Tanzania and expand our partnership with Airtel, one of the worlds leading multinational network operators, said Hal Hess, EVP and President, EMEA, of American Tower. With a young, growing population, tremendous growth potential and a complementary location relative to our existing African operations, we view Tanzania as a highly attractive adjacent market opportunity.The tower sale agreements allow Airtel to focus on its core business and customers, besides helping deleverage through debt reduction, and significantly reducing the on-going capital expenditure on passive infrastructure.The transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2016, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. With Make in India as a focal point, Indias new policy on Defence procurement is largely expected to encourage deep involvement of industries (mainly MSMEs). On the back of such anticipation, defence stock today surged up to 7% amid positive market sentiment.The Defence Ministry is in the final stage of defence procurement policy, which is expected to be released by the end of March 2016. The new policy is aimed at enhancing the role of MSMEs in defence procurement, reported the Economic Times.The new policy is also expected to see priority to be given to locally developed defence equipments.It is of utmost importance that the concept of Make in India remains the focal point of our defence acquisition policy. There is a need to institute enabling provisions for utilization and consolidation of design and manufacturing infrastructure available in the country, the policy preamble reads.Among the notable gainers in defence space, Bharat Electronics closed 7.04% higher at Rs. 1,177.90. The scrip opened higher at Rs. 1,105 as against its previous close of Rs. 1,100.45. It hit a high and a low of Rs. 1,199.50 and Rs. 1,101.60 respectively. Total 87,000 shares changed hands on BSE.Ashok Leyland ended 5.70% higher at Rs. 102.85. The scrip opened higher at Rs. 97.75 as against its previous close of Rs. 97.30. It hit a high and a low of Rs. 103.15 and Rs. 97.45 respectively. Total 43.31 lakh shares changed hands on BSE.Shares of BEML Ltd settled 5.01% higher at Rs. 1068.30. The scrip opened higher at Rs. 1,019.25 as against its previous close of Rs. 1,017.30. It hit a high and a low of Rs. 1,075 and Rs. 1,013.60 respectively. Total 53,000 shares changed hands on BSE.Astra Microwave Products closed 4.72% higher at Rs. 107.65. The scrip opened higher at Rs. 103.60 as against its previous close of Rs. 102.80. It hit a high and a low of Rs. 110.40 and Rs. 101.40 respectively. Total 3.24 lakh shares changed hands on BSE.Shares of Walchandnagar Industries ended 4.10% higher at Rs. 142.30. The scrip opened flat at Rs. 142.30 as against its previous close of Rs. 142.30. It hit a high and a low of Rs. 144.50 and Rs. 136.20 respectively. Total 96,000 shares changed hands on BSE.Among other gainers, Bharat Forge closed at Rs. 874.75 (up 3.26%), L&T at Rs. 1,227.80 (up 2.38%), Rolta Inida at Rs. 77.60 (up 1.70%), Reliance Defence and Engineering at Rs. 66.05 (up 1.38%) and Mahindra & Mahindra at Rs. 1,227.90 (up 0.47%). Godrej Properties Ltd. (GPL), one of India's leading real estate developers, has created a dedicated real estate funds management business in India and Singapore Godrej Fund Management (GFM). GFM has raised a USD 275 million (Rs. 19 billion) pool of capital, Godrej Residential Investment Program II (GRIP II) with Dutch pension fund asset manager APG Asset Management N.V. (APG) as the lead investor.GFM will advise GRIP II investors on investments into a residential development platform with GPL in India. GRIP II is a follow on to the USD 200 million residential development platform GPL had set up with an APG led investor consortium in 2012. GPL will hold a 20% stake in GRIP II. Karan Bolaria has been appointed to head GFM and will be responsible for managing both series of the residential investment programs as well as any future strategies that GFM will undertake.APG and GPL pioneered the joint venture approach in the Indian private real estate market in 2012 with GRIP I, a structure that has been followed by other foreign institutional investors and Indian developers since.said, I am delighted to announce the establishment of Godrej Fund Management. The new GRIP II platform in partnership with APG will help us attract high quality long-term equity investors to partner with us in our developments across India. This fits well with our strategy of deepening our presence across the country's leading real estate markets while maintaining a capital light development strategy.Sachin Doshi, Managing Director and Head of Private Real Estate Investments, Asia Pacific at APG, said "We are pleased to expand our relationship with Godrej Properties. Our strategy of partnering with only the best local operators has allowed us to succeed in a complex market like residential development in India. In spite of a general slowdown in the asset class in the country over the last 3 years, our partnership projects have sold well, which is a testament to our partners execution capability and brand strength. We look forward to deepening the collaboration between our groups and supporting Godrej Fund Management. The government is planning to get two large institutional investors to buy stake in state-run IDBI Bank, according to reports. In his budget speech last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Government will consider ceding control of IDBI Bank and that it was willing to cut its stake to less than 50% from 80.2% now. The UKs development finance institution CDC Group Plc and US private equity firm TPG Capital are also in talks with the Government to buy a stake in IDBI Bank, says the financial newspaper. The quantum of stake sold to a strategic investor will likely be 15% or higher, reports the paper, adding that the CDC Group has started conducting due diligence on IDBI Bank. Report says that the talks have been held with some players who evinced interest. In a move against governments decision to reduce its stake holding in the bank, IDBI Bank employees' unions have called a four-day countrywide strike from March 28. Employees and officers belonging to the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), have given the strike call under the banner of the United Platform of IDBI Bank Unions, according to reports. IDBI Bank claims to have around 12,000 employees under its union and they are against the privatization plan. The union stated in a report that if the governments wants to trim its stake they can do it but the bank remain a public sector bank. The employees also want a written assurance from the government that their shareholding in IDBI Bank will not be reduce less than 51 percent at all times as assured on the floor of parliament, says reports. AIBEA has slammed the centers move writing a letter to re-think of their plans. The association stated that the government should have taken some recovery measures to tackle its bad loans instead of transforming the bank into a private bank. At present, IDBI Banks bad loans stand at more than Rs 18,000 crore. In his budget speech last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Government will consider ceding control of IDBI Bank and that it was willing to cut its stake to less than 50% from 80.2% now. Finance Minister Jaswant Singh during December 2002 and December 2003 assured IDBI that Government of India at all times, maintain not less than 51% of the issued capital of the firm. Ahead of the World TB Day, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has welcomed the Health Ministrys move to ban 344 fixed dose combinations (FDCs) drugs. MSF appealed to the Indian government to continue its efforts to address the growing DR-TB epidemic in the country.MSF welcomes the Indian Ministry of Healths 10th March notification on the prohibition of manufacture, sale and distribution of certain Fixed Dose Combination (FDCs) drugs that put public health and lives of people at risk. The list of banned drugs includes several FDCs containing multiple antibiotics that have long been used injudiciously, contributing to the development of resistant strains of infection-causing bacteria, said Dr. Grania Brigden, TB and AMR Advisor, Access Campaign, MSF.Dr Brigden further added that irrational FDCs containing important anti TB drugs such as quinolones (ofloxacin and levofloxacin) and linezolid are rampantly available in the Indian private market, which has resulted in worsening prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in India.According to MSF, this year, India has a double challenge: to phase out irrational antibiotic FDCs in the private sector that are contributing to resistance generation, and to phase in the WHO-recommended daily FDC regimen for drug-sensitive TB (DS-TB) to the national TB program, which has been shown to increase adherence and reduce pill burden. Nava Bharat Ventures Ltd ended 2% higher to Rs.164.50. The company entered into an arrangement with Tata Power Trading Company Limited (TPTCL) for supply of power to Telangana State Power Distribution Companies (TSPCC/TSDISCOMS) back to back from May 27, 2016 to May 25, 2017. The scrip opened at Rs. 165 and touched a high and low of Rs. 167 and Rs. 163.2 respectively. A total of 105089(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 1435.05 crore. The BSE group 'B' stock of face value Rs. 2 touched a 52 week high of Rs. 203.4 on 13-Apr-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 128 on 12-Feb-2016. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 162.6 and Rs. 151.2 respectively. The promoters holding in the company stood at 44.06 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 30.48 % and 23.89 % respectively. The stock traded below its 200 DMA. skjbollywoodnews Remember we told you that Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut share a close bond, and even throw joint parties for the success of their films. Yes, their's is one of the unknown friendships of Bollywood. But it seems apart from sharing their happiness, the two are even sharing a common crisis in their careers. Currently, no actor is ready to work with the two powerhouse performers, but for different reasons. Kangana's legal tussle with her once good friend and co-star Hrithik Roshan has been in the headlines for weeks now. Amid nasty allegations from both the ends, it looks like Kangana has got herself in major trouble on the work front too. We know Hrithik has a big Bollywood base and Kangana, known for being vocal, has written off the A-list leading man from her list of possible co-stars. But that's not all. We hear several other top male actors have also officially or unofficially called off their plans of working with Kangana. Does that mean we won't see her with any of the Khans? As of now Salman, Shah Rukh, Aamir, Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt are some of those who have moved away from Kangana's range of casting, leaving the coast clear for actors like Irrfan Khan and Imran Khan. But her past dud Katti Batti with Imran tells a different story! Kangana's friend Priyanka is also facing a similar crisis. PeeCee might be climbing the ladder of international fame, but back home, she has become a name too big to be attached on-screen with several Bollywood biggies. Her star power might extend from Bandra to Beverly Hills today, but many of her male co-stars aren't feeling good about her growing popularity in a male dominated industry. Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan have apparently "blacklisted" Priyanka. The only exceptions being Hrithik and Ranveer Singh. bollywoodlife Though there is no official word regarding the proposed "ban" on these two prominent names in Bollywood, their line-up of upcoming films and co-stars surely hints at something like this. We still believe Priyanka made the right move to the west, Kangana's graph looks a little dizzy, due to growing differences with not just her female contemporaries, but also male ones. We hope Bollywood's Queen of gets her throne back. After a long wait, Leonardo DiCaprio walked home with the Oscar trophy this year and that surely was a much-deserved victory for the actor. DiCaprio, who played the role of a real-life fur trapper Hugh Glass in The Revenant went on to talk about the issue of climate change during his acceptance speech at the Oscars. However, not many know that long before DiCaprios Oscar win, a media report stated that a group of filmmakers in eastern Russia were planning to honor DiCaprio by crafting a statuette of their own. Leo's fans in the Russian city of Yakutsk melted their gold and silver jewelry and a lot of other valuables to make an Oscar statuette for him. How awesome is this? Twitter The trophy resembles the Oscar trophy but instead of a sword, it has a Choron, a three-legged goblet that symbolises peace. Tatiana Yegorova, a lecturer at the Arctic Institute of Arts and Culture was the one who started the Oscar for Leo! campaign to create the trophy. The group managed to collect donations of cash to help further the campaign! The sculpture cost them around $1,300 USD to craft. Now that Leo has finally received this wonderful trophy, he took to Instagram to share it with the world. The caption of the picture is as heart-warming as the gesture by the Russian group! Leo wrote: "Thank you to the people of Yakutia for this wonderful gift, especially all of the women who gathered and donated the materials that went into creating the statue. As they wrote in their letter, Yakutia is home to the coldest inhabited place not only in Russia, but also on Earth and the region is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures pose a major threat to its people, their way of life and their natural habitat. #Russia #ClimateChange#Earth #Yakutia #ActOnClimate" Now that's no less than a twin-win for the actor who deserves every bit of honor. The intermittent wails of four-year-old Ammu, a female stray dog that grew up among the residents of Lane No. 3, Krishnanagar, off Tumkur Road, have cast a pall of gloom over this locality of mostly ex-servicemen. Twitter Residents are haunted by the memory of the dog digging her 15-day-old puppies out of their graves and trying to nurse them. On March 15, her litter of eight was mercilessly flung onto the boulders, allegedly by Ponnamma, the wife of an ex-honorary flight lieutenant, a resident of this Jallahalli West neighbourhood. This she did reportedly to "teach the dog a lesson", who had dared to have puppies in a drain under her gate. Is This Woman More Heinous The Serial Dog Killer Of New Delhi While seven of the puppies died the same day, one that survived the brutality succumbed the next day. The outraged residents filed a complaint with Cupa (Compassion Unlimited Plus Action) on March 17, and the same day, the NGO registered a complaint against Ponnamma with the Peenya police. When we reached her doorstep to enquire about the incident, she refused to comment. The ghastly incident has outraged the neighbourhood which has always been compassionate toward its stay dogs. It isn't uncommon here to spot a pet dog sharing a meal with a stray such is the residents' love for their animals. Five days since the incident, Ammu still wanders around the site where her puppies are buried. bangalore mirror The police have seized crucial footage from a CCTV camera near Ponnamma's house. The Peenya police have registered a case under Section 93 of the Karnataka Police Act (punishment for cruelty to animals) and Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and IPC Section 429. If proved guilty, she could end up in prison for up to five years. "Cupa has lodged a complaint, but justice is still a long way off for this mother," said, Suparna B Ganguly, honorary secretary at the NGO. The heinous act The heinous act had come to light after the residents took up the case on March 15 with Cupa. The complaint explained how "a woman in our street" flung eight pups across the road on to an empty site opposite to her house, killing them all. The impact was such that "some of the pups' intestines were out". The residents wrote that they were distressed by the sight of the mother that wouldn't stop wailing and trying to "wake them up, running around us asking for help, trying to show us." Residents explained how their request had gone in vain to spare Ammu, who had littered 15 days ago in a gutter, beneath the entry gate of Ponnamma's house. "My neighbour and I had an argument with the woman. We told her what she did was a grave sin and so cruel. The puppies did no harm to her, and she had no right to kill them in front of the mother," the complaint said. The twisted logic When the residents protested the act, Ponnamma went on to say that she was doing this to teach the dog a lesson. Bangalore Mirror "When we asked her how she could kill innocent puppies, and that she had no right to do that, she said she wanted to teach the mother a lesson so that she doesn't litter or come near her house again," an outraged resident tells, clearly unable to accept the logic. What's worse is that Ponnamma is remorseless. "When we asked her about it, she just said, achcha nahi laga, fek diya (didn't like it, threw it)," said a resident. Action taken "The accused was arrested and released on bail. We have procured CCTV footage and are putting together evidence. The investigation is on and the chargesheet will be submitted," said B Aiyanna Redddy, police inspector, Peenya, revealed. Thankfully everyone is not an asshole. A woman opened up a coffee shop for dogs just so they didn't have to spend the night in the cold. A petition against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) known as 'Khatna' among Dawoodi Bohra Shi'ite Muslim sect, has generated support from both men and women , via a petitions that has garnered tens of thousands of signatures. "I am Bohra and I oppose Khatna because my body, MY CHOICE." Learn more about the "I Am A Bohra" Photo Campaign at... Posted by Sahiyo on Saturday, 12 March 2016 The petition is part of a campaign led by Masooma Ranalvi, a lady who was 'cut' when she was only 7. Channels of support include a social media campaign by Sahiyo, a campaign group in Mumbai focused on ending FGM. BBC "I Oppose Female Genitla Mutilation. It's Inhumane"Learn more about the "I Am A Bohra" Photo Campaign at... Posted by Sahiyo on Thursday, 10 March 2016 "The community is patriarchal, so men's participation makes the campaign that much more effective," said Ranalvi, who plans to present the petition calling for a law to ban FGM in India to the Bohra high priest and the Indian government. aljazeera Sahiyo's campaign invites Bohras and non-Bohras to post photographs saying why they oppose FGM. FGM can cause serious physical and psychological problems, is more commonly linked to African countries which have led international efforts to end the practice. India is not included on U.N. lists of countries affected by FGM, and little is known about the practice in South Asia. Campaigners say Dawoodi Bohras are the only Muslim community in South Asia to practise FGM, estimating that up to three-quarters of Bohra girls are cut. Although it is not mentioned in the Koran, the Bohras consider khatna - the removal of part of the clitoris - a religious obligation, and debate on the subject has long been taboo. Bohra men who oppose the long-held tradition are scared of being excommunicated or boycotted socially, hurting their business and their families. Indian Women Are Fighting Against Female Genital Mutilation. Here's Everything You Need To Know Acting on a tip-off, the Ajmer police on Friday confiscated 80 kilograms of opium and arrested the accused in this connection. Similarly, in different raids, the Government Railway Police (GRP) too foiled drug supply bids after thoroughly checking the trains last week in Ajmer. Sources informed that the drug consignment was going to be supplied in Punjab. It may be noted here that the drug mafias have set an eye on the route from Madhya Pradesh via Rajasthan to supply drugs after the security forces started keeping a tight vigil on India-Pakistan border. Reuters Sources informed the Nasirabad police had received a tip-off that a drug consignment was on its way to Punjab. Probationary IPS and SHO at Sadar Nasirabad police station Tejaswani Gautam, said, "We swung into action immediately after receiving a tip-off and installed barricades on every road to nab the smugglers." The cops, during the checking operation, found an approaching car suspicious and asked the driver to stop and open its dickey. The driver, however, did not stop and sped away only to be caught in the very next barricade. The accused have been identified as Sukhwant (30, Firozpur), Nirmal Singh (38, Moga district), Angrej Singh (27) and Jagvir Singh (36). According to police, the accused at first, upon interrogation, said that they were transporting some electronic goods in the car from Chittorgarh. reuters The cops, upon thoroughly searching the car, found a total of five bags containing 80 kilograms of opium. The police informed that the accused later admitted that they were smuggling drugs to Punjab from Chittorgarh. Sources said that the accused spilled the beans by giving the names drugs lords from whom the drugs were purchased after police interrogated them strictly. getty The estimated cost of the confiscated drugs is about Rs 2.10 lakh, sources said. Similary, the GRP seized a total of 12 kilogram of opium and 132 kilograms of marijuana in two different raids conducted last week. Those arrested in this connection were identified as Mirul Islam (28), a resident of Murshidabad in West Bengal. Police said that opium is being smuggled from Madhya Pradesh to the different parts of the country. Most specifically, the drug smuggling into Punjab region has been increased off late. The drugs are being supplied to the region through Madhya Pradesh via Rajasthan. Sources at the Intelligence bureau said that vigilance has been intensified to prevent drugs smuggling from such routes. Besides, sources informed that the police had seized a heavy drug consignment last month on Nairabad Highway after receiving a tip-off. Sources claimed that a large amount of drugs are being smuggled from Nimach and Mandsore of Madhya Pradesh to different parts of the country. Although there is plunge in the demand of drugs in the tourists destinations, it is now the hukka bars that are paying a pretty high amount for the supply, sources said adding that is why drug peddlers are smuggling through Madhya Pradesh via Rajasthan. Between six and seven trillion dollars worth of black wealth lies hidden in tax havens across the world, according to a fresh estimate by a trio of senior economists from the Bank of Italy. Indians' share in this is estimated at $152-181 billion (Rs 1009735.24 Crore - 12,02,698.84 Crore), by one calculation. When MPs were seen protesting against the black-money issue outside parliament. Image: PTI This is only wealth invested in shares and debt securities or held in bank deposits. It is impossible to get a handle on other wealth invested in physical assets like real estate, gold or art. 7 Places Indians Have Most Likely Parked Their Black Money Released this week, these estimates follow the train of several such estimates in recent years with Gabriel Zucman, of London School of Economics, estimating it at $7.6 trillion, Boston Consulting Group at $8.9 trillion and Tax Justice Network at $21 trillion. All of this wealth is held in tax havens, which are jurisdictions with weak regulations and strong secrecy laws, using shell companies to conceal original identities The Italian economists analysed data from IMF and the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) to arrive at the figure. There can be two ways of doing this, they told via email. One is to assume that the Indian share in this global hidden wealth was simply the same as India's share in global GDP, that is, about 2.5% in 2013, the year for which this data pertains. By this measure, the Indian share of hidden wealth is $152-181 billion. That's about Rs 10.5 to 12.02 lakh crore. Another way of finding out the Indian share of undeclared assets is to look at the Indian share in actual declared portfolio assetsabout 0.07% of the totaland assume that the same is valid for hidden assets. By this way, India's share in black assets works out to $4-5 billion or about Rs 25,000-30,000 crore. A cartoon published in TOI These figures for India are just indicative and the three economists Pellegrini, Sanelli and Tosti were insistent that they "have to be considered with great care and in no way can represent firm data". But, having said that, there is no other way of getting even a glimpse of the secret stockpile of wealth stashed away abroad by Indians. So, as a ballpark figure, it does give a hint of what lies buried. Why is there a big discrepancy between the two methods of calculating India's hidden wealth in tax havens? As the Italian researchers explained, Indians seem to have a much lower propensity for investing in foreign financial assets that's why their share in global offshore financial assets, as calculated from IMF data, is a puny 0.07%. But will this reluctance extend to secret investments too? Nobody knows. In all probability, Indian share in foreign black money is somewhere between the two estimates computed above. This is supported by estimates of offshore wealth growth by various agencies. In the Global Wealth 2015 Report, the Boston Consulting Group says that shares of offshore wealth from Middle-East and Africa region, Latin America and Asia Pacific were higher than Western Europe and North America, although it also points out that Asia-Pacific contribution is not so high. India Is The 4th Largest Exporter Of Black Money, $ 51 Billion Shipped Out Of The Country Annually Mumbai's faithful are stuck between a trinity of gods; one that consists of the Fire-god (Agni), the Rain-god (Indra) and the Wind-god (Varun). Such is the helplessness that they are facing in current times. BCCL If you remember, few months back we reported about the fires that ravaged through Mumbai's Deonar dumping ground. The fact that these fires, and resultant smoke clouds, could actually be spotted from space may tell you how serious the issue was. At that time various national and international media channels had covered the issue but once the fires died down, so did the interest in causes and remedies. But not so soon, said the aggrieved Deonar BCCL A fire that broke out at Deonar dumping ground in the eastern suburbs of the city is still raging, three days later. This has led to vast populated regions of the Maximum city to be under a blanket of smoke. BCCL The blaze started at around 1.40 pm on Saturday and since then, the fire brigade has been struggling to douse it off completely, said officials of the disaster control unit of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Eight fire engines and 10 water tankers are stationed at the spot. The fire became strong at around 8.30 pm on Sunday night. If you were wondering how big these fires are, here're the satellite images for the last major fire in the region: BCCL Meanwhile, the blaze which erupted on Saturday at Mulund (E) dumping ground, was put out at around 12.30 pm on Sunday, fire brigade officials said. Also, the officials have said that 75 per cent of the Deonar fire is also under control. Meanwhile, there were multiple instances of Mumbaikars protesting against the dump's operation and asking the government to shut it down. BCCL Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. US Hypocritical Lectures to Cuba By Marjorie Cohn March 20, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - In advance of President Barack Obamas historic visit to Cuba on March 20, there is speculation about whether he can pressure Cuba to improve its human rights. But a comparison of Cubas human rights record with that of the United States shows that the US should be taking lessons from Cuba. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights contains two different categories of human rights civil and political rights on the one hand; and economic, social and cultural rights on the other. Civil and political rights include the rights to life, free expression, freedom of religion, fair trial, self-determination; and to be free from torture, cruel treatment, and arbitrary detention. Economic, social and cultural rights comprise the rights to education, healthcare, social security, unemployment insurance, paid maternity leave, equal pay for equal work, reduction of infant mortality; prevention, treatment and control of diseases; and to form and join unions and strike. These human rights are enshrined in two treaties the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The United States has ratified the ICCPR. But the US refuses to ratify the ICESCR. Since the Reagan administration, it has been US policy to define human rights only as civil and political rights. Economic, social and cultural rights are dismissed as akin to social welfare, or socialism. The US government criticizes civil and political rights in Cuba while disregarding Cubans superior access to universal housing, health care, education, and its guarantee of paid maternity leave and equal pay rates. Meanwhile, the US government has committed serious human rights violations on Cuban soil, including torture, cruel treatment, and arbitrary detention at Guantanamo. And since 1960, the United States has expressly interfered with Cubas economic rights and its right to self-determination through the economic embargo. The US embargo of Cuba, now a blockade, was initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Cold War in response to a 1960 memo written by a senior State Department official. The memo proposed a line of action that makes the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and the overthrow of the [Castro] government. That goal has failed, but the punishing blockade has made life difficult in Cuba. In spite of that inhumane effort, however, Cuba guarantees its people a remarkable panoply of human rights. Healthcare Unlike in the United States, healthcare is considered a right in Cuba. Universal healthcare is free to all. Cuba has the highest ratio of doctors to patients in the world at 6.7 per 1,000 people. The 2014 infant mortality rate was 4.2 per 1,000 live births one of the lowest in the world. Healthcare in Cuba emphasizes prevention, rather than relying only on medicine, partly due to the limited access to medicines occasioned by the US blockade. In 2014, the Lancet Journal said, If the accomplishments of Cuba could be reproduced across a broad range of poor and middle-income countries the health of the worlds population would be transformed. Cuba has developed pioneering medicines to treat and prevent lung cancer, and prevent diabetic amputations. Because of the blockade, however, we in the United States cannot take advantage of them. Education Free education is a universal right up to and including higher education. Cuba spends a larger proportion of its GDP on education than any other country in the world. Mobile teachers are deployed to homes if children are unable to attend school. Many schools provide free morning and after-school care for working parents who have no extended family. It is free to train to be a doctor in Cuba. There are 22 medical schools in Cuba, up from only 3 in 1959 before the Cuban Revolution. Elections Elections to Cubas national parliament (the National Assembly) take place every five years and elections to regional Municipal Assemblies every 2.5 years. Delegates to the National Assembly then elect the Council of State, which in turn appoints the Council of Ministers from which the President is elected. As of 2018 (the date of the next general election in Cuba), there will be a limit of no more than two five-year terms for all senior elected positions, including the President. Anyone can be nominated to be a candidate. It is not required that one be a member of the Communist Party (CP). No money can be spent promoting candidates and no political parties (including the CP) are permitted to campaign during elections. Military personnel are not on duty at polling stations; school children guard the ballot boxes. Labor Rights Cuban law guarantees the right to voluntarily form and join trade unions. Unions are legally independent and financially autonomous, independent of the CP and the state, funded by members subscriptions. Workers rights protected by unions include a written contract, a 40-44-hour week, and 30 days paid annual leave in the state sector. Unions have the right to stop work they consider dangerous. They have the right to participate in company management, to receive management information, to office space and materials, and to facility time for representatives. Union agreement is required for lay-offs, changes in patterns of working hours, overtime, and the annual safety report. Unions also have a political role in Cuba and have a constitutional right to be consulted about employment law. They also have the right to propose new laws to the National Assembly. Women Women make up the majority of Cuban judges, attorneys, lawyers, scientists, technical workers, public health workers and professionals. Cuba is ranked first in Save the Childrens Lesser Developed Countries Mothers Index. With over 48% women MPs, Cuba has the third highest percentage of female parliamentarians in the world. Women receive 9 months of full salary during paid maternity leave, followed by 3 months at 75% of full salary. The government subsidizes abortion and family planning, places a high value on pre-natal care, and offers maternity housing to women before giving birth. Life Expectancy In 2013, the World Health Organization listed life expectancy for women in Cuba at 80; the figure was 77 for men. The probability of dying between ages 15 and 60 years per 1,000 people in the population was 115 for men and 73 for women in Cuba. During the same period, life expectancy for women in the United States was 81 for women and 76 for men. The probability of dying between 15 and 60 per 1,000 people was 128 for men and 76 for women in the United States. Death Penalty A study by Cornell Law School found no one under sentence of death in Cuba and no one on death row in October 2015. On December 28, 2010, Cubas Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of Cubas last remaining death row inmate, a Cuban-American convicted of a murder carried out during a 1994 terrorist invasion of the island. No new death sentences are known to have been imposed since that time. By contrast, as of January 1, 2016, 2,949 people were on death row in state facilities in the United States. And 62 were on federal death row as of March 16, 2016, according to Death Penalty Information. Sustainable Development In 2006, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a leading global environmental organization, found that Cuba was the only country in the world to have achieved sustainable development. Jonathan Loh, one of the authors of the WWF report, said, Cuba has reached a good level of development according to United Nations criteria, thanks to its high literacy level and a very high life expectancy, while the ecological footprint is not large since it is a country with low energy consumption. Stop Lecturing Cuba and Lift the Blockade When Cuba and the US held talks about human rights a year ago, Pedro Luis Pedroso, head of the Cuban delegation, said, We expressed our concerns regarding discrimination and racism patterns in US society, the worsening of police brutality, torture acts and extrajudicial executions in the fight on terror and the legal limbo of prisoners at the US prison camp in Guantanamo. The hypocrisy of the US government in lecturing Cuba about its human rights while denying many basic human rights to the American people is glaring. The United States should lift the blockade. Obama should close Guantanamo and return it to Cuba. Marjorie Cohn has been a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law since 1991. In summer 2016, she will become Professor Emeritus, and will continue to lecture, write, and provide media commentary. http://marjoriecohn.com/ - See more at: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44332.htm#sthash.KZh7qrPz.dpuf Marjorie Cohn has been a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law since 1991. In summer 2016, she will become Professor Emeritus, and will continue to lecture, write, and provide media commentary. http://marjoriecohn.com/ - See more at: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44332.htm#sthash.KZh7qrPz.dpuf Marjorie Cohn has been a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law since 1991. In summer 2016, she will become Professor Emeritus, and will continue to lecture, write, and provide media commentary. http://marjoriecohn.com/ - Behind the Crimea/Russia Reunion Official Washington marches in propaganda lockstep about Crimeas decision to rejoin Russia two years ago, with references to a Russian invasion and a sham referendum of Crimeas voters, but the reality is different, says ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern March 20, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - With high symbolism Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Crimea to check on the construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge, which will link the Crimean peninsula and continental Russia, the Kremlin announced on Thursday. As the Russians like to say, It is no accident that he chose today marking the second anniversary of Russias annexation of Crimea three weeks after the U.S.-sponsored coup in Kiev on Feb. 22, 2014, and just days after a referendum in which Crimean voters approved leaving Ukraine and rejoining Russia by a 96 percent majority.The 12-mile bridge is a concrete metaphor, so to speak, for the re-joining of Crimea and Russia. When completed (the target is December 2018), it will be the longest bridge in Russia. Yet, the Obama administration continues to decry the political reunion between Crimea and Russia, a relationship that dates back to the Eighteenth Century. Instead, the West has accused Russia of violating its pledge in the 1994 Budapest agreement signed by Ukraine, Russia, Great Britain and the U.S. to respect the independence and sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine, in exchange for Ukraine surrendering its Soviet-era nuclear weapons. Did Moscow violate the Budapest agreement when it annexed Crimea? A fair reading of the text yields a Yes to that question. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances, including alarm among Crimeans over what the unconstitutional ouster of Ukraines president might mean for them, as well as Moscows not unfounded nightmare of NATO taking over Russias major, and only warm-water, naval base at Sevastopol in Crimea. But what is seldom pointed out is that the other parties, including the United States, seem to have been guilty, too, in promoting a coup detat removing the democratically elected president and essentially disenfranchising millions of ethnic Russian Ukrainians who had voted for President Viktor Yanukovych. In such a context, it takes a markedly one-dimensional view to place blame solely on Russia for violating the Budapest agreement. Did the Western-orchestrated coup in Kiev violate the undertaking to respect the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine? How about the pledge in the Budapest agreement to refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by the Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty. Political and economic interference were rife in the months before the February 2014 coup. [See Consortiumnews.coms Who Violated Ukraines Sovereignty? ] Did Ukrainian President Yanukovych expect to be overthrown if he opted for Moscows economic offer, and not Europes? Hard to tell. But if the putsch came as a total surprise, he sorely underestimated what $5 billion in democracy promotion by Washington can buy. After Yanukovych turned down the European Communitys blandishments, seeing deep disadvantages for Ukraine, American neoconservatives like National Endowment for Democracy President Carl Gershman and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland pulled out all the stops to enable Ukraine to fulfill what Nuland called its European aspirations. The revolution will not be televised, or so the saying goes. But the Feb. 22, 2014 putsch in Kiev was YouTube-ized two-and-a-half weeks in advance. Recall Nulands amateurish, boorish not to mention irresponsible use of an open telephone line to plot regime change in Ukraine with fellow neocon, U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, during an intercepted conversation posted on YouTube on Feb. 4. Nuland tells Pyatt, Yats is the guy. Hes got the economic experience, the governing experience. Hes the guy you know. He has warned there is an urgent need for unpopular cutting of subsidies and social payments before Ukraine can improve. Arseniy Yatsenyuk (aka Yats) was quickly named prime minister of the coup regime, which was immediately given diplomatic recognition by Washington. Since then, he has made a royal mess of things. Ukraine is an economic basket case, and Yats barely survived a parliamentary vote of no confidence and is widely believed to be on his way out. Did Moscows strong reaction to the coup, to the danger of NATO setting up shop next door in Ukraine come as a surprise to Nuland and other advisers? If so, she ought to get new advisers, and quickly. That Russia would not let Crimea become a NATO base should have been a no-brainer. Nuland may have seen the coup as creating a win-win situation. If Putin acted decisively, it would be all the easier to demonize him, denounce Russian aggression, and put a halt to the kind of rapprochement between President Barack Obama and Putin that thwarted neocon plans for shock and awe against Syria in late summer 2013. However, if Putin acquiesced to the Ukrainian coup and accepted the dangers it posed to Russia, eventual membership for Ukraine in NATO might become more than a pipedream. Plus, if Putin swallowed the humiliation, think of how politically weakened he would have become inside Russia. As NEDs Gershman made clear, not only did American neocons see Ukraine as the biggest prize but as a steppingstone to ultimately achieve regime change in Moscow, or as Gershman wrote , Putin may find himself on the losing end not just in the near abroad but within Russia itself. Russian Equities In a formal address in the Kremlin on March 18, 2014, the day Crimea was re-incorporated into Russia, Putin went from dead serious to somewhat jocular in discussing the general issue: We have already heard declarations from Kiev about Ukraine soon joining NATO. What would this have meant for Crimea and Sevastopol in the future? It would have meant that NATOs navy would be right there in this city of Russias military glory, and this would create not an illusory but a perfectly real threat to the whole of southern Russia. We are not opposed to cooperation with NATO [but] NATO remains a military alliance, and we are against having a military alliance making itself at home right in our backyard or in our historic territory. I simply cannot imagine that we would travel to Sevastopol to visit NATO sailors. Of course, most of them are wonderful guys, but it would be better to have them come and visit us, be our guests, rather than the other way around. A little-known remark by Putin a month later (on April 17, 2014) was unusually blunt in focusing on one of the main reasons behind Moscows strong reaction namely, Russias felt need to thwart Washingtons plan to incorporate Ukraine and Crimea into the U.S. anti-ballistic missile deployment encircling Russia. Putin was quite direct: This issue is no less, and probably even more important, than NATOs eastward expansion. Incidentally, our decision on Crimea was partially prompted by this. This is a serious bone of contention, with far reaching implications. In short, if the Russian military becomes convinced that the Pentagon thinks it has the capability to carry out a strategic strike without fear of significant retaliation, the strategic tripwire for a nuclear exchange will regress more than four decades to the extremely dangerous procedure of launch on warning, allowing mere minutes to use em, or lose em. Russia has been repeatedly rebuffed or diddled when it has suggested bilateral talks on this key issue. Four years ago, for example, at the March 2012 summit in Seoul, Russias then-President Dmitry Medvedev asked Obama when the U.S. would be prepared to address Russian concerns over European missile defense. In remarks picked up by camera crews, Obama asked for some space until after the U.S. election. Obama can be heard saying, This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility. Putin claims to have seen no flexibility on this strategic question. What Coup? The Obama administration and its stenographers in the mainstream U.S. media would like the relevant Ukrainian history to start on Feb. 23, 2014 with Yats and his coup cronies deemed the legitimate authorities. To that end, there was a need to airbrush what George Friedman, president of the think-tank STRATFOR, publicly called the most blatant coup in history the one plotted by Nuland and Pyatt in early February 2014 and carried out on Feb. 22. As for Russias alleged designs on Crimea, one searches in vain for evidence that, before the coup, the Kremlin had given much thought to the vulnerability of the peninsula and a possible need to annex it. According to the public record, Putin first focused on Crimea at a strategy meeting on Feb. 23, the day after the coup. Yet, given the U.S. mainstream medias propagandistic reporting on the Ukraine crisis, it is small wonder that the American people forgot about (or never heard of) the putsch in Kiev. The word coup was essentially banished from the U.S. medias lexicon regarding Ukraine. The New York Times went so far as to publish what it deemed an investigative article in early 2015 announcing that there was no coup in Ukraine, just President Yanukovych mysteriously disappearing off to Russia. In reaching its no-coup conclusion, the Times ignored any evidence that there was a coup, including the Nuland-Pyatt phone call. In regards to Ukraine, coup became just another unutterable four-letter word. Last year, when Sen. John McCain continued the no coup fiction, I placed the following letter in the Washington Post on July 1, 2015 (the censors apparently being away at the beach): In his June 28 Sunday Opinion essay, The Ukraine cease-fire fiction, Sen. John McCain was wrong to write that Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea without provocation. What about the coup in Kiev on Feb. 22, 2014, that replaced President Viktor Yanukovych with pro-Western leaders favoring membership in NATO? Was that not provocation enough? This glaring omission is common in The Post. The March 10 World Digest item Putin had early plan to annex Crimea described a secret meeting Mr. Putin held on Feb. 23, 2014, during which Russia decided it would take the Crimean Peninsula. No mention was made of the coup the previous day. (emphasis added) And so it goes. More recently, in Jeffrey Goldbergs lengthy magnum opus in The Atlantic on Obamas foreign policy, there were two mentions of how Russia invaded Crimea, two allusions to Russias invasion of Ukraine, but not a word about the coup in Kiev. Invincible Ignorance In Catholic theology, the theory that some people can be invincibly ignorant can lessen or even erase their guilt. Many Americans are so malnourished on accurate news and so busy trying to make ends meet that they would seem to qualify for this dispensation, with pardon for not knowing about things like the coup in Kiev and other key happenings abroad. The following, unnerving example brings this to mind: A meeting of progressives that I attended last year was keynoted by a professor from a local Washington university. Discussing what she called the Russian invasion of Crimea, the professor bragged about her 9-year-old son for creating a large poster in Sunday School saying, Mr. Putin, What about the commandment Thou Shall Not Kill? The audience nodded approvingly. This picnic, thought I, needed a skunk. So I asked the professor what her little boy was alluding to. My question was met by a condescending smirk of disbelief: Crimea, of course. I asked how many people had been killed in Crimea. Oh, hundreds, probably thousands, was her answer. I told her that there were, in fact, no reports of anyone having been killed. I continued, explaining that, with respect to Russias invasion, what you dont see in the mainstream media is that, a treaty between Ukraine and Russia from the late 1990s allowed Russia to station up to 25,000 Russian troops on the Crimean peninsula. There were 16,000 there, when a U.S.-led coup ousted the democratically elected government in Kiev on Feb. 22, 2014. (I had grabbed the attention of the audience; yet stares of incredulity persisted.) In contrast to Crimeas bloodless political secession from Ukraine, the Ukrainian governments anti-terror operation against ethnic Russians in the east who resisted the coup authorities in Kiev has killed an estimated 10,000 people, many of them civilians. Yet, in the mainstream U.S. media, this carnage is typically blamed on Putin, not on the Ukrainian military which sent to the front neo-Nazi and other right-wing militias (such as the Azov battalion) contemptuous of ethnic Russians. [See Consortiumnews.coms Ukraine Merges Nazis and Islamists .] A few weeks before the professors remarks, after a speaking engagement in Moscow, I had a chance to do a little souvenir shopping on the Arbat. The behavior of the sales people brought me up short. It was decades since I had served as a CIA officer in the Soviet Union; the shopkeepers then were usually taciturn, allergic to discussing politics, and not at all given to bragging about their leaders. This time it was different. The sales people wanted to know what I thought of President Putin. They were eager to thrust two coffee cups into the shopping bag that I had filled with small gifts for our grandchildren. On one was emblazoned the Russian words for polite people under an image of two men with insignia-less green uniforms depicting the troops that surrounded and eventually took over Ukrainian installations and government buildings in Crimea without a shot being fired. The other cup bore a photo of Putin over the Russian words for the most polite of people. The short conversation that ensued made it immediately clear that Russian salespeople in Moscow unlike many sophisticated Americans were well aware that the troubles in Ukraine and Crimea began in Kiev on Feb 22, 2014, with the most blatant coup in history. And, not least, they were proud of the way Putin used the polite green men to ensure that Crimea was not lost to NATO. Ray McGovern works for Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. During his 27-year career as a CIA analyst he headed the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch. In retirement, he helped create Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS). Brazil Is Engulfed by Ruling Class Corruption and a Dangerous Subversion of Democracy By Glenn Greenwald, Andrew Fishman and David Miranda (Para ler a versao desse artigo em Portugues, clique aqui.) March 20, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " The Intercept "- T HE MULTIPLE, REMARKABLE crises consuming Brazil are now garnering substantial Western media attention. Thats understandable given that Brazil is the worlds fifth most populous country and eighth-largest economy; its second-largest city, Rio de Janeiro, is the host of this years Summer Olympics. But much of this Western media coverage mimics the propaganda coming from Brazils homogenized, oligarch-owned, anti-democracy media outlets and, as such, is misleading, inaccurate, and incomplete, particularly when coming from those with little familiarity with the country (there are numerous Brazil-based Western reporters doing outstanding work). It is difficult to overstate the severity of Brazils multi-level distress. This short paragraph yesterday from the New York Timess Brazil bureau chief, Simon Romero, conveys how dire it is: Brazils extraordinary political upheaval shares some similarities with the Trump-led political chaos in the U.S.: a sui generis, out-of-control circus unleashing instability and some rather dark forces, with a positive ending almost impossible to imagine. The once-remote prospect of President Dilma Rousseffs impeachment now seems likely. But one significant difference with the U.S. is that Brazils turmoil is not confined to one politician. The opposite is true, as Romero notes: almost every corner of the political system [is] under the cloud of scandal. That includes not only Rousseffs moderately left-wing Workers Party, or PT which is rife with serious corruption but also the vast majority of the centrist and right-wing political and economic factions working to destroy PT, which are drowning in at least an equal amount of criminality. In other words, PT is indeed deeply corrupt and awash in criminal scandal, but so is virtually every political faction working to undermine it and vying to seize that partys democratically obtained power. In reporting on Brazil, Western media outlets have most prominently focused on the increasingly large street protests demanding the impeachment of Rousseff. They have typically depicted those protests in idealized, cartoon terms of adoration: as an inspiring, mass populist uprising against a corrupt regime. Last night, NBC Newss Chuck Todd re-tweeted the Eurasia Groups Ian Bremmer describing anti-Dilma protests as The People vs. the President a manufactured theme consistent with what is being peddled by Brazils anti-government media outlets such as Globo: That narrative is, at best, a radical oversimplification of what is happening and, more often, crass propaganda designed to undermine a left-wing party long disliked by U.S. foreign policy elites. That depiction completely ignores the historical context of Brazils politics and, more importantly, several critical questions: Who is behind these protests, how representative are the protesters of the Brazilian population, and what is their actual agenda? T HE CURRENT VERSION of Brazilian democracy is very young. In 1964, the countrys democratically elected left-wing government was overthrown by a military coup. Both publicly and before Congress, U.S. officials vehemently denied any role, but needless to say documents and recordings subsequently emerged proving the U.S. directly supported and helped plot critical aspects of that coup. The 21-year, right-wing, pro-U.S. military dictatorship that ensued was brutal and tyrannical, specializing in torture techniques used against dissidents that were taught to the dictatorship by the U.S. and U.K. A comprehensive 2014 Truth Commission report documented that both countries trained Brazilian interrogators in torture techniques. Among their victims was Rousseff, who was an anti-regime, left-wing guerilla imprisoned and tortured by the military dictators in the 1970s. The coup itself and the dictatorship that followed were supported by Brazils oligarchs and their large media outlets, led by Globo, which notably depicted the 1964 coup as a noble defeat of a corrupt left-wing government (sound familiar?). The 1964 coup and dictatorship were also supported by the nations extravagantly rich (and overwhelmingly white) upper class and its small middle class. As democracy opponents often do, Brazils wealthy factions regarded dictatorship as protection against the impoverished masses comprised largely of non-whites. As The Guardian put it upon release of the Truth Commission report: As was the case elsewhere in Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s, the elite and middle class aligned themselves with the military to stave off what they saw as a communist threat. These severe class and race divisions in Brazil remain the dominant dynamic. As the BBC put it in 2014 based on multiple studies: Brazil has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the world. The Americas Quarterly editor-in-chief, Brian Winter, reporting on the protests, wrote this week: The gap between rich and poor remains the central fact of Brazilian life and these protests are no different. If you want to understand anything about the current political crisis in Brazil, its crucial to understand what Winter means by that. D ILMAS PARTY , PT, was formed in 1980 as a classic Latin American left-wing socialist party. To improve its national appeal, it moderated its socialist dogma and gradually became a party more akin to Europes social democrats. There are now popular parties to its left; indeed, Dilma, voluntarily or otherwise, has advocated austerity measures to cure economic ills and assuage foreign markets, and just this week enacted a draconian anti-terrorism law. Still, PT resides on the center-left wing of Brazils spectrum and its supporters are overwhelmingly Brazils poor and racial minorities. In power, PT has ushered in a series of economic and social reforms that have provided substantial government benefits and opportunities, which have lifted millions of Brazilians out of poverty. PT has held the presidency for 14 years: since 2002. Its popularity has been the byproduct of Dilmas wildly charismatic predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (universally referred to as Lula). Lulas ascendency was a potent symbol of the empowerment of Brazils poor under democracy: a laborer and union leader from a very poor family who dropped out of school in the second grade, did not read until the age of 10, and was imprisoned by the dictatorship for union activities. He has long been mocked by Brazilian elites in starkly classist tones for his working-class accent and manner of speaking. After three unsuccessful runs for the presidency, Lula proved to be an unstoppable political force. Elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, he left office with such high approval ratings that he was able to ensure the election of his previously unknown hand-picked successor, Dilma, who was then re-elected in 2014. It has long been assumed that Lula who vocally opposes austerity measures intends to run again for president in 2018 after completion of Dilmas second term, and anti-PT forces are petrified that hed again beat them at the ballot box. Though the nations oligarchical class has successfully used the center-right PSDB as a counterweight, it has been largely impotent in defeating PT in four consecutive presidential elections. Voting is compulsory, and the nations poor citizens have ensured PTs victories. Corruption among Brazils political class including the top levels of the PT is real and substantial. But Brazils plutocrats, their media, and the upper and middle classes are glaringly exploiting this corruption scandal to achieve what they have failed for years to accomplish democratically: the removal of PT from power. Contrary to Chuck Todds and Ian Bremmers romanticized, misinformed (at best) depiction of these protests as being carried out by The People, they are, in fact, incited by the countrys intensely concentrated, homogenized, and powerful corporate media outlets, and are composed (not exclusively but overwhelmingly) of the nations wealthier, white citizens who have long harbored animosity toward PT and anything that smacks of anti-poverty programs. Brazils corporate media outlets are acting as de facto protest organizers and PR arms of opposition parties. The Twitter feeds of some of Globos most influential (and very rich) on-air reporters contain non-stop anti-PT agitation. When a recording of a telephone conversation between Dilma and Lula was leaked this week, Globos highly influential nightly news program, Jornal Nacional, had its anchors flamboyantly re-enact the dialogue in such a melodramatic and provocatively gossipy fashion that it literally resembled a soap opera far more than a news report, prompting widespread ridicule. F or months, Brazils top four newsmagazines have devoted cover after cover to inflammatory attacks on Dilma and Lula, usually featuring ominous photos of one or the other and always with a strikingly unified narrative. To provide some perspective for how central the large corporate media has been in inciting these protests: Recall the key role Fox News played in promoting and encouraging attendance at the early Tea Party protests. Now imagine what those protests would have been if it had not been just Fox, but also ABC, NBC, CBS, Time magazine, the New York Times, and the Huffington Post also supporting and inciting the Tea Party rallies. That is what has been happening in Brazil: The largest outlets are owned and controlled by a tiny number of plutocratic families, virtually all of whom are vehement, class-based opponents of PT and whose media outlets have unified to fuel these protests. In sum, the business interests owned and represented by those media outlets are almost uniformly pro-impeachment and were linked to the military dictatorship. As Stephanie Nolen, the Rio-based reporter for Canadas Globe and Mail, noted: It is clear that most of the countrys institutions are lined up against the president. Put simply, this is a campaign to subvert Brazils democratic outcomes by monied factions that have long hated the results of democratic elections, deceitfully marching under an anti-corruption banner: quite similar to the 1964 coup. Indeed, much of the Brazilian right longs for restoration of the military dictatorship, and factions at these anti-corruption protests have been openly calling for the end of democracy. None of this is a defense of PT. Both because of genuine widespread corruption in that party and national economic woes, Dilma and PT are intensely unpopular among all classes and groups, even including the partys working-class base. But the street protests as undeniably large and energized as they have been are driven by those who are traditionally hostile to PT. The number of people participating in these protests while in the millions is dwarfed by the number (54 million) who voted to re-elect Dilma less than two years ago. In a democracy, governments are chosen by voting, not by displays of street opposition particularly where, as in Brazil, the protests are drawn from a relatively narrow societal segment. As Winter reported: Last Sunday, when more than 1 million people took to the streets, polls indicated that once again the crowd was significantly richer, whiter, and more educated than Brazilians at large. Nolen similarly reported: The half-dozen large anti-corruption demonstrations in the past year have been dominated by white and upper-middle-class protesters, who tend to be supporters of the opposition Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), and to have little love for Ms. Rousseffs left-leaning Workers Party. Last weekend, when massive anti-Dilma protests emerged in most Brazilian cities, a photograph of one of the families participating went viral, a symbol of what these protests actually are. It showed a rich, white couple decked out in anti-Dilma symbols and walking with their pure-breed dog, trailed by their black weekend nanny wearing the all-white uniform many rich Brazilians require their domestic servants to wear pushing a stroller with their two children. As Nolen noted, the photo became the emblem for the true, highly ideological essence of these protests: Brazilians, who are deft and fast with memes, reposted the picture with a thousand snarky captions, such as Speed it up, there, Maria [the generic maid name], we have to get out to protest against this government that made us pay you minimum wage. T O BELIEVE THAT the influential figures agitating for Dilmas impeachment are motivated by an authentic anti-corruption crusade requires extreme naivete or willful ignorance. To begin with, the factions that would be empowered by Dilmas impeachment are at least as implicated by corruption scandals as she is: in most cases, more so. Five of the members of the impeachment commission are themselves being criminally investigated as part of the corruption scandal. That includes Paulo Maluf, who faces an Interpol warrant for his arrest and has not been able to leave the country for years; he has been sentenced in France to three years in prison for money laundering. Of the 65 members of the House impeachment committee, 36 currently face pending legal proceedings. In the lower house of Congress, the leader of the impeachment movement, the evangelical extremist Eduardo Cunha, was found to have maintained multiple secret Swiss bank accounts, where he stored millions of dollars that prosecutors believe were received as bribes. He is the target of multiple active criminal investigations. Meanwhile, Senator Aecio Neves, the leader of the Brazilian opposition who Dilma narrowly defeated in the 2014 election, has himself been implicated at least five separate times in the corruption scandal. One of the prosecutors newest star witnesses just accused him of accepting bribes. That witness also implicated the countrys vice president, Michel Temer, of the opposition party PMDB, who would replace Dilma if she were impeached. Clinton Speech at AIPAC Conference Video Over 15,000 pro-Israel US citizens are expected to attend the conference, as well as an estimated two-thirds of Congress and 3,600 students from over 630 campuses. Posted March 21, 2016 Clinton paints herself as the best candidate for Israel. March 2, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " JP "- Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton addressed AIPAC's annual policy conference in Washington DC on Monday, attacking Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for saying that he would be "neutral" on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. "We need steady hands, not a president who says he's neutral on Sunday, pro-Israel on Monday and who knows what on Tuesday, because everything is negotiable. Well my friends, Israel's security is not negotiable," Clinton told the meeting of the US's largest Israel lobby. "America can never be neutral when it comes to Israel's security or survival," she stated. "Anyone who doesn't understand that has no business being our president." Clinton said that the turmoil of the Middle East poses great challenges to the US, but abandoning America's responsibilities in the region is not an option. Clinton said that Iran's aggression, the rise of extremism and the growing effort to delegitimatize Israel on the world stage are converging to make the US-Israel alliance more necessary than ever. "The US and Israel must be closer than ever, stronger than ever and more determined than ever to go against our common adversaries and advance our common values," she said. Clinton said this was particularly so given the current wave of terror plaguing Israel. "These attacks must end immediately and Palestinian leaders need to stop inciting violence, celebrating terrorists as martyrs and stop paying rewards to their families." She said that maintaining Israel's security was a strong national interest for the US. "We must take our alliance to the next level and conclude a new ten year Memorandum of Understanding as soon as possible," Clinton said of current negotiations between Israel and Washington over a new military aid package for the Jewish state. This will send a clear message to Israel's enemies, she added, vowing to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge. She called on the US to bolster Israel's missile defense and work together to create tunnel-detecting technology. "One of the first things I'll do as president is invite the Israeli prime minister to visit the White House," Clinton said. Clinton said that a negotiated two-state agreement remains the best way to ensure Israel's survival as a democratic and Jewish state. "Inaction cannot be an option," she stated. "As president I would continue the pursuit of direct negotiations," she said, adding emphatically that she would oppose a UN Security Council resolution to impose a solution from the outside. Republican presidential candidates Sen. Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich were set to address the AIPAC conference later on Monday. House Speaker Paul Ryan will also address the confab on Monday. On Sunday, Vice President Joseph Biden offered a forceful defense of Israel's security posture at AIPAC, delivering what is likely his last speech to the group after a 30-year career in public service drew him close to the pro-Israel organization. Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter Israel - Map Censorship By Lawrence Davidson March 21, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - What is the difference between a textbook publisher giving into pressure from Christian fundamentalists seeking to censor the teaching of evolution, and a publisher giving in to Zionists seeking to censor awareness of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine? Neither phenomenon is a matter of opinion or perspective. One act of censorship denies facts established by scientific research. The other denies the documented violation of international law (for instance, the Fourth Geneva Convention) and multiple UN resolutions. So the answer to the question just asked is there is no difference. In early March 2016 executives at McGraw-Hill took the extreme step of withdrawing from the market a published text, Global Politics: Engaging a Complex World, and then proceeded to destroy all the remaining books held in inventory. (Did they burn them?) Global Politics, which had been on the market since 2012, was a text designed by its authors to offer students a number of lenses through which to view the world around them. Why did McGraw-Hill do this? Apparently the book was obliterated (this seems to be an accurate description of the publishers actions) because, like a biology text that describes the established facts of evolution, Global Politics offered a lens to view the world that was judged blasphemous by a powerful, influential and ideologically driven element of the community. Of course, that is not how McGraw-Hill rationalized its action. Instead, the publisher claimed that a serious inaccuracy in the text was belatedly discovered. This took the form of a series of four maps that show Palestinian loss of land from 1946 to 2000. The maps are the first set which can be seen at the following link: http://www.thetower.org/3027ez-mcgraw-hill-publishes-college-textbook-with-mendacious-anti-israel-maps/ The maps in question are not new or novel. Nor are they historically inaccurate, despite Zionists claims to the contrary. They can be seen individually and in different forms on websites of the BBC and Mondoweiss and are published in a number of history books, such as Mark Tesslers well-received A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Perhaps what the Zionists cant abide is lining up the maps together in chronological order. In truth, the objections reported to have been used by those who pressured McGraw-Hill are historically perverse the sort of grasping at straws that reflects a biased and strained rewriting of history. For instance, an objection was made to the labeling of public land in pre-1948 Palestine as Palestinian. Why? Because the Zionist claim is that Palestine before 1948 was a British mandate and so the land was British and not Palestinian. As their argument goes, no one called the Arabs [of this area] Palestinians. Of course, prior to 1948, no one called the East European Jews pouring in at this time Israelis. Further, according to those taking these maps to task, the West Bank at this time was controlled by Jordan and so it too was not Palestinian. Obviously, no one brought up the fact that in September of 1922 the British had divided Palestine in two in order to artificially create what is now Jordan. The period after World War I was one of territorial transition, however, in Palestine, the one constant was the persistent presence of the Arab Palestinians. The Zionists offered many other dubious objections to the maps, which seem to have sent the publisher into something of a panic. It would certainly appear that no one at McGraw-Hill knew enough relevant history to make an accurate judgment on the complaints. Part II Running Scared McGraw-Hills response was to immediately initiate an academic review, which determined that the maps in question did not meet our academic standards. Who carried out the review? Well, McGraw-Hill wont say, but insists those who did so were independent academics. Just what are McGraw-Hills academic standards? Well, those havent been articulated either. The publishers reluctance to elaborate its claims makes their actions suspicious at best. As Rania Khalek noted in an 11 March 2016 article on the incident in Electronic Intifada, these particular maps, showing the loss of Palestinian land over decades of Israeli expansion, have the ability to cut through Israeli propaganda that portrays Palestinian anger and violence as rooted in religious intolerance and irrational hatred rather than a natural reaction to Israels colonial expansionism, land theft and ethnic cleansing, all of which continue today. This gives insight into the strenuous efforts made by Zionists to keep the sequenced maps away from any mass market distribution. As it is, they seem to have overlooked this textbook source for some four years. However, once they spotted it, and began flooding McGraw-Hill with complaints from multiple sources, it took the publisher only about a week to suspend sales of the book. The next obvious question is why didnt McGraw-Hill move to change the maps or just remove them? Why destroy the entire inventory? The extreme nature of the publishers response remains unexplained but may stand as a testimony to the fact that the Zionist lobby has the same power within the corporate ranks of this textbook publisher as the anti-evolution fundamentalists have over most biology textbooks. Part III The Zionists Maps The Zionists who made the claim that the Global Politics maps are mendacious do so from a starting assumption that all the land from the Suez Canal to Golan Heights and Jordan River has always been Hebrew-Israeli. On this basis they posit their own maps to make the claim that modern Israel, at least since 1967 and in the pursuit of peace, has voluntarily relinquished land rather than illegally taken it. These maps are the second set seen at http://www.thetower.org/3027ez-mcgraw-hill-publishes-college-textbook-with-mendacious-anti-israel-maps/ It is significant that the Zionist maps begin in 1967, a year of major Israeli expansion through conquest. And, of course, the only land concession of any consequence since then is the Sinai Desert. The Zionist cartographical suggestion that Israel has given up Gaza and West Bank land is just a sleight of hand, given Israels use of Gaza as a prison colony and continued military control of every inch of the West Bank. Finally, it is important to note that Israeli school maps are often pure propaganda. For instance, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently carried a story about a map used to teach seventh graders about the countrys geography. The map omits the green line, which is recognized internationally as Israels eastern border, as well as the majority of the nations Arab-Israeli communities. Maybe the Israeli Ministry of Education used McGraw-Hills academic standards to create this map. Part IV Conclusion Within academia there is the belief that textbooks are not to be subject to ideological censorship. This is a rather naive, but important, ideal. If such texts cannot maintain this level of integrity, the entire educational exercise becomes open to propaganda. Unless McGraw-Hill becomes transparent about its independent academic review and offers an explanation as to why it went to the extreme of destroying its inventory of Global Politics, one can only assume that the publisher has no objection to censoring its products in the face of pressure from an ideologically driven group. No doubt the motivation here is fear of controversy and subsequent market losses. In the absence of substantiating information, the whole story of an independent review and academic standards must be dismissed as a cover-up. The sad truth is that the suborning of textbooks addressing culturally sensitive subjects has become a standard practice. Thus, the process of education is indeed threatened by incessant propaganda. This includes the culture war that swirls around American biology textbooks. It also includes the powerful Zionist drive to literally wipe the Palestinians off the map. Lawrence Davidson is a retired professor of history from West Chester University in West Chester PA. His academic research focused on the history of American foreign relations with the Middle East. He taught courses in Middle East history, the history of science and modern European intellectual history. Copyright 2010 tothepointanalyses. All Rights Reserved. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter For Email Marketing you can trust Donate Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. The Fallacy of Humanitarian War The new excuse for U.S. imperial wars is humanitarian or liberal interventionism with Hillary Clinton and other proponents citing noble motives for destroying foreign societies, as ex-CIA official Graham E. Fuller discusses. By Graham E. Fuller March 21, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Consortium News "- Rajan Menons new book, The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention, launches a timely argument against a dominant argument lying behind so much of modern American foreign policy humanitarian intervention or liberal interventionism. We are, of course, well familiar with Republican and neocon readiness to go to war, but the reality is that many Democrat Party leaders have been no less seduced into a series of optional foreign military interventions, with increasingly disastrous consequences. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is today one of the leading exponents of the idea, but so are many of the advisors around President Barack Obama. Menon offers powerful argumentation skewering the concept of humanitarian intervention, demonstrating how it operates often as little more than a subtler form of an imperial agenda. Naked imperial ambitions tend to be recognizable for what they are. But when those global ambitions are cloaked in the liberal language of our right to protect oppressed peoples, prevent humanitarian outrages, stop genocide, and to topple noxious dictators, then the true motives behind such operations become harder to recognize. What humanitarian could object to such lofty goals? Yet the seductive character of these liberal interventionist policies end up serving indeed camouflaging a broad range of military objectives that rarely help and often harm the ostensible objects of our intervention. Professor Rajan Menon brings a considerable variety of skills to bear in this brief and lucid book. Despite his first-class academic credentials in the field, he also writes in clear and persuasive language for the concerned general reader. Second, Menon is no theoretician: he has worked closely with policy circles for many years and understands the players and operations as well as anyone outside government. In rejecting the premise of liberal interventionism, Menon is not exercising some hard-minded, bloodless vision of policy quite the opposite. He is deeply concerned for the wellbeing of peoples and societies abroad who are often among the primary victims of such liberal interventionism. He argues not as an isolationist but rather as an observer who has watched so many seemingly well-minded interventions turn into horror stories for the citizens involved. From a humanitarian point of view, can the deaths of half a million Iraqis and the dislocation of a million or so more be considered to have contributed to the wellbeing of liberated Iraq? As former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once said, she regretted the death of 500,000 Iraqi children who, in Saddams Iraq, had been deprived of medicines under a long U.S. embargo, but, she concluded, it was worth it. One wonders to whom it was worth it? Where is the humanitarian vision behind such a comment? Libya too has been transformed from an unpleasant but quiescent dictatorship under Muammar Gaddafi into a nightmare of raging militias, civil war, anarchy and a breeding ground of ISIS and al-Qaida. Afghanistan is still mired in conflict. So Menon is arguing not for a hardening of hearts, but for questioning the real-world outcomes of such seemingly well-intentioned wars. Ultimately the case for humanitarian intervention is justified by the quest for international justice, protection of civilians, and the broadening of democratization and human rights. The U.S. has regularly invoked these principles in justifying its ongoing indeed nonstop wars over the past several decades. Yet the sad reality is that the selective nature of U.S. interventions raises serious questions about the true motivation behind invoking such universal values. U.S. calls for democratization more often operate as punishment to its enemies (regime change) but rarely as a gift to be bestowed upon friends (friendly dictators.) Menon argues, buttressing his case with striking examples from around the world, that such selective implementation of universal values by a global (imperial) power ends up tarnishing and diminishing the very values they are meant to promote; as a result they create broad cynicism around the world among those who perceive them as mere instruments of aggressive U.S. global power projection. Yet when many genuine humanitarian crises do burst forth, as in Rwanda or in the ongoing agonies of the Congo (five million dead and counting) Washington has opted not to intervene because it did not perceive its immediate national interests to be threatened. In short, the selective and opportunistic character of liberal interventionism ends up giving a bad name to liberalism. And it cruelly deceives many in the West who seek a more liberal foreign policy and yet who find that, in the end, they have only supported the projection of greater American geopolitical power and usually at considerable human cost to the Iraqs, Afghanistans, Somalias, Libyas, and Columbias of the world. Any reader of the book is eventually forced to confront a deeper question: when is war in fact worth it? Few would respond never, but many might respond rarely. Yet Menon is not arguing against war as such, so much as forcing us to acknowledge the faulty liberal foundation of our relentless quest for enemies to destroy in the name of making the world a better place. The title of the book, The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention, suggests that at the very least such policies are self-deceiving, in other cases perhaps deliberately meant to obfuscate. Menon here poses the question whether, for whatever motivation, great powers can ever sufficiently master the complexity of foreign societies to truly engineer a better life in the countries we target for remodeling. And whether we can afford an enterprise that might take decades at the least. In the end we become aware of the unhealthy nature of combining broad ideals married to global power. In the case of the British Empire, and now the American, this combination readily leads to the manipulation and then corruption of those ideals discrediting U.S. prestige and credibility and damaging the lives of those living in troubled areas. None of this is to say that there is never room for international intervention in arenas of horrific depredations against civilian populations. But it is only when such intervention is truly international (essentially U.N.-sanctioned and not a mere maneuver to insert NATO into another global hotspot) that it can it take on a measure of credibility and international respect. Otherwise it ends up perceived as a U.S. proxy move against Russia, China, Iran or some other adversary. Menons book constitutes essential reading for anyone troubled by the ugly character of so much of the international scene these days, and yet dismayed by its exploitation by policy-makers who cloak invasion, power projections and military operations in the garb of humanitarian effort. Here is a cogent critique of the recent decades of U.S. foreign policy misadventures in which our military has become the primary instrument of U.S. policy and justified in the name of humanitarian goals. We rarely get to hear these arguments so clearly presented. Graham E. Fuller is a former senior CIA official, author of numerous books on the Muslim World. His latest book is Breaking Faith: A novel of espionage and an Americans crisis of conscience in Pakistan . (Amazon, Kindle) grahamefuller.com The Children of Syria By Peter Koenig March 21, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - There is no other species, no other biological being on this planet that for no necessity at all destroys its own species for sheer greed and power. Hardly anybody talks about and shows the horrendous situation in Syria on the ground, how this US instigated war affects the people, the individuals - and in particular the children. No future. Three million of them (UNICEF) do not go to school; they are malnourished, many sick, many die - miserable deaths, in unsanitary refugee camps; uncounted children are orphans at young age - have to fend for themselves, are being abused, exploited, mistreated, physically and mentally. What a future? What a life. Add to these 3 million from Syria alone the uncounted children from Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan and the list goes on. All of these children were made homeless and refugees and many also orphans through wars and armed conflicts started by the US and its western allies. Be sure always to remember, who is behind these conflicts; who could stop the misery anytime and who has the power to bring peace to humanity rather than constant war and mass killings to satisfy their greed greed for dominance, greed for resources. According to the UNHCR about 60 million people worldwide are on the move as refugees. This figure in reality is probably at least 70 million. It also masks another reality - one of abject poverty and misery, caused by a US-led world elite living in superb luxury and comfort, killing for more wealth and more power. The number of children can only be estimated. It is fair to guess that at least 1/3 of all refugees are children and adolescents, some 25 million. Again, most of these worldwide refugees are the result of US aggressions or conflicts initiated by Washington and carried out by US / NATO armed forces, or by Americas vassals and proxies, i.e. the war in Yemen nominally fought by the Saudis and other Gulf states, but with full backing and arms supplied by the US / NATO. Young girls and adolescent women are often ending up in the sex-trade. Many of the boys and girls are abused as slaves or at best cheap, hardly-paid labor, working at least 12-hour days and of course no chance of going to school a missed opportunity to get a basic education. What will they do in the future? - Those who may one day be free from seeking shelter as refugees, free from slavery and able to enter a normal work life? The number of refugees is increasing with every bombing run by the US and NATO; by drone assassinations, yes, personally approved by Obama, the self-appointed leader of the world who goes around the globe preaching human rights, the biggest human rights abuser in recent history. US drones have killed tens of thousands in the last 15 years. To that you may add the hundreds, perhaps thousands killed by UK and French drones. At least 90% of those killed are civilians, many of them, maybe as many as half, are children or adolescents. Many children survive as orphans. Especially when the trigger-happy drone-trained operators in Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas or elsewhere on the US territory, or the US Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany, Djibouti, direct their joysticks towards a wedding or funeral celebration in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan you name it. They have a particular liking for these mass family gatherings. The bug splats military slang for people killed by remote control are the most numerous, the most fun, the bloodiest bang for the buck, for these inhuman monsters, trained to kill in places tens of thousands of kilometers away from their comfort zone and ordered to do so by the Assassin-in-chief, Obama; he who proudly says that he approves each killing personally. How does the man if he still deserves the term sleep at night? Many of these drone pilots work from mobile air-conditioned trailers outside large cities in the US, but also from Africa, Afghanistan or the United Arab Emirates. There are at least 60 drone bases around the world, most of them controlled by the CIA and their proxies. Their number may be flexible with a tendency to grow. They are often operating from simple airstrips, easy to set up and easy to dismantle. They are clad in a shroud of secrecy, therefore difficult to monitor. This is modern American warfare, by robot, removed from emotions. Killing is a mere statistic, a measure accounted for on a spreadsheet. Almost nobody talks about this atrocious way of combat that is easily and painlessly replicated everywhere and endlessly. How can a future Syria be built without an educated population? There will be a generation gap, for several generations if ever before the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region can recuperate its economy, its social and physical infrastructure its sheer living of normal lives. Syria, Libya and Iraq were the most progressive countries in MENA: free education and health care; a first-class social safety net and physical infrastructure that functioned; a deep and profound history of humanity, the cradle of our western civilization. No more. The very western civilization has destroyed it all. Bombed into oblivion. They were and Syria still is socialist by definition a red flag and no-go for the western neoliberal fascist way of thinking and economic model. Most of these people have done no harm, are no terrorists, especially the children, they were happy to go to school, to play with their friends, to have a home and caring family and daily food on the table. Now everything is lost. No home. Street children, begging, eating from the gutters, sick, torn and filthy clothing, cold, no shelter no health care no care at all. Washington and Washington directed stooges have taken away their future, have plunged them into misery, those that have survived and are roaming the globe as refugees. What a western sanitized term out of the handbook on statistics when these poor souls are more often than not at the edge of survival, expulsed from one country to another, beaten, threatened with guns, sometimes killed, hovering between a life of despair and death from starvation, disease or sheer neglect. Because the greed-driven neoliberal western colonialists - the same Europeans and some of them have become North Americans in the 18th, 19th and 20th century - who have ravaged and raped and exploited the world for centuries, these same people - can they still be called people? - are now decimating and destroying whats left of our globe, for full spectrum dominance. Killing is the new normal. Desolation and misery of living beings is of no importance. Interference without limitation, that is what the west does best, literally best. They have perfected an evil science: how to create a chaos of suffering and misery efficiently, with the least effort, at least cost - bombs, drones poison gas, spent uranium, GMOs, and finally - the atom bomb - eradicating all. By chaos you divide and conquer. Paradise going up in flames, taking evil humanity with it safe for a few indigenous people, who have lived all their lives and are still living close and with nature. They may become the founders of a new humanity. Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He is the author of Implosion An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! Essays from the Resistance . Ogun is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created in 1976, it borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo and Osun states to the north, Ondo State to the east and the Republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state. The states nickname is Gateway to Nigeria. It was created in February 1976 from the former Western State. The 2006 census recorded a total population of 3,751,140 residents. The incumbent State Governor is Senator Ibikunle Amosu. May be many of you do not know that many prominent Nigerians hailed from the gateway state as it is fondly called. INFORMATION NIGERIA brings you 10 prominent Nigerians who hailed from Ogun state. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, MON (25 October 1900 Abeokuta, Nigeria 13 April 1978 Lagos, Nigeria), born Francis Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas to Daniel Olumeyuwa Thomas and Lucretia Phyllis Omoyeni Adeosolu, was a teacher, political campaigner, womens rights activist and traditional aristocrat. She served with distinction as one of the most prominent leaders of her generation. She was also the first woman in Nigeria to drive a car. Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo (nee Adelana; November 25, 1915 September 19, 2015), popularly known as HID, was born to a modest family in the small Ikenne community of Ogun State in Nigeria. She was married to politician Obafemi Awolowo from December 26, 1937 to his death in 1987. He famously referred to her as his jewel of inestimable value. She was also a successful businesswoman and astute politician. She played an active role in the politics of Western Nigeria. She stood in for her husband in the alliance formed between the NCNC and the AG, called the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA), while he was tried and in jail. Chief Idowu Sofola, SAN, MON (September 29, 1934) is a prominent Nigerian Jurist, Bencher and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association. He was formerly the Chairman of the Nigerian Body of Benchers. Martins-Kuye was born on 16 August 1942 in Ago Iwoye, Ijebu constituency of Ogun State, he has a brother (Muraino Ademola Kuye). He studied sociology at the University of Ibadan (1965-1968) and then Economics at the Harvard University Business School, graduating in 1983. He gained qualifications as a Chartered Accountant. Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, CFR (24 August 1937 7 July 1998), often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola, was a popular Nigerian Yoruba businessman, publisher, politician and aristocrat of the Yoruba Egba clan. He ran for the presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded as the presumed winner of the inconclusive election since no official final results were announced. He died in 1998, after being denied victory when the entire election results were dubiously annulled by the preceding military president Ibrahim Babangida because of alleged evidence that they were corrupt and unfair. Dr. Oba Otudeko, CFR (born, August 18, 1943) is an astute and highly successful Nigerian investor and entrepreneur whose domestic and foreign interests cut across diverse sectors of the economy. Professionally, he is a Chartered Banker, Chartered Corporate Secretary and a Chartered Accountant. MIKE ADENUGA Mike Adenuga, Nigerias second richest man, built his fortune in telecom and oil production. His mobile phone network, Globacom, is the second largest operator in Nigeria with 32 million subscribers; it also has operations in Ghana and the Republic of Benin. A higher estimate of Globacoms revenues led Forbes to increase the value we assign to it. His exploration outfit, Conoil Producing, operates 6 oil blocks in the Niger Delta. He also owns real estate firm Proline Investments, which has hundreds of properties throughout Nigeria. Adenuga studied in the United States, getting an MBA at Pace University in New York, where he worked as a taxi driver to support himself. He returned to Nigeria and made his first fortune trading lace and Coca-Cola. Along the way he made friends with Nigerian military bigwigs who awarded him lucrative state contracts. Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo, GCFR ; Yoruba: Olusegun Obasanjo born 5 March 1937 is a former Nigerian Army general who was President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. A Nigerian of Yoruba descent, Obasanjo was a career soldier before serving twice as his nations head of state, as a military ruler from 13 February 1976 to 1 October 1979 and as a democratically elected president from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. From July 2004 to January 2006, Obasanjo also served as Chairperson of the African Union. Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo, GCFR (Yoruba: Obafemi Awolowo; 6 March 1909 9 May 1987), was a Nigerian nationalist and statesman who played a key role in Nigerias independence movement, the First and Second Republics and the Civil War. He is most notable as the outstanding first premier of the Western Region but was also a successful federal commissioner for finance and vice president of the Federal Executive Council in the Civil War and was thrice a major contender for his countrys highest office. A native of Ikenne in Ogun State of south-western Nigeria, he started his career, like some of his well-known contemporaries, as a nationalist in the Nigerian Youth Movement in which he rose to become Western Provincial Secretary. Awolowo was responsible for much of the progressive social legislation that has made Nigeria a modern nation. Olawale Gladstone Emmanuel Rotimi, best known as Ola Rotimi (13 April 1938 18 August 2000), was one of Nigerias leading playwrights and theatre directors. He has been called a complete man of the theatre an actor, director, choreographer and designer who created performance spaces, influenced by traditional architectural forms. The Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police at the weekend paraded a nurse, Mrs. Chibuzor Okoye, for selling a baby belonging to a 17- year-old girl, Miss Tessy Obianua, to a couple in Onitsha, Anambra State, for the sum of N500,000. The State Commissioner for Police, Mrs. Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison said five persons were involved in the case. According to her, Tessy fell a victim of a specialized child trafficker, Mrs. Chibuzor Okoye, who convinced her to sell the baby to Mr. and Mrs. Sunday Kalu, who were desperately looking for a baby. She said the police got a tip about the matter when Tessys father, Mr. Henry Obianu, who lives at Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area of the state reported that his daughter was missing with her pregnancy to the police. According to her father, Tessy ran away with her pregnancy in January last year but later re-appeared in May without the baby or pregnancy. After more pressure about the whereabout of the baby from Tessy, she was said to have confessed to one of her uncles that she sold the baby to a couple in Onitsha. The Police investigation also revealed that Tessy was lured to Onitsha by her fathers neighbour in Ogbese, simply identified as Mr. Jude Azuka. It was learnt that at the time Tessy was declared missing at home, she was taking to Onitsha by Azuka to Okoyes house who helped her to nurse her pregnancy until she delivered. The Police boss said through investigation to Onisha, the police arrested Okoye, at No. 3, Tonny Olisa street Awada in Onitsha, who specialized in child trafficking. Ibifuro-Harrison, however, urged parents to be wary of the antics of criminal elements, who act friendly around their wards. A Nigerian parent can be very loving and caring but could also be very strict and could beat the living day light out of you for something you would agree is nothing but to them, it is tantamount to breaching natural security. Some of you remember being actually beaten for as little as not eating your food fast or not sitting properly while eating. Let INFORMATION NIGERIA bring back old memories of the very funny (now) Nigerian parents could beat their kids for Wasting food: This is a cardinal offense in a Nigerian home. It is a must to finish your food and it is even worst when you insisted the one you were given wouldnt be enough for you, so your mom had to add some more and after all that drama, you are unable to finish the food. Sucking thumb: Some kids enjoy doing this, but they better know the exact time to have the thumb in their mouth. The last thing you want is for a Nigerian parent especially moms to catch you thumb sucking, they actually have the tendency to beat you into the next year. Careless: Take the scenario, a Nigerian parent sends his/her kid to buy something from a shop nearby, then the child forgets to take his change, or loses the money or buys something else or doesnt even remember what he was sent to buy. We are very sure, anyone born and bred by Nigerian parents know exactly what would come after that right? Bed wetting: A Nigerian parent could totally beat and humiliate a child before anyone for bed wetting. They even have songs that are chanted to shame a bedwetting child. Stealing from school: It is called stealing as long as your parents didnt put them in your bag when your were going to school in the morning. So, when they see other peoples items in your bag, they could beat you until you forget your name. Eating a neighbours food: This forever ranks highest when it comes to punishment. Eating in your neighbours house whether your parents were present or not is an offense. Breaking plates: It doesnt matter if it was a mistake or not, Nigerian moms dont wait to investigate the offense before pouncing on you like youre a hated orphan. Not showing respect: A Nigerian parent wants to raise a respectful child and you would be totally contradicting their dreams of making that happen when you turn out to be a child that sees an elder and doesnt greet. When your mom reminds you before you have to greet an elderly person, then you know you are surely going to get whooped when you get inside, that is if you dont get it immediately. What was the most silly thing your parents ever beat you up for??? The Rivers State Government and All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday traded accusations over the conduct of rerun elections in Port Harcourt Ward 10 as the political battle for the soul of the state intensifies. While the APC in the state led by former Governor of Rivers and Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi accused the Peoples Democratic Party-led state government of abducting the Independent National Electoral Commissions (INECs) Collation Officer for the ward, Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa, the governor, Nyesom Wike, alleged that she was abducted by the minister with a view to doctoring election results. Amaechi, who led a group of Rivers APC chieftains that included the governorship candidate of the party in the 2015 election, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside; the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari; and the party Chairman, Dr. Davies Ikanya; among others, on a rescue mission, alleged that PDP chieftains snatched results from Mrs. Adebisa and kept her at the Divisional Police Headquarters in Mile One, Diobu, Port Harcourt, the state capital. The atmosphere at the divisional police headquarters was tensed as Governor Wike and his allies as well as Amaechi and other APC leaders stormed the headquarters in the presence of soldiers, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and riot policemen, who saved the situation from further degenerating. Semenitari, in a statement by her Special Assistant (Media), Bekee Anyalewechi, said: We have received with bemusement, the attempt by the Rivers State Government and its image managers to retell the facts of the incident of Sunday, March 20, 2016, which occurred at the Mile One Police Divisional Headquarters in Port Harcourt. Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, in company with a retinue of aides, invaded the police station, held the INEC Collation Officer for Port Harcourt Ward 10, Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa, hostage. It is not in our style to take issues with any tier of government, it is imperative that we state the facts, because of the need to safeguard our electoral process and strengthen the confidence of our people in their leaders. Mrs Ekwi Adebisa, the Port Harcourt City Ward 10 Collation Officer, for the March 19 rerun legislative election in Rivers State, was moved by force to the police station. The result she had collated was separated from her. While at the police station, agents of the Rivers State Government brought her under duress to write a statement that she had been abducted and made to falsify the ward result by agents of APC. That they forced her to the police station and kept under traumatic condition was in itself criminal, but that they had forced the result she had lawfully collated out of her custody was more criminal. Governor Wike had arrived the police station, accompanied by Senator George Sekibo (sacked from Rivers East), Mr. Austin Opara (former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives) and Azubuike Nmerukini, as well as other aides to the governor. As a leader in APC, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, being in attendance at the meeting, was among those delegated to go see what the actual development was. When Mrs. Semenitari and others arrived at the police facility, they confirmed the report. . It was shocking to read a statement issued by Simeon Nwakudu, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, linking Mrs. Semenitari to facts contrary to the truth stated. As a responsible citizen and public officer, Mrs. Semenitari could not have engaged in any conduct unbecoming of her status. As a Nigerian and Rivers daughter (from coastal Opobo, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro LGA of Rivers State, but married to an Okrika man, Henry Semenitari), she would always and at all times, protect and defend what promotes good governance. May God keep us all safe in these curious times that try our peoples souls. Mrs. Adebisa was eventually released to the minister and other leaders of the APC. However, Wike, through Nwakaudu, claimed that it was Mr. Amaechi, accompanied by no fewer than 100 soldiers that abducted Mrs. Adebisa on Saturday night, adding that the INEC official was later found at Mile One Police Station in Port Harcourt. The Rivers governor alleged that the abduction of Mrs. Adebisa led to the suspension of collation of results in the constituency. Nwakaudu alleged that She (Mrs. Adebisa) was first taken to Novotel Hotel (on Stadium Road, Port Harcourt) where Amaechi and Dakuku Peterside lodged and the results doctored. In the morning of Sunday, March 20, 2016, she (Mrs. Adebisa) was placed on (sic) protective custody by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Dakuku Peterside and the Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Ibim Semenitari. PDP leaders, including Governor Wike, got wind of the fact that she (Mrs. Adebisa) had been placed on protective custody at the Mile One Police Station and he (Wike) visited the station for explanation. Immediately Governor Wike and the PDP leaders arrived the police station, more than 400 soldiers stormed the station, along with the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the NIMASSAs Director-General, Dakuku Peterside and directed that Mrs Ekwi Adebisa be released to them. Amaechi, Dakuku Peterside, Ibim Semenitari and the AIG left with the Ward Collation Officer, Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Yobe State at the weekend said that the destruction caused by what it termed misrule in the state in the last 17 years was worse than the harm caused by the Boko Haram insurgency. Yobe is one of the Northeast states affected by insurgency. A former Minister of Police Affairs and PDP candidate in the April 11 governorship election in the state, Adamu Maina Waziri, who led a delegation of party chieftains from Yobe on a courtesy visit on the partys national chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, in Abuja said, We have two insurgency in Yobe; we have the Boko Haram insurgency, which is criminal, but we have political insurgency of misrule of Gov. Ibrahim Geidam of APC. If Nigerians are blaming PDP for 16 years of misrule, we PDP of Yobe are blaming ANPP/APC for 16 years of misrule. If there is change, we will start the change from Yobe. Mr. Waziri noted that PDP was on a journey to redeem itself so that it can reclaim its lost glory, saying If we do the right thing just as we have started, I assure you that the seat we won 1999, we can still win it back. Earlier, Sheriff gave assurance that he would be in Yobe to ensure all aggrieved members of the party are appeased and brought back to the PDP fold. The Judicial Commission of inquiry constituted by the Kaduna State Government to investigate the clash between the Nigeria Army and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as the Shiites group at its resumed sitting on Monday adjourned for the fifth time. The commission has considered the unexpected application by the counsel to the commission for yet another adjournment to enable counsel to the IMN have access to their leader, Chairman of the commission, Justice Muhammadu Garba Lawal said. The inability of the counsel to the IMN to see the leader of the movement is the reason for the adjournment, now with the strong indication of the possibility of seeing him today (Monday), it is reasonable to grant a short adjournment. The commission has granted the application and proceedings adjourned till Wednesday, 23rd March, 2016 and to also take the presentation from the army, he stated. Earlier in his application, one of the leading counsels to the Commission, Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN), informed the Commission that efforts to get access to the leader of the Islamic Movement is beginning to yield positive result. Usman explained that he met with the Director General of the Directorate of the Security Services on the 16th March, 2016, in the company of and Yusuf Ali (SAN) and they were assured they would be able to see the leader of the movement Monday by 12 noon alongside the counsel to the IMN. I am now being forced by this development to try your lordship patience again for the last time for another adjournment in the absolute interest of justice, he submitted. Other counsel representing groups who also submitted memorandum concurred with the position of the learned senior counsel to the commission except for the counsel to the army who had wished the adjournment could be shifted until after the Easter break, but it was turned down. It would be recalled that the commission adjourned from the inaugural sitting on the 22nd February to the 24th, then to the 29th and to 7th March and to the 14th March, and again to March 21st and now to the 23rd,March, 2016 all due to the inability of the counsels to the IMN to see the leader of the movement. Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha, at the weekend raised the alarm over silent killings going on in Taraba State. Bwacha who represents Taraba South Senatorial District said that the silent killings were being perpetrated by dislodged Boko Haram insurgents who moved from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. The insurgents, he said, were working to establish a new base in Taraba State having been dislodged from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. Following the successes recorded by the military in the three North Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, the insurgents are beginning to relocate and they are finding themselves, a new haven in Taraba state. It is very clear, by the massive movement of strange people into the state, across all the local government areas, in fact the highlights of those areas are there. We are hereby calling on security operatives to go and begin to sniff around and cross check. I am saying this because we have facts on ground. What the insurgents do, because they want to establish a new base, is that they entered bushes where they see people settle, they kill them. We have recorded numerous cases of killings and silent killings are still going on. We now have internally Displaced Persons in Taraba, in their large numbers because those who were displaced from their villages, relocate to the towns. In fact as I speak, this years farming season is being threatened already because the farmers would not be in their farms to cultivate anything having been chased away by the insurgents. Once the farmers go to the farms, the Boko Haram elements go to them and kill them. To worsen the situation, the insurgents move around like herdsmen but they are not the original herdsmen we know because the Fulani herdsmen dont move about with AK-47 riffle. Boko Haram elements were caught, rearing over 300 cows, it is on record and the Nigerian security agencies are aware of this. The situation is becoming more complex, and difficult because they move around like herdsmen where they dont carry the Ak-47 riffle physically, they wrapped them and put them on the cows. People will think they are luggage but they are arms. National Security is being threatened and that is why we have to raise alarm. The local vigilante has limitations except when government gives the group, formal backing. They dont carry arms like the Civilian JTF in Borno State who have official backing of the state. The insurgents are just moving secretly in Taraba state looking for where to settle. The senate committee will soon visit Taraba state to enable them to have on the spot assessment of the presence of the IDPs in the state. As far as I am concerned, President Muhammadu Buhari, has recorded tremendous success in fighting Boko Haram and I also commend him for moving round some of the African sub region to collaborate with them to have a frontal approach. But the insecurity involving traditional herdsmen clashing with farmers needed to be addressed urgently. That is why we have been advocating for ranches to reduce these crises. The American cattle are fatter than our own, they are well fed but they dont move around. If you keep them in a secluded place, backed with appropriate legislation, we would be able to reduce these crises, Bwacha said. President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the President-elect of Benin Republic, Mr Patrice Talon, on his electoral victory in the presidential run-off on Sunday, March 20. President Buhari also commended the Government and people of Benin Republic on the peaceful and orderly conduct of the presidential election. The successful conclusion of the electoral process marks an important step in consolidating democracy in the sub-region and a beacon for other African countries to emulate, President Buhari stated. The Nigerian leader saluted the courage and statesmanship of Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou and presidential candidate of the ruling coalition in upholding the democratic process by promptly congratulating his main challenger, Mr Talon, on his electoral victory. President Buhari also commended President Boni Yayi for his leadership throughout the electoral process and for his invaluable contribution to democratic governance in the sub-region, evidently demonstrated in the successful conduct of the presidential elections. He said he was encouraged by the determination and exemplary conduct demonstrated by Beninese in coming out en masse to perform their civic duties. A Rwandan who allegedly helped to orchestrate the 1990s genocide was sent back to his country on Sunday to be tried by a United Nations tribunal. Ladislas Ntaganzwa was arrested in December in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and has been accused of responsibility for the killing of an estimated 20,000 people. A $5m bounty was put on his head. The extradition was an encouraging step of regional judicial cooperation to reduce the impunity gap, said Jose Maria Aranaz, director of the UN Joint Human Rights Office in DRC. We expect that his victims will be vindicated, Aranaz told Al Jazeera. About 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were killed by roving Hutu militias over a 100-day period starting in April 1994, according to the UN. Ntaganzwa was one of nine fugitives wanted for allegedly organising the mass killing. An extradition agreement was signed on Sunday by the Congolese justice minister and top official from the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) in the capital, Kinshasa. Ntaganzwa was not presented to journalists who attended the signing at the UN mission near the airport, as he stayed in a vehicle waiting to board a flight back to Rwanda. Rwandan Justice Minister Johnston Busingye told Al Jazeera from Kinshasa the extradition was a step in the right direction, adding he expected justice to prevail during the trial. The MICT has replaced the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which was based in Arusha, Tanzania. Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has appealed to civil servants in the state to be patient with his government over the one-year long verification exercise, which he said would be concluded in April. The verification of the workers commenced in June 2015. Some civil servants in the state have complained of the process used by the government, with some of them, especially primary school teachers, working for five months without salaries before they were paid in January because of the exercise. However, in a government statement on Sunday, El-Rufai expressed regrets that workers were subjected to hardships as a result of the verification, which he pointed out was in the larger interest of the state as N500 million had been saved monthly since the exercise commenced. He said: It is in the wider public interest to establish precisely who works for the government, to ensure that public funds are not being drained to pay ghost workers. It is also in the personal career interests of each worker that the payroll is not distorted or bloated by non-existent workers. Steady progress has been made since the verification process for workers and pensioners commenced in June 2015. The results so far show that the payroll for wages and pensions has declined from the N2.7bn it cost to pay workers in May 2015. The government is pushing to make further savings by unmasking more ghosts. To build on this success and ensure the integrity of the payroll, the government is pressing ahead with the concluding phase of the verification exercise. This is expected to end in April 2016. Workers who have patiently partaken in the exercise since June 2015 should demonstrate the same spirit now that verification is close to the finishing line. Anyone who has any doubts about the need to ensure that public funds are not frittered on ghosts should note that federal allocation to the state last month was N2.8bn. If the government had not taken steps to shrink the payroll and cut costs, what would be left for public services if the payroll remained at N2.7bn? The states IGR is not yet big enough to cover the gap. As an employer, the government regrets that some workers have encountered hitches during the verification process. President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said his administration has tasked itself on delivering 10,000 megawatts of electricity generation in the next three years. Speaking at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, while addressing a two-day National Economic Council (NEC) retreat titled: Nigerian State: Multi-centres of Prosperity, the president said this year alone the administration would add 2,000 megawatts to the national grid. He said, Nigerians favourite talking point and butt of jokes is the power situation in our country. But, ladies and gentlemen, it is no longer a laughing matter. We must and by the grace of God we will put things right. In the three years left for this administration we have given ourselves the target of ten thousand megawatts distributable power. In 2016 alone, we intend to add two thousand megawatts to the national grid. President Buhari said the power sector had been privatized but admitted that that it had yet to show any signs of improvement in the quality of service. He listed the common public complaints with the sector as constant power cuts destroying economic activity and affecting quality of life; high electricity bills despite power cuts; low supply of gas to power plants due to vandalization by terrorists; and obsolete power distribution equipment such as transformers. Other complaints, he stated, are power fluctuations, which damage manufacturing equipment and household appliances; and low voltage which cannot run industrial machinery. He said while the National Electricity Regulatory Commission has a vital job to ensure consumers get value for money and over-all public interest is safe-guarded; government has to fast-track completion of pipelines from gas points to power stations and provide more security to protect gas and oil pipelines. A Hindu cow rights activist who drank pesticide as part of a protest in India calling for the animals to be given greater protection has died of his injuries. The 40-year-old man was one of eight gau bhakt, or cow worshippers, who consumed the poison at a rally outside a government office in western Gujarat state on Thursday. They were protesting at what they say is the ongoing slaughter of cows, considered sacred by Indias large Hindu population, despite a widespread ban on killing the animals. These men had come with bottles of poisonous substance and consumed a small portion in front of the collectors office, Manish Nakum, a police inspector investigating the case, said. All were rushed to the government hospital where one of them, identified as Gabhru Bharwad, 40, died during treatment in the evening. Inspector Nakum said he did not believe the men, who drank a mild pesticide used on cotton plants, intended to take his own life. Four of the protesters, aged in their 20s and 30s, were moved to a private hospital after their condition deteriorated, police said. Attacks on secular intellectuals, Muslims suspected of killing cows. Cow slaughter and the consumption of beef are banned in Gujarat and several other states in officially secular India. But the activists claim cows are still being killed illegally and want cows to be given the special status of rashtra mata, or mother of the nation. Dhaval Pandya, who participated in the protest in Rajkot city but did not drink pesticide, told reporters that cow slaughter was rampant in India. So to protect cows, which are holy to us like gods, we need to declare it as the mother of the nation, he said. About 27 members of the same group also tried to block roads in Rajkot, but were detained, police said. Around 80 per cent of Indias 1.2 billion population is Hindu, but it is also home to large numbers of Muslims, Christians and Buddhists. ABC News. Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has dared President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the state if he can. Fayose was addressing State House correspondents on Monday shortly after stepping out of the ongoing National Economic Council (NEC) retreat earlier declared open by the president. According to the governor, plans to declare emergency rule in the state was being mooted, but that it would not work. It would be recalled that in his first tenure as governor, Fayose was impeached by the House of Assembly allegedly on the orders of then President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 but following a constitutional crisis, the president declared a state of emergency and appointed Brig.-Gen. Tunji Olurin (retd.) as sole administrator of the state for six months. Fielding a question on the possible declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers following the violence that marred Saturdays legislative elections there, Fayose said: Theyve been insinuating that too in Ekiti. Weve been waiting for them. Power has gone beyond the leaders, power has gone back to the people. There (are) certain things leaders will do today, you will hate it tomorrow. You want to declare state of emergency, declare it and we will tell you that the state of emergency will not work too. This country belongs to all of us. The governor also condemned what he called the militarisation of the re-run elections in Rivers State. He said: If in Ekiti election, nobody was slapped, nobody died, the person defeated congratulated the winner; do we now call this Rivers election rivers of bloodgate? Because, for a peaceful election in Ekiti and this in Rivers, the military has got no business in our elections. PDP has always won all the elections after annulment; which means what happened in Rivers is just a service of ego of some individuals who believe they have Nigeria in their pockets. They can call the president at will to deploy the military, and its unfortunate that somebody would allow the military to kill his own people. I strongly condemn the elections in Rivers and charge that we sustain the legacy of transparent elections. For me in Ekiti, we learnt from that and were prepared. We prepare for election everyday and were fully prepared. The governor also accused the federal government of allowing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to detain innocent Nigerians in the name of fighting corruption. He also stated that the detentions showed the rascality of the anti-corruption agency. And for the people detained in EFCC, it shows the rascality of the agency of government. To the federal government to look away and allow innocent Nigerians rights to be taken away, I condemn it, he said. The Lagos State Government yesterday advised beggars in the state to leave the metropolis in their own interest or face drastic action. Commissioner of Youth and Social Development, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, gave the advice yesterday. Mrs. Akinbile-Yussuf said there was an ongoing campaign against the menace of street begging on radio stations in the state to sensitise people on the need to stop it. The commissioner also urged Lagosians to stop giving alms to beggars in order to discourage them, saying: We have been campaigning against street begging on radio since January. The campaign will run for three months following which the state government will take more drastic actions against perpetrators because there is anti-begging law in the state. What we are also saying is that people should stop giving alms to beggars on the streets because many of them are not beggars in the real sense of it. Many street beggars have been discovered to engage in criminal activities and hard drugs. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the allegation by the Christian Elders Forum, an arm of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that the Federal Government is planning to impose Shariah law on the federation. MURIC Director, Ishaq Akintola, in a statement on Sunday, said that the Christian elders based their allegation mainly on recent reports that Nigeria had joined the 32-nation Saudi Arabia-led Islamic military coalition against terror. Mr. Akintola, a professor, described the allegation as baseless, unfounded and mischievous. We remind Nigerians that MURIC had raised objection to Nigerias membership of the Islamic military coalition even before it was announced. Although we have not shifted our position in principle, we now have a clearer understanding of the picture after FG explained its raison detre. We are not unaware that blind opposition to issues even after new facts have surfaced is a mark of fanaticism. FG had made it clear that there is nothing religious about the coalition and that the motive is purely security concern. As a nation battling terrorism, Nigeria stands to benefit more from being a member of a coalition created for the sole purpose of fighting terrorism than remaining outside it, Akintola said. The MURIC chief noted that one needs not be a soldier or trained for security considerations to understand the implications of joining the coalition, as by being a member, Nigeria does not need to contribute its military personnel to fight anywhere, but that the country stands to gain much from sharing information with other members of the coalition and enjoying their cooperation in the area of anti-terrorism. He also noted that Nigeria can pressurize Saudi Arabia to repatriate a Boko Haram suspect who attempts to seek refuge in that country or other members of the coalition being part of the coalition but may not be able to do so if vice versa. Prof. Akintola, therefore, urged the CAN to stop heating the polity, but join hands with the government to create an enabling environment for religious understanding and peaceful coexistence. Senate spokesperson, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, has said that the full attention which the leadership of the upper chamber was paying to the consideration of the 2016 budget, delayed the request for the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the immediate past Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde. LAGOS Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed angst against those asking him to account for recovered Abacha loot, describing them as illiterates and stupid people. THERE was a shouting match yesterday in Port Harcourt between former Rivers governor and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and Governor Nyesom Wike and hordes of their supporters as the results of the rerun state and national assembly polls trickled in. Security agents had to stretch themselves to the limit to avert a bloody confrontation. Thisday A national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, at the weekend assured Nigerians that the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari was still on course. Daily Times The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria on Sunday told the Federal Government to make electricity available before asking Nigerians to pay for what they did not use. Guardian Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said journalists in Nigeria have nothing to fear from the Nigerian government in the performance of their duties Daily Trust The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike engaged in a verbal war yesterday at the popular mile one police station, located at Ikwerre road in Port Harcourt. National Mirror Nigerian Army yesterday said its troops ambushed Boko Haram sect members, killing seven of the terrorists at Dawashi, Borno State. This was contained in an operational update issued through the Director of Army Public Relations, DAPR, Colonel Sani Usman, in Abuja. Usman said the ambush was conducted by troops of 7 Brigade early yesterday morning. Leadership Former President, General Olusegun Obasanjo has blamed some of Africas leaders for instability on the continent. He said this was because they have failed to manage diversity in their societies. He also blamed outside interference, citing the NATO air strikes in Libya in 2011 that led to the removal from power of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The repercussions are now being felt in Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel, Gen. Obasanjo told a press conference on the upcoming Tana High-Level forum on Security in Africa in Ethiopia. Asked whether African leaders were to blame for the conflicts on the continent, he said: Yes and no. He said leaders were failing their people because they had not been able to prevent marginalisation in their societies, prevent injustice, reduce unemployment, reduce poverty, and that they had not embraced democracy and good governance. On the issue of African peacekeeping operations, he agreed that the lack of funding from African Union member states was a major setback for peace and security on the continent. He said that when he was head of state, he was in charge of a high-level panel to search for alternative sources of funding for the AU, but this came to nothing. He noted that when the AU was looking for funds to counter the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, member states failed to provide the money. The AU eventually had to turn to the private sector and it was able to raise $40 million, said Gen. Obasanjo, who is Chairman of the Tana Forum. He was critical of AU member states for not contributing to the AUs general budget, adding, I think this is down to the lack of political will. Gen. Obasanjo noted that Ebola and migration from Africa had security implications not just for the continent because we now live in a global community whereby if something happens in Africa, it affects the rest of the world. The 5th Tana High-Level Forum will take place on 16-17 April 2016 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. More than 150 participants are expected to attend, including current and former Heads of State and Government, high-ranking government officials, academics, civil society representatives, experts and policymakers from the AU, UN and other international institutions. Political leaders are the greatest threats to Nigerias unity, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, observed at the weekend. The governor made this assertion on the strength that politicians fan the embers of hatred, ethnic and religious intolerance, warning them to desist from actions and utterances capable of undermining the countrys unity. He spoke during the convocation ceremony of the Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri on Saturday. The governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sanni Bello, was awarded a Doctor of Business Administration Degree (Honoris Causa) at the convocation. According to Okorocha, The greatest threats to the countrys unity are the political leaders who talk and act in manners that pose serious threat to the countrys oneness. The ordinary citizens have no problem living together as one people; it is the political leaders who always engage in inciting actions and utterances. It is the high premium the government and the authorities of the Imo state University place on unity that made the institution decide to honour the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sanni Bello. His coming here today is a dramatisation of the unity of the country. I think we can build the Nigeria of our collective dreams and aspiration. The host governors remarks were re-echoed by Gov. Bello, who stressed that Nigerians must unite for the greatness of the country. The Nigeria Police have confirmed that four people were killed during the legislative re-run elections in Rivers State on Saturday. The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone Six, Calabar, Adisa Bolanta, said four deaths were recorded while 22 persons were arrested during the elections. AIG Bolanta disclosed this on Sunday at joint security press conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital. According to him, the suspects were being interrogated on allegations of criminal or electoral offences. He also said deployments made by the police assisted in reducing election related offences. In the same vein, the Commander of 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Stephenson Olabanji, confirmed the arrest of the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Kenneth Kobani. Also confirmed to have been arrested is a Special Assistant to the governor, Cyril Dum Wite. Mr. Olabanji, a Brigadier General, said both Rivers government officials were arrested in Gokana and Khana Local Government Area respectively on Saturday for allegedly committing electoral offences. Many people were arrested yesterday for disrupting the electoral process and the law is not meant for just the lower cadre alone. No matter who you are, if you go against the law, you will definitely face the music. So, there is nothing like being Secretary to the State Government; many people were arrested as you have been told; a lot of people were arrested, he said. The Brigade Commander also denied claims by the state government that some commissioners and other top officials were manhandled by the Army during the re-run elections. Almost two years after over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram gunmen from their hostel in Chibok Borno State, fresh facts have emerged that both the British and United States (U.S.) governments knew the whereabouts of some of the girls but felt powerless to launch a rescue mission. Although 57 of the 276 girls managed to escape from captivity, the rest have not been seen nor heard from since May 2014, when they appeared in a propaganda video released by the terrorists, reciting verses of the Koran. There are also fears some of the schoolgirls may have been married off, sold into slavery or even deployed as suicide bombers by the Boko Haram Terrorists, whose capacities to launch coordinated and sustained attacks or even hold territories, have been massively degraded by the Nigerian military and its allies in the Lake Chad Basin Commission. A former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock told The Sunday Times of London that a couple of months after the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted, a large number of them were spotted but the governments felt any rescue attempt was risky. According to him: A couple of months after the kidnapping, fly-bys and an American eye in the sky spotted a group of up to 80 girls in a particular spot in the Sambisa forest, around a very large tree, called locally the Tree of Life, along with evidence of vehicular movement and a large encampment. A land-based attack would have been seen coming miles away and the girls killed, an air-based rescue, such as flying in helicopters or Hercules, would have required large numbers and meant a significant risk to the rescuers and even more so to the girls. You might have rescued a few but many would have been killed. My personal fear was always about the girls not in that encampment 80 were there, but 250 were taken, so the bulk were not there. What would have happened to them? You were damned if you do and damned if you dont. It's easy enough to see the differences in two similar code files using diff, but when security researchers want to compare malware samples, they need binary comparison tools such as BinDiff. By making BinDiff available free of charge, Google puts a valuable reverse engineering tool in the hands of more security researchers and engineers. BinDiff disassembles binaries to identify similarities and differences in the resulting code, much in the same way that diff compares text files. It allows engineers to see at a glance which code sections have been modified or whether the files share code. Security researchers and engineers typically use BinDiff to analyze malware variants to identify families based on common code. "We have been committed to keeping our most valuable tools available to the security research community," Christian Blichmann, a Google software engineer, wrote on the Google Security Blog. Researchers and engineers can now download BinDiff 4.2 for both Linux and Windows for free from the Zynamics website. Since BinDiff is a plug-in for IDA Pro, a multiprocessor disassembler and debugger from Hex-Rays, the software requires IDA Pro 6.8 or later to run. Google scooped up BinDiff, along with other reverse engineering tools BinNavi, VxClass, BinCrowd, and PDF Dissector, as part of its Zynamics acquisition back in 2011. Since then, Google has been using the BinDiff core engine to power a large-scale malware processing pipeline used to protect both internal and external users. BinDiff and BinNavi are still available. BinDiff can be used to compare binary files for x86, MIPS, ARM/AArch64, PowerPC, and other architectures. Code theft and patent infringement remain a big problem, and BinDiff can help identify cases by looking for duplicate block of code within the suspicious file. BinDiff can look for identical and similar functions across multiple binaries, as well as find examples of a common function in the code which had been modified recently. Security researchers can also use BinDiff to analyze software updates and security patches to understand what was changed and how the vulnerability was fixed. By the same token, malicious developers can use the tool to reverse engineer security patches to find the software flaw and create an exploit capable of triggering that flaw. BinDiff, like any other software, can be used for both good and bad. Engineers can port function names, comments, and local variable names from one file to another. They can transfer the results of their analysis from one binary file to another so that they can examine multiple files without having to start from scratch each time. This ensures researchers don't wind up duplicating the work, especially when analyzing malware samples. "BinDiff provides the underlying comparison results needed to cluster the world's malware into related families with billions of comparisons performed so far," Blichmann wrote. 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%) Update 6/6/18 The conversion of the former E.C. Pigments mill is expected to be complete next month. A new roof is in place, and fresh doors and windows have been added on the first floor. Some of the interior is complete as well, according to the source. The renovated space will contain 125 units. Itll be managed by self-storage real estate investment trust Extra Space Storage and branded under its name, according to the source. Another company is now aiming to bring more storage to the area. The owners of Tower Mill Outlets are looking to add self-storage to their property at 657 Quarry St. The building occupies a full block, containing office space and retail shops. We are planning a small project at the rear of the mill, said Tower Mill trustee Paul Hartel. A lot of our tenants are keen for a place to store things. We thought this would help them out. Although company officials discussed a variety of options for the space, storage made the most sense, Hartel said. We feel it would be a good use of that space. I think the dynamics of the city are ripe for more storage. The citys conservation commission is expected to consider the Tower Mill project this week. If approved, the storage units could be available by the end of the year. Weve owned the mill for 10 years. We love Fall River, and we love this project, Hartel said. We are in great shape there. We spent a lot of money over the years upgrading the facility. We are bursting at the seams and we are looking to grow. 7/27/16 After a short delay due to demolition work, real estate developer Dennis Wood has started construction to convert his Fall River granite mill to self-storage. Initial preparation for the development required more work than anticipated, which will delay the opening of the 127,000-square-foot facility until next spring, Wood told the source. We are putting a new roof on it now. If everything goes right, well have a 250-kilowatt solar array on the roof, Wood said, adding that the solar system should be enough to handle the electricity needs of the facility and provide a surplus he can sell to the grid. When complete, the facility will include 1,225 climate-controlled units. 3/21/16 Real estate developer Dennis Wood has purchased a former mill in Fall River, Mass., which he plans to convert to self-storage. Wood purchased the property at 749 Quequechan St. for $930,000. Construction will begin in June, and the facility is slated to open in the fall, according to the source. Im always looking for sites. I saw this building directly across from a Super Walmart, he told the source. You have a lot of apartment users and people with small residences, who have limited storage. We think there will be a good market for this. The existing three-story granite building comprises 178,000 square feet of space. Following the retrofit, it will offer 130,000 square feet of climate-controlled self-storage, Woods said. The facility will have an elevator and covered loading dock. The mill formerly housed E.C. Pigments USA Inc. until it closed three years ago. Originally founded as Roma Color, the company moved into the building 40 years ago to produce organic pigments for ink, paints and plastics, according to the source. Wood, who lives in Haskill, Okla., is a developer and real estate manager. He owns properties around the country, including a self-storage facility in Victorville, Calif., also near a Super Walmart. It was a very successful project. Anything near a Super Walmart really does well because of the traffic they bring in, Wood said. Sources: The Herald News, Pair of Storage Facilities Planned for Flint Neighborhood Fall River, Developers Buy Two Fall River Mills The Herald News, Construction Starting on New Self-Storage Facility Near Fall River Walmart The political situation in Brazil, the worlds seventh-largest economy and South Americas largest by gross domestic product, continued to deteriorate over the weekend. A Friday decision by a member of Brazils supreme court that former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva cannot assume a cabinet post raised the possibility that charges against the Workers Party leader sought by Brazils attorney general may proceed. With more than two thirds of Brazils 205 million citizens now favoring an impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, according to some polls, the likelihood of further protests, like those that saw millions take to the street two weekends ago, remain high. The increasing likelihood that Rousseff will be removed has sparked a modest recovery for Brazilian treasuries with an auction of short-term treasury notes on Friday resulting in the lowest implied yields since last summer. All three major credit ratings agencies downgraded the countrys debt in February. Bank IPO in Hong Kong. On Friday, Bank of Tianjin Co. became the first company to stage a large-cap initial public offering in Hong Kong as Chinese equity markets continue to recover from the dramatic rout that began last summer. The company, a commercial lender named after its headquarters city in the northern mainland, raised nearly $950 million after pricing at the low end of the range proffered by underwriters. KKR to acquire Airbus defense subsidiary. On Friday New York-based buyout giant KKR announced a deal to acquire a defense contractor division of Airbus Group for $1.2 billion. The purchase comes as Airbus moves to streamline its defense and space operations to refocus on its core aeronautics franchise. The business unit that KKR is buying is primarily focused on producing electronic components for rotary-winged aircraft. Paint companies to merge. On Friday Sherwin-Williams announced an agreement to purchase Valspar Corp., based in Minneapolis, in a transaction valued at $9.3 billion that will result in the worlds largest paint company by market valuation. The merger will provide a significant international franchise to Clevelands Sherwin-Williams, which sells predominantly within the U.S. Analysts note that antitrust concerns may require final details of the merger to be adjusted. Another terror attack in Turkey. Less than a week after a deadly explosion in Turkeys capital of Ankara, for which Kurdish separatists acknowledged responsibility, a suicide bomber in Istanbul left five dead and more than 35 injured on Saturday. More than a dozen of the blast victims were identified as foreign nationals, in an attack that Turkish authorities have indicated may have been perpetrated by Islamic State-aligned extremists. IHS to buy Markit. Englewood, Coloradobased financial data company IHS announced an agreement today to purchase U.K.-based Markit, best known for its widely followed benchmark purchasing-manager and credit-derivative indexes. The all-stock transaction will result in a majority ownership stake for IHS shareholders but will see the newly minted firm, valued at a roughly $13 billion market capitalization, shift its headquarters from Colorado to London. Zhou warns on debt levels. During a speech yesterday before the China Development Forum in Beijing, Peoples Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan expressed concern over corporate-debt levels that have expanded rapidly in recent years. Estimates by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development place corporate debt levels in China at more than 150 percent of current GDP. Zhou identified more robust capital markets as a potential panacea for risky debt levels, with increased equity financing as an option for the private sector. Presidential candidate in Peru faces scrutiny. Another candidate may be out in contested presidential election in Peru. On Friday, the Lima Centro 1 electoral board announced that it may disqualify frontrunner Keiko Fujimori from Perus presidential election. Fujimori, daughter of imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori, would be the third major candidate disqualified for campaign strategies that violated rules designed to curb vote purchasing. Marriott tops Chinese bid for Starwood. Marriott International increased its bid today for Stamford, Connecticuts Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to a mixed cash-and-stock price of roughly $14 billion, topping a last minute proposal from a buying group led by Chinese insurer Anbang. The statement released by Marriott, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, indicated that Starwood leaders have tentatively accepted the proposal by amending the initial terms of acquisition first announced in November. The rise of artificial intelligence and intelligent business has the power to change the insurance world, according to one leading global expert.Graham Clarke, head of digital services with NIIT Technologies, a leading global IT solutions organisation, told Insurance Business that increasing technology will have an enormous impact on the insurance industry.Digital winners need to understand their customers deeply and deliver on their needs, Clarke said.A great emerging example is the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Digital, something that is often called Intelligent Business generically or Intelligent Insurance in this case.It is hard not to believe that we are only a few years from an AI platform, combined with the visual avatars being pioneered by Hollywood and the gaming companies, a speech persona and digital transaction platforms that can scan the globe for the right product fit in a microsecond.This whole experience personalised to the gender of the agent you want to talk to with the right ethnicity, personality profile and style to make you feel comfortable.In fact maybe it will be your personal agent who will argue on your behalf so you never see the stuff you are being sold that doesnt fit your needs.The first time we see that working live it is going to change the insurance world.Clarke noted that intermediaries need to understand digital-native consumers that expect to be connected with advice at any time.Digital policy buyers demand capabilities like being able to toggle at will between devices and channels (e.g., insurers website, call centre, insurance agent).These buyers also show a preference for insurance products that are individualised in terms of premium rates, loyalty awards, and more, Clarke continued.Self-service is usually their channel of choice since this demographic loves to buy online and avail self-service channels.But it is not always their channel of choice, when they want to talk to an agent they want access to a highly skilled and knowledgeable person, now, the way they want it, maybe by voice and maybe by chat, and someone who can actually complete their transaction but isnt pushy about it.In the process, doing away with unskilled channel intermediaries who often prove a dampener on the buying experience. Brian Duperreault, chairman and CEO of Hamilton Group, has said that intermediaries will still have a role to play in the industry if they can set bring a level of expertise and counsel that far surpasses other experiences.Speaking at the 23annual A.M. Best conference held in Arizona last week, Duperreault said that the changing dynamics of consumers will impact the intermediary market but he believes brokers will still play a role in the industry.The role of the broker and agent has been evolving for years, but data analytics is one of the greatest threats or opportunities for the partners who help us develop and distribute our products, Duppereault said.Who owns the data? Who interprets it? Does the insurer or the insured need anyone to do that anymore?Then theres the duality of the role that brokers and agents play. They represent the insurers interest as well as the insured. Serving two masters is never easy. How well can you do that in an age of colliding data sets?I think the answer to whether theres still value in an intermediary is a qualified yes IF the broker or agent brings a level of expertise and counsel that far surpasses what the carrier offers or the client can determine by himself.This means setting the gold standard for manipulating and interpreting data.In his forward-looking address, Duppereault revealed that his businesses will take a cautious position on cyber, as the business will not write the class until they can find an approach that gives them comfort.At Hamilton, were taking a cautious position on cyber, Duperreault told attendees.Were not writing it as a class until weve identified an approach that gives us comfort.We havent found one yet, mainly because theres been a tendency to underestimate the interconnectedness of cyber risk.Duperrealut went on to discuss the importance of sensors and data linked to sensors will play in the insurance industry over the coming years and these issues will also weigh heavily on the cyber market.Too often, discussion about cyber revolves around hacking, Duppereault continued.But if you put any credence in what I just said about the impact of sensor data, you have to believe that theres data-based risk in everything we do nowadays.If thats true, what are the implications for cyber? "Decisive action" needs to be taken across the insurance industry to address consumer concerns about their treatment during the claims process, The Financial Rights Legal Centre has said.In a new report published by the community legal centre, called Guilty until proven innocent: Insurance investigations in Australia, there are serious concerns about tactics used by general insurance companies in claims handling and assessment.Alexandra Kelly, Financial Rights principal solicitor, said that decisive action needs to be taken to address public concern.Decisive action needs to be taken by the entire insurance industry to address the publics legitimate concerns over their treatment in claims handling and investigations, Kelly said.At a minimum the general insurance industry needs to establish a set of good practice standards for investigations under its Code of Practice.In life insurance, a strong and effective Code of Practice addressing consumer concerns and registered by ASIC needs to be introduced.While the scandal surrounding CommInsure is the the tip of the iceberg when it comes to claims handling abuses in the insurance industry, the report details the trials faced by 40 consumers subject to investigations.We regularly hear of consumers being threatened with the rejection of their claim or other outrageous conduct such as having their relatives reported to immigration, Kelly continued.Many of our clients feel than they have been subject to racial profiling and others with poor English skills have not had access to appropriate translators. Consumers are also subject to incredibly long interviews sometimes over five hours in length.Our clients routinely feel bullied, harassed and intimidated by investigators and often describe being treated like criminals.The report found that the average investigation and dispute time was 18 months as others took over three years to conclude, forcing customers to abandon their claims, Kelly said.In the end the investigation process is so onerous that many simply withdraw their claim not because of any admission of fraudulent behaviour but because the process is too burdensome or invasive for many consumers to bear.What we see though when insurers allegations of fraud are actually put to the test by the industry referee is that that the vast majority are simply unfounded.The report lays out 14 recommendations to help improve the investigation process including an industry established set of best practice standards for investigations, the development of a specific guide for interviewing vulnerable consumers, and ongoing diversity and anti-discrimination training for investigative staff.Kelly admitted that fraud may still be an issue for the insurance industry but practices have to change.The industry regularly throws around a $2.1 billion annual insurance fraud figure but it turns out that this is based on a 20-year-old estimated percentage of claims insurers believed to be fraudulent rather than on any proven fraudulent claim data, Kelly said.We of course are not saying that fraud doesnt exist. It does. However it is this type of exaggerated rhetoric that builds a guilty before proven innocent culture and ultimately helps justify the industrys poor treatment of policyholders. An insurance broker has been awarded $90,000, revised down from nearly $300,000, following his dismissal after a drunken night at a work conference.Donald Mitchell-Innes took Willis to court over his dismissal after a heavy night at a Melbourne conference in October 2012 and was originally awarded $300,000 by the NSW District Court. In an appeal decision last week, that figure was brought down to $90,000, in part to clawback retention award payments Mitchell-Innes had received, and a judge agreed Mitchell-Innes should receive six months pay following his dismissal.Mitchell-Innes and other Willis staff members attended a dinner whilst at a company training conference and he and other staff members headed out for night cap which lasted until the early hours of the following morning.At the conference the following day, Mitchell-Innes reportedly talked loudly, made animal noises and threw lollies at other attendees, The Australian Financial Review said.An internal investigation led to Mitchell-Innes immediate departure from Willis where he had been general manager for New South Wales since 2011.Justice Robert Macfarlan of the NSW Court of Appeal said that Mitchell-Innes behaviour amounted to serious misconduct."To attend at the conference in an intoxicated state was itself serious misconduct, Justice Macfarlan said according to The Australian Financial Review.To behave in an inappropriate way by, for example, talking loudly, attending smelling of alcohol, making animal noises and throwing a lolly was serious because it resulted from his intoxication.Tony Barber, chairman and CEO of Willis Towers Watson in Australasia, said in a statement to Insurance Business that company is pleased with the outcome of the appeal.Our decision to pursue an appeal has been justified, Barber said.We are very pleased the Court reinforced our view that there was serious misconduct in this case, and that the level of award has been reduced.The Court of Appeal found that, although the business was wrong to dismiss Mitchell-Innes immediately, the company could have lawfully terminated his contract with six months notice.In its principal judgment the Court held that the appellants summary termination of Mr Mitchell-Innes employment was in breach of his contract of employment, the decision said.However it also held that, if that summary dismissal had not occurred, the appellants would have terminated his employment by giving him six months notice, as they were entitled to do under his contract.On that basis, lawful termination of the contract would have taken effect on 9 May 2013. In these circumstances, the damages to which Mr Mitchell-Innes is entitled as a result of his wrongful summary dismissal must take into account the fact that, but for that wrongful dismissal, his employment would in any event have been terminated lawfully six months later.This requires that any repayments that Mr Mitchell-Innes would have been obliged to make to the appellants at the end of that six month period be deducted from his damages. The Oklahoma Workers Compensation Commission has determined that the opt-out portion of the states 2013 workers compensation statute is unconstitutional. Ruling on an appeal under the provisions of the Oklahoma Employee Injury Benefit Act, or Opt-Out Act, the three-judge panel found the act to be unconstitutional and not enforceable. The ruling in Vasquez v. Dillards opens the way for an appeal to the states highest court. The Oklahoma Employee Injury Benefit Act was created by Senate Bill 1062 in 2013 as an alternative system that employers may use to satisfy state requirements to provide benefits to injured workers. That bill also established the Oklahoma Workers Compensation Commission to replace the former Oklahoma Workers Compensation Court. The restructuring of the states workers comp system and the Employee Injury Benefit Act were held to be constitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in December 2013 in response to various legal challenges. The appearance of equal treatment under the dual system is like a water mirage on the highway that disappears upon closer inspection. The Opt-Out Act allows qualified employers to opt out of the Oklahoma workers compensation system by establishing an Employee Benefit Plan (Plan) under the provisions of Federal law, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The case under Commission review involves the denial of a work injury claim filed by Dillards Inc. employee Jonnie Yvonne Vasquez, who injured her shoulder and neck while lifting shoe boxes at her workplace. Dillards denied her claim saying Vasquezs injury was a pre-existing condition and not an injury as defined by the Plan, according to the Commissions order. The Commission noted that the Vasquez case was the first appeal brought before it due to a denial of benefits under the Opt-Out Act. In its consideration of Vasquezs appeal, the commission addressed the issue of whether plans under the opt-out provision provide benefits and protections equal to the benefits provided under the Administrative Workers Compensation Act. It found the Opt-Out Act wanting. Although at first blush it appears that the Opt-Out Act requires that injured workers under an authorized benefit plan must be afforded benefits equal to or better to those under the Administrative Workers Compensation Act, this is decidedly not so. A closer look at the statutorily authorized plan requirements reveals that the benefit plans permitted to be used to opt-out establish a dual system under which injured workers are not treated equally, the order states. The order goes on to state: The appearance of equal treatment under the dual system is like a water mirage on the highway that disappears upon closer inspection. Responding to the Commissions ruling, the Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers Compensation (ARAWC), which helped to craft the 2013 law, posted the following message on its website: The Oklahoma Workers Compensation Committee on February 26, ruled that the Oklahoma Option is invalid under the Oklahoma state Constitution. This decision is not the final word on the Oklahoma Option. The case is far from over. It is almost certain there will be further legal and legislative efforts in response to the decision. In the relatively short time since the Oklahoma Option was created, Option plans are resulting in better medical outcomes for injured workers compared to traditional workers compensation. ARAWC continues to support the Option as a voluntary alternative with better medical outcomes, fewer benefit claims disputes and greater cost savings for employers. The Commission itself recognized that its decision is immediately appealable to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. [T]hat Court is required to retain the appeal and must consider the case on an expedited basis, the Commissions order states. The Oklahoma Supreme Court previously declined to take up a similar case challenging the constitutionality of the Opt-Out Act. That case, Judy Pilkington et al. v. State of Oklahoma et al., like Vasquez, claimed that the act denies injured workers due process under the law. Judy Pilkington also worked for Dillards. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak, who was a proponent of the 2013 workers comp overhaul, was named as a defendant in Pilkington. In an email to Insurance Journal, Commissioner Doak said he appreciates the difficult work the Commission has performed during its first two challenging years and their dedication to our collective goal of protecting Oklahomas workers. Commissioner Doak said the commissions order anticipates an appeal and stays its referral until appeals are decided, and I look forward to a complete and careful review of these issues by the judicial branch. My department will continue to perform its statutory responsibilities while this consideration occurs, and we will support our legislators as they continue to develop Oklahomas workers compensation system this session. I believe that addressing these issues head-on will enable our state to provide the best care possible for Oklahomans at a price employers can afford. Opt-out plans such as those in Texas and Oklahoma were criticized in a searing article published in October 2015 by ProPublica and NPR. That article states that the ProPublica/NPR investigation found that the plans almost universally have lower benefits, more restrictions and virtually no independent oversight. More than five dozen companies have taken their compensation systems in-house, according to Associated Press reports. 180-Day Rule Oklahomas workers compensation act took another hit when the Oklahoma Supreme Court on March 1 ruled that the provision in the 2013 law that prohibits workers comp claims from workers who have been employed less than 180 days is unconstitutional. The case, 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. Topics Workers' Compensation Oklahoma Massachusetts highest court recently ruled in a case of first impression that a workers compensation insurer is not entitled to a lien on the money awarded to claimants for pain and suffering. This ruling from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Feb. 12 could impact how much workers comp insurers in Massachusetts can recoup from claimants in similar cases in the future. According to David J. Pellegrino, a partner at Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP who submitted an amicus brief on behalf of the American Insurance Association for this case, the courts decision essentially reduces the pool of funds from which a workers compensation insurer can recoup its outlay. Under the Massachusetts Workers Compensation Act, an injured employee is allowed to bring a lawsuit against an unrelated third party who caused the injury, Pellegrino said. Specifically, MGL c. 152, Sec. 15 allows such a suit to be brought even though the injured employee received workers comp benefits for the injury. If an employee wins damages from a third party, the employees workers comp insurer is statutorily entitled to a lien on the recovery for the amount that the insurer paid to the employee in benefits. Case Background In its ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court looked at a case involving two electricians, Robert DiCarlo and Bernard Martin. Both were injured during work, collected workers comp benefits, and then reached settlement agreements with third parties including damages for their pain and suffering. Both workers received workers comp benefits from Twin City Fire Insurance, a subsidiary of Hartford Insurance Co. of the Midwest. DiCarlo, who suffered serious injuries to his back in 2004 at a construction site, received $281,000 in workers comp benefits for medical expenses and lost wages. DiCarlo then sued third parties including the construction site owner and the contractor managing that site. It resulted in a settlement of $100,000, with 35 percent of the settlement proposed to be allocated to DiCarlos pain and suffering and be exempt from the insurers lien. In DiCarlos case, a Superior Court judge rejected a settlement agreement providing that the insurer would not have a lien on the damages for pain and suffering, concluding that the insurers lien attached to DiCarlos entire recovery. DiCarlo appealed the decision, citing the Massachusetts Appeals Courts 2011 decision in Curry v. Great American Insurance Co., which held that an insurers lien does not attach to damages paid for pain and suffering because workers comp does not cover those harms. The other worker, Bernard Martin, was injured in 2010 while working at a construction site and received $566,000 in workers comp benefits. Martin also sued third parties. It resulted in a settlement of $1 million, with 35 percent of the payment proposed to be allocated for his physical pain and mental anguish and be exempt from the insurers lien. In Martins case, a Superior Court judge approved a settlement agreement similar to the agreement rejected by the judge in DiCarlos case, and Twin City Fire appealed. In both instances, Twin City Fire sought reimbursement from the employees recoveries, including their awards for pain and suffering. But in its ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court stated that the insurer did not compensate the employees for their pain and suffering, and so cannot seek reimbursement from damages paid for those harms. However, the court stated, the insurer can recover payments for harms that are covered by the workers comp statute, such as lost wages and medical expenses. The court emphasized that this ruling will not deprive an insurer of its reimbursement rights where an employee and a third-party defendant reach a settlement that would stack the deck against the insurer by inappropriately allocating the bulk of damages to pain and suffering. The court said MGL c. 152, Sec. 15 precludes such a result by requiring that all settlements be approved by the reviewing board of the Department of Industrial Accidents or by a judge after a hearing at which the insurer has a right to participate. Moreover, a settlement amount allocated entirely or in large part to pain and suffering will be eyed by the court with a healthy dose of skepticism, the court said. Rulings Implication Pellegrino explained that the general application had been to allow the workers comp insurer to recoup from the entire amount of an injured employees damages award regardless of classification. That application changed with the Massachusetts Appeals Courts 2011 decision in Curry v. Great American Insurance Co., which for the first time held that damages allocated as pain and suffering could not be reached by the workers comp insurer. At the time, the Supreme Judicial Court did not grant further review of Curry. And the Feb. 12 decision essentially reduces the pool of funds from which a workers compensation insurer can recoup its outlay based upon the way the third party tort system defines a damages award, Pellegrino cautioned. Because the pool of attachable funds is reduced, insurers are less likely to be made whole and will keep available funds out of the workers compensation system. He said the industry will have to remain vigilant with regard to employees third party tort actions to make sure the bulk of damages are not inappropriately allocated to pain and suffering. Topics Carriers Legislation Workers' Compensation Massachusetts New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez arrived earlier this month in her first Uber ride and signed a bill allowing ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft to operate in the state. The Republican governor said the measure ends the confusion over whether the companies are welcome in New Mexico. After one ride I can see why Uber is so amazing, Martinez said. It makes the state accessible. Martinez said the companies will help reduce drunken driving in the state and allow tourists to roam. The legal status of the companies in the state had been in limbo since they began offering service in 2014. The companies had argued that the states Motor Carrier Act did not apply to them because they do not operate as commercial taxi businesses. The dispute forced Lyft to pull out of New Mexico. Martinez said she hoped Lyft would give New Mexico another look after she signed the new legislation into law. In a statement, Lyft praised the passage of the bill but did not say if it would return. The new regulations include background checks for drivers against criminal and sexual offender databases. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Mexico New Mexico New York state will monitor and target a type of mosquito that officials fear could spread the Zika virus, part of a new plan to combat the disease that also includes distributing prevention kits to pregnant women. The state has seen 49 cases of Zika so far, nearly all of them in people who have recently traveled to affected areas, which include Central and South America, Africa and Asia. We expect that number to go up. How high we dont know, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said March 17 at a Manhattan news conference called to unveil the new protocols. From a public health point of view, we want to be prepared. We want to be ahead of it. The virus has been linked to congenital skull and brain defects in newborns and is believed to be sexually transmitted as well. The symptoms are usually mild, can include a rash, fever, joint pain, or conjunctivitis and appear a few days after a bite by an infected mosquito. The virus is known to be spread primarily by a type of mosquito not present in the state but a closely related species is found within New York in New York City and nearby counties. Officials say there is a possibility it too could spread the virus. New York plans to monitor and test that type of mosquito for the virus, and distribute 100,000 free larvicide tablets that can be used to eliminate breeding sites for the insect in areas of standing water. We will eliminate Zika at its source, said state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker. In addition, the state will distribute free prevention kits to pregnant woman that include repellent and condoms. The state is already offering free Zika virus tests to pregnant women who have traveled to affected areas or have sexual partners who have. Connecticut Lab Identifies 1st Zika Case Meanwhile, the first case of the Zika virus in Connecticut has been confirmed by state health officials, the Department of Public Health said March 18. The unidentified patient is in his or her 60s and had traveled to a Zika-infected area. The person showed signs of the illness upon returning home in early March and the mosquito-borne viral infection was detected by a state laboratory, the health agency said. The patients symptoms included a skin rash, conjunctivitis, fatigue, chills, headache and muscle aches. The department said the person has been seen by a physician and is recovering. Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy directed the agency in January to begin testing for the Zika virus. Public Health Commissioner Raul Pino urged residents to avoid traveling to affected countries. If they must go, he urged them to be vigilant. The virus has become a concern because of mounting evidence linking Zika infection in pregnant women to a rare birth defect called microcephaly, in which a newborns head is smaller than normal and the brain may not have developed properly. Last week, health officials said nearly 260 lab-confirmed Zika infections have been reported in the 50 states in the last year a count that includes 18 pregnant women. Officials blame mosquito transmission for nearly all of the 283 cases reported in Puerto Rico and two other U.S. territories. The kind of mosquito that spreads Zika is found on the southern United States, so experts think its likely the pests will spread the virus there, too. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics New York Connecticut A report says New Hampshires coastal communities exposure to future flood risks is significant, and nows the time to plan to minimize that. The New Hampshire Coastal Risk and Hazards Commission spent 2 1/2 years looking at areas vulnerable to extreme precipitation, projected storm surge and rising sea levels. The report released on March 18 says the communities avoided the extreme impacts of Tropical Storm Irene and Superstorm Sandy, but they have experienced other events, like a noreaster in February 2013 and the October snowstorm of 2011. These types of storms will have even greater impacts as sea levels continue to rise, and floods will continue to worsen as extreme rain events intensify, the report said. Based on available data, sea levels in New Hampshire have been rising by an average of 0.7 inches per decade since 1900. The rate of sea-level rise has increased to about 1.3 inches per decade since 1993. Using 1992 levels as a baseline, New Hampshire sea levels are expected to rise between 0.6 and 2 feet by 2050 and between 1.6 and 6.6 feet by 2100, the report said. The data show that as of last year, the states 17 coastal communities were home to about 12 percent of the state population and host over 100,000 jobs. The report says the region is growing at nearly three times the rate of the state as a whole. The commission established goals in the areas of science, assessment, implementation and legislation. For example, it recommends the Legislature authorize a state agency to convene a science and technical advisory panel to review and evaluate the current state of climate change science. It said the vulnerability of buildings, cultural, natural and historic resources should be assessed, with state agencies and communities developing long-term strategies to protect them. The recommendations are primarily directed to the Legislature, state agencies, and municipalities, but successful implementation of the recommendations will require collaboration between the public and private sectors and among many stakeholder groups. The report emphasizes that early and consistent collaboration between state and local governments can result in solutions which in turn increase our preparedness and resiliency, said Democratic State Sen. David Watters, one of the 36 members of the commission. The report also brings attention to the efforts of individual communities, such as the town of Newmarket, which updated its vision statement in becoming more resilient against flooding through local land use policies and regulations. Public comments are being accepted on the report through June 30. Public meetings on the report have been scheduled for May 26 in Greenland and June 1 in Rye. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics New Hampshire AXA SA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Henri de Castries is leaving earlier than expected, handing over the post of CEO to Thomas Buberl as Frances largest insurer splits its top jobs. De Castries, 61, will retire at the start of September, ending more than 16 years at the helm of AXA, the Paris-based insurer said in a statement on Monday. Denis Duverne, currently deputy CEO, will be chairman. De Castriess mandate was scheduled to last until 2018. Buberl, a 42-year-old German, will move to Paris as deputy CEO this week to prepare for his new role at Frances second-largest financial firm by market value. It was a surprise that de Castries stepped down, said Enrico Racioppi, an analyst at Hammer Partners SA in Lugano, Switzerland. The company didnt give any reason for the unexpected management change, he wrote in a note to clients. We see the news as short-term negative. AXA has grown into one of the worlds largest insurance companies under de Castries, building on its operations from France to the U.S. and Japan to expand in emerging markets such as China, Nigeria and Colombia. AXAs net income rose 12 percent to 5.62 billion euros ($6.3 billion) in 2015 and the company said it met its five-year financial goals and will present a new strategic plan in June. De Castries is the front-runner to succeed Douglas Flint as chairman of HSBC Holdings Plc, The Sunday Times reported, without saying where it got the information. HSBC appointed De Castries as a non-executive director in November. The bank plans to nominate a successor next year for Flint. AXA has been seeking a successor since de Castries made a request that the board do so in October 2013, he disclosed in a letter to AXA workers. Before we enter into a new strategic cycle, I considered, with the support of the board, that it was the best moment to begin the transition to a new management team, de Castries wrote. Buberl, formerly CEO of Switzerland at Zurich Insurance Group AG, joined AXA four years ago to lead its German business and became a member of the French insurers top-management committee last year. The companys strategy is unlikely to change significantly under his leadership, said Benoit Valleaux, an analyst at Natixis SA in Paris who has a buy rating on the stock. AXA has declined about 14 percent in Paris trading this year, the fourth-worst performance on the 36-member Stoxx Europe 600 Insurance Index. The stock was little changed at 21.85 euros as of 11:29 a.m. De Castries took over the CEO job in 2000 from Claude Bebear, AXAs founder, and added the chairman title six years ago. He joined the insurer in 1989 after working at the French finance ministry. From a corporate governance point of view, the market will like the fact that the company is splitting the roles of chairman and CEO, Cave Montazeri, an insurance industry specialist at Barclays Plc, wrote in a note to clients. Id expect the stock to do well in the back-half of the second quarter as investors position themselves ahead of the June investor day. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics AXA XL France Leaving the European Union might cost the U.K. 100 billion pounds ($145 billion) in lost economic output and 950,000 jobs by 2020, the Confederation of British Industry said as it stepped up its campaign against a so-called Brexit. A vote to leave the bloc in the referendum Prime Minister David Cameron has called for June 23 would cause a serious shock to the U.K. economy, Britains main business lobby group said, citing a study it commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers of two Brexit scenarios. Leaving the European Union would be a real blow for living standards, jobs and growth, CBI Director-General Carolyn Fairbairn will say in a speech in London [on Monday, March 21], according to remarks released in advance by the lobby group. The savings from reduced EU budget contributions and regulation are greatly outweighed by the negative impact on trade and investment. According to the study, U.K. GDP might be 5 percent lower than it would otherwise be by 2020 in the case of withdrawal, though it might only be 3 percent lower if a free-trade deal is rapidly reached with the rump EU. Growth might be as low as zero in 2017 or 2018, the CBI said. Smaller Economy The economy would slowly recover over time, but never quite tracks back to where it would have been, Fairbairn will say. Leaving the EU would mean a smaller economy in 2030. The CBI said last week it will campaign to keep the U.K. inside the EU after a survey found four-fifths of its members believe this would be best for their businesses. Brexit campaigners argue Britain would be better off outside the bloc because Europe is a shrinking market for U.K. exports and the government would be able to conclude its own trade deals with fast-growing economies around the world. The EU funded CBI are desperate to recreate the same scare stories they spread when they urged Britain to scrap the pound and join the euro, Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, which is campaigning for an exit, said in a statement. They were wrong then and they are wrong now. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Trends Europe Talent PrtnerRes new owner EXOR has closed its $6.9 billion acquisition of the Bermuda-based reinsurer, and Fitch Ratings quickly responded with a ratings downgrade that reflects some pessimism over the transaction and the broader market. Fitch said it downgraded PartnerRes insurer financial strength rating to A+ from AA-. Its issuer default ratings also dipped, to A- from A. At the same time, the ratings entity said it removed PartnerRes ratings from Ratings Watch Negative, and said its rating outlook is stable. The announcement came on March 18, the same day PartnerRe and EXOR disclosed the completion of their M&A deal. Why the rating downgrade? Fitch said the move reflects its view that PartnerRes position in the challenging reinsurance market environment, which is expected to result in ongoing pressure on earnings, no longer supports the former ratings. Fitch noted EXORs solid credit status and capitalization, and said it expected those factors to continue. At the same time, Ftich said PartnerRes new Italian investment firm-owner wont necessarily improve the reinsurers near-term competitive position. PartnerRe will effectively maintain its current size, scale and reinsurance focused operating profile, and EXOR will offer reasonable support to [PartnerRe] as needed, Fitch wrote. That support would include conservative management of PartnerRes capitalization, with the reinsurer continuing to operate essentially mostly independent of EXOR. While Fitch said it sees PartnerRe as having a big reinsurance market position with diverse underwriting, it noted the reinsurers overall market position trails several of its larger higher, rated, more diversified [reinsurance and insurance] peers. Another warning sign that Fitch notes: PartnerRes limited business diversity outside of reinsurance. Fitch said that this leads to more earnings volatility in the current market, and leaves PartnerRe susceptible to current market conditions that generally favor commercial primary insurance over reinsurance. This matters on a larger scale because Fitch said it sees soft pricing continuing across a wide range of lines as the industry continues to confront record levels of capitalization for traditional reinsurers and growing capacity from alternative capital sources. PartnerRes current reinsurance mix leaves the company vulnerable to a continuation in unfavorable reinsurance market pricing trends and sluggish demand, Fitch said. Fitch also lowered ratings for PartnerRes senior unsecured notes to BBB+ from A-, and its Series D, E and F preferred securities to BBB from BBB+. Source: Fitch Ratings, PartnerRe/EXOR This article first appeared in Carrier Management, Insurance Journals sister publication. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Reinsurance Market A judge sentenced an Indianapolis man to more than two life sentences in prison for his role in a 2012 house explosion that killed two people and destroyed or damaged dozens of homes in a scheme to collect insurance money. Bob Leonard was convicted last month on all 51 counts he had faced, including murder, arson and insurance fraud charges. Leonard, 57, received two consecutive life sentences without parole on the murder counts, along with 70 years on the other charges, according to Allen Superior Court Executive John McGauley. Prosecutors said surveillance video, witness testimony and DNA evidence proved Leonard was involved in the plot with his half-brother and others to use natural gas and a microwave to blow up the house to claim $300,000 in insurance. Leonards half-brother, Mark Leonard, was convicted of being the mastermind behind the Nov. 10, 2012, explosion. He was sentenced in August to two life sentences, along with 75 years in prison. The home was owned by Mark Leonards girlfriend at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified that Bob Leonard was brought into the plot after a first attempt to burn down her house failed in October 2012. Prosecutors allege the suspects planned to destroy the house by filling it with natural gas. A microwave apparently set to start on a timer sparked the blast. The explosion destroyed the home and the house next door, killing her neighbors, Jennifer and John Dion Longworth. It also damaged or destroyed more than 80 other homes in a subdivision on Indianapolis south side. Leonards attorneys left court after the sentencing without commenting, but Longworths father, John, said he had expected that Leonard would receive a life sentence. Hes put away for the rest of his life, which will keep him from hurting anybody else, he told WISH-TV. During Bob Leonards trial last month, Shirley told jurors that when she asked him about the explosion that killed her neighbors, he replied: Oh well, they died. You were in it. You talk, we talk. Prosecutors presented 16 days of testimony during Bob Leonards more than monthlong trial in Fort Wayne, where it was moved because of high publicity in Indianapolis. Mark Leonards trial was held in South Bend. Bob Leonard didnt testify in his defense, and his attorneys called just two witnesses who were on the stand for about a half hour. Shirley, who testified against both men, has pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges. She faces a 20 years to 50 years in prison when sentenced. Her cooperation also led to charges against two alleged co-conspirators, Glenn Hults and Gary Thompson, who were scheduled for a joint trial in June. Thompson faces two counts of murder and 47 arson-related counts, while Hults faces a charge of conspiracy to commit arson. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Indiana Its acquisition of Firemans Funds business in April, 2015 provided ACE Ltd. with an idea of whats involved in integrating two leading high net worth insurance businesses. Frances D. OBrien is now using those corporate insights along others she has garnered from 36 years in the business as she heads the integration of ACE Private Risk Services with that of its former competitor, Chubb Personal Insurance, to create the new Chubbs high net worth business unit for the U.S. and Canada. According to the division president for North American personal risk services for the new Chubb, the Firemans Fund experience along with the time between the July announcement and the mid-January closing on the ACE-Chubb deal provided a safety net of sorts, supplying guidance and time to plan the integration of $5 billion in wealth insurance accounts and more than three decades of history and relationships. So were bringing together three great companies, OBrien said in a recent interview with Insurance Journal, adding that the new entity gets to benefit from the best that each one of them has to offer. Weve had time to plan. To gauge the extent of the endeavor, Insurance Journal asked OBrien how many people are involved in the integration strategy. Whos not involved? she quipped. Theres actually some excitement, particularly with our staff, about the merger because it just brings about the possibility of learning from each other, and collecting all the best practices across the three companies, and being able to bring something even better to our agents. You have to keep in mind that the three portfolios have been around for about 35 years now, she said. No Disruption As for the integration process, the goal is for there to be as little disruption as possible for everyone, OBrien said. Early on in the acquisition process, CEO Evan Greenberg praised the Chubb agency culture. Were going to preserve the agency culture. Were going to preserve the agency distribution. Were going to preserve the branch system, said Greenberg. Thus preservation of good relations with the combined firms 3,500 agents is high on OBriens to-do list. On this goal of non-disruption to our agents, weve come out of the box very strong to make sure they know what is happening. Were getting very good feedback from our agents on the communication that weve done with them, OBrien told Insurance Journal. They havent felt any concern that they dont know who to call or how to do business with the new Chubb. Weve been very specific about how were going to be moving forward. Agents are able to deal with the same underwriters they worked with before the merger. We basically buddied up the underwriters by agent from the Chubb legacy and ACE. We were able to tell the agents preclose that they would continue to have those relationships, she said. Communications Effort The communications effort around the integration has been multi-faceted. It began with written communications posted online because these days communication has to be on-demand, OBrien said. They were conscious of the fact that their agents are trying to do business with their customers and need access to the information in that moment to get things done. Sending a newsletter or even visiting, while part of the plan, are not sufficient. We spent a lot of time crafting communications to explain, This is how were going to do business with you going forward. Here are your contacts. Here are your frequently asked questions.' After the closing, the company kicked off a plan to visit or call every branch office and agencies within the first 60 days for the purpose of listening to them and asking, Are you having any issues? Is there anything that we didnt anticipate that we need to cover for you? Are there things that we need to be doing differently than how were currently working in the marketplace? OBrien said the new Chubb has maintained its relationships with the agencies that did business with Chubb, ACE or Firemans Fund. We are continuing to do business with agents that currently have an agreement and business with one of the three companies, she said. In addition to the pre-close communications and the post-close calls and visits, OBriens team also created what she calls rapid response desks where agents could bring any policy, service or underwriting issue that needed to be escalated or resolved promptly. These rapid response teams have authority to respond to agents as quickly as possible. Weve been tracking the issues that come to those desks. There hasnt been anything thats been a big miss or a big issue, she said. One of the first things agents want to know following a merger is how their commissions will be affected. OBrien said the company is maintaining the guaranteed supplemental commission structure agents had under Chubb. Our intent is not to in any way have a negative impact on our agents, she said. She projects it will take a good part of a year to complete the processes, the workflows, and bring together everything. That should please CEO Greenberg, who has said he thinks it could take two years before everything is settled. Thus far OBrien is pleased. Were getting a lot of good feedback from our agents on how this is going really well and how they enjoy having easy access to our folks through visits over the phone, she said. High Net Worth Market According to OBrien, the merged ACE-Chubb-Firemans Fund entity has a unique perspective on the high net worth market. We have an unparalleled knowledge and expertise about the high net worth customer. Weve had a couple of million claims that weve settled across the three companies so we understand better than anybody else what can go wrong for our customers, and how it could be prevented. Theres a lot of excitement about the future, I think both internally and externally, she said. Different insurers have different definitions and estimates of the high net worth market. Estimates range from $27 billion to as high as $80 billion. Definitions vary but tend to come down to those with high-valued homes who are likely to have additional valuable assets and be interested in buying additional insurance coverages. For example, Nationwides Crestbrook defines the market as those with primary homes that would require between $500,000 and $5 million to replace and who are interested in buying additional coverages and risk services. Crestbrook sees a potential $60 billion market under its definition. Others like OBrien define the market as beginning with those with residences valued at $1 million or more. OBriens team estimates the high net worth personal insurance market in North America to be worth about $40 billion in premium. These are people with multimillion dollar homes; collections of jewelry, fine art, antiques, or other collectables; multiple newer and highervalued cars; and a need for higher limits of personal liability insurance. Some also need workers compensation for domestic workers and directors and officers protection if they serve on not-for-profit boards. While $40 billion represents the potential in Chubbs view, only about $7 billion of that is currently insured $5 billion by the new Chubb. That leaves about $2 billion insured by others including AIG, Privilege Underwriters PURE Group (recently recapitalized and now with backing from XL), Nationwide (Crestbrook), Allstate, Cincinnati Financial, USAA, State Farm and others. Or put another way, using Chubbs market estimate, there is $33 billion uninsured market waiting to be captured. Theres a lot of opportunity, and part of the relationship with working with our agents and brokers is to work with them to access that opportunity, OBrien said. Market Potential The potential on this market is clearly one of the reasons ACE pursued the Chubb deal. Oh, definitely, definitely, said OBrien. Upon announcing the Firemans Fund deal, ACE Private Risk Services touted the powerful combination of the two organizations, claiming it would take high net worth insurance to new heights. With Chubb, ACE is adding the company that says it created the market more than three decades ago. OBrien cites a Barclays wealth market report that there has been an increase in investing in tangible property such as fine art, jewelry and real estate a trend that aligns very nicely with Chubbs products and services. In addition to insurance coverages, Chubb offers a consulting service that offers advice on how to mitigate any damage. As you can imagine, our customers are much more interested in prevention than in having a loss and having to deal with all the inconvenience of a loss, OBrien said. Chubb risk consultants will visit a customers property and advise on how to prevent losses, such as recommending devices to prevent water damage from burst pipes, which she said happens to be the most frequent claim. In the event there is a claim, Chubb prides itself on its claim service that can come in very quickly, set up drying machines, and help mitigate any damage. It also offers a wildfire defense service in drought areas that protects a property by clearing it of any fuel that might be around the house, setting up sprinklers and, if necessary, putting a fire retardant on the house so that it will not catch if the embers from the wildfire fly onto the house. Changing Market OBrien has been around long enough to know that Chubb will face competition as it sets about trying to capture an even bigger slice of the high net worth pie. Ive been in this business for 36 years so Ive seen many rounds of companies coming and going. There always seems to be a time when there are a lot of companies interested, but eventually they leave the market, so then theres less companies, she said. Since legacy ACE and Chubb have become one, now theres one less company and I suspect that therell be competitors coming, seeing this as an opportunity, and entering the market. The barriers to entry to this marketplace are not huge. Its what needs to be done after entering that separates the winners from the losers. Given the way that they personal insurance market works in the U.S, your product is pretty easy to copy. Policies are publicly available. You can just photocopy the insurance contract and youre in business. The difficulty is being able to have the services built around it and to really understand the customer, she said. Given the length of years weve been in this market and the amount of customers weve served, there is nobody that knows what Chubb knows about high-net worth customers exposures, how to service them, and how to underwrite them, she said. Todays high net worth market customers are inquisitive and risk management-sensitive. When I look back to when Chubb first started to focus on the high net worth market, we had customers that were very open to having their agents and brokers get them the broadest coverage out there, the best service out there, and saying, Cover everything, and I dont have to worry about it. Whats happened over the last 35 years is customers are significantly more interested in understanding what they need specifically, and understanding the choices that they have about building the right risk management programs for themselves. They really value advice but they want to be educated on that advice, OBrien said. Todays customers are also thinking more about the future, according to the Chubb executive. They want to make sure they have thought of all the emerging risks that may crop up, she said. Thus providers have had to evolve from, Heres a fantastic product that covers everything, to, Heres how we can provide solutions to your particular needs and give you choice and control. She cites cyber risk as an example of a risk that has evolved. We have had for many years now an ID theft coverage that can help them. We work with a firm that helps give them advice on how they can protect themselves, she said. High net worth customers are also time-sensitive. Everybody now is so time poor. They want solutions available when they need them and they want advice when they need it. They want validation that theyve made the right choices, she said. That suggests that technology will play a greater role, not only in the homes of their clientele but also in how Chubb delivers its services. People want to be more mobile, even high net worth people want to be more mobile. They dont necessarily want to have to wait a business day in order to get information, change something on their policy, or request something, she said. She said Chubb is focused on helping its agents do business more efficiently, so that they have more time to spend working on their customers versus servicing policy transactions. But technology will not do everything. What we know from our customers, and this has been pretty consistent for many, many years, is that they really value the advice of trusted advisors like our agents and brokers, OBrien said. Related: Topics Agencies Tech Chubb A Lafayette, La., man is facing a possible 20-year prison sentence for stealing about $1.5 million from an insurance settlement received by his sister. U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley said that 37-year-old Kevin Ralph Andrus pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Prosecutors said Andrus had been the curator for his sisters estate when an automobile accident left her incapacitated. As she recovered, she discovered that settlement funds had been transferred to Andrus personal and business accounts. Finley says the guilty plea was entered in a federal magistrate court and still must be accepted by a federal district judge. Then, a sentencing date will be set. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Louisiana Fraud A jury in Florida awarded wrestling star Hulk Hogan an eye-popping $115 million on Friday in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media and the award isnt Hogans final round in the suit. Next up, the jury will return to court Monday to award punitive damages in the case thats been closely watched by First Amendment experts, media lawyers and privacy advocates. And even when the jurys done, there will be appeals. Given the key evidence and the most important witness in this case were withheld from the jury, we all knew the appeals court would need to resolve this case, said Gawker founder Nick Denton. The jurors reached their decision Friday evening. Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, sued Gawker for $100 million for posting a video of him having sex with his former best friends wife. Hogan contended the 2012 post violated his privacy. Jury awards this large are often reduced by appeals courts. Its a huge damage award, and just the idea that a celebrity has a right to privacy that outweighs freedom of the press and the publics right to know, thats a huge shift in American free press law, said Samantha Barbas. It could potentially be a turning point in law, added Barbas, a law professor at the University at Buffalo and author of The Laws of Image, about the history of libel and privacy Hogan, 62, wept after the award was announced Friday evening. He was silent as he walked out of the courthouse, clad all in black and wearing sunglasses in the twilight. He didnt speak to the media, and declined to sign an autograph request from a fan. Hogans team issued a statement: Were exceptionally happy with the verdict. We think it represents a statement as to the publics disgust with the invasion of privacy disguised as journalism. The verdict says no more. The verdict and the unsealing of hundreds of pages of documents late in the day capped a three week judicial circus in the sleepy St. Petersburg courtroom. Jurors, media and thousands who followed the case on Twitter and livestream video were treated to days of details about Hogans sex life, body part size, and images of him in thong underwear. There was wrestling history, videos of Hogan yukking it up with Howard Stern and, most notably, how Gawker a 12-year-old news and gossip website in New York City does journalism differently from legacy media. The unsealed documents will undoubtedly be key in Gawkers appeals process. The evidence was unsealed because a group of media companies, including The Associated Press, sued for access and won. The civil court judge in the case had ruled that the documents be sealed, but an appellate court sided with the media companies, saying they were of legitimate public interest. The documents outline allegations, facts and conflicting testimony. Among them: assertions that Hogan filed the lawsuit to hide racist comments made on video, that the woman who Hogan had sex with knew it was being filmed, and that Hogan participated in an FBI investigation and sting because he was being extorted. Lawyers for Hogan and Gawker discussed themes of personal life versus celebrity and freedom of speech versus the right to privacy. They said Hogan didnt consent to the video, that Gawker didnt follow usual journalism procedures before posting it and that the video wasnt newsworthy. Gawker did not try to contact Hogan or the woman in the video; nor did the website contact the womans husband, DJ Bubba The Love Sponge Clem, who recorded the video. It was never conclusively determined during the trial who leaked the video to the media. Clem invoked his right to not incriminate himself and wasnt called as a witness. Hogan sued Clem and settled for $5,000. Hogan didnt ask for any of this to happen, lawyer Kenneth Turkel said, adding that Bollea, the private man, expected privacy during an intimate moment. Much was made during the trial of Hogans celebrity persona versus Bolleas privacy. I want you to imagine the fact that for 35-plus years he is essentially an actor, an entertainer, who has played the same role, Turkel said. He said Hogan has every right, every right, to keep whatever precious private moments in his life, which for this gentleman are very few. Gawkers attorneys told the jury that the video is not like a real celebrity sex tape and urged them to watch the video, which contains nine seconds of sexual content. He has consistently chosen to put his private life out there, for public consumption, attorney Michael Sullivan said. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Florida Seismologist Lucy Jones, the face of earthquake science and safety in Southern California, is retiring from the U.S. Geological Survey. Jones said in a Twitter posting Friday that shes leaving federal service but will remain at the California Institute of Technology. For years, Jones has been the scientist a rattled public has turned to when the earth shakes, explaining magnitudes, faults and other details. Jones told the Los Angeles Times that when she gives an earthquake a name, a number and the fault location it makes it less frightening. In recent years Jones has been highly visible in outreach efforts aimed at improving public readiness for quakes. Jones will end her 33 years with the USGS on March 30. Topics California An Oregon woman who claims a massage she received last month was sexual battery has filed a $1 million lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court. KOIN-TV reports the complaint was filed last week. It says the woman received a massage from Benjamin Collura at the Rivers Edge Hotel and Spa in February. It says that after the otherwise dignified and professional massage, Collura sexually violated the woman. The Portland Police Bureau Sex Crimes Unit arrested Collura on March 9, and a grand jury indicted him on Wednesday on one count each of second-degree sexual abuse and third-degree sexual abuse. Collura and his lawyer declined to comment to the television station. Spa manager Antonio Recillas says Collura was terminated and declined to comment about the lawsuit. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Claims Oregon An Oregon man is suing farm owners after he broke his leg in a confrontation with their llama. The Mail Tribune reported that 33-year-old Justin Stranberg is suing for $332,675, saying the owners of Holleywood Farm failed to warn of the dangerous propensities of the llama. An attorney for the farmers argues the man caused his own injuries and was trespassing. According to the lawsuit he filed in fall 2015, Stranberg was horseback riding in Medford with his daughter when the llama went under a partial fence and confronted them. He says he slid off the horse to avoid an expected confrontation between the animals, fracturing bones in his lower leg when he landed. Stranberg did not show up for a hearing on the case last week. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Oregon Jeff Dailey, CEO of Farmers Insurance, turned what could have been a mere acceptance speech into a lesson-filled personal account of his first time seeing the devastation wreaked by the May 2011 tornado in Joplin, Mo. Joplin was a major disaster, Dailey said, offering a description looking down from his first aerial view of the path the EF5 twister tore across the community. It looked like somebody erased a 6-mile swatch 20-miles long. With that Dailey grabbed the attention of a large group of insurance professionals gathered to see him presented with the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundations Golden Horizon Award at the organizations annual Horizon Award Gala on March 16 at the Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, Calif. Dailey and the insurer group were recognized with the IICF award for the Los Angeles-based carriers efforts in helping rebuild the communities of Joplin, Mo., and Sea Bright, N.J., following the weather events that struck those communities. This annual Horizon Award Gala (formerly known as the Club100 Dinner) brought together insurance professionals from dozens of companies to support local nonprofits as part of IICFs Western Division Community Grants program. Event proceeds are earmarked to benefit local nonprofits with targeted programs in child abuse prevention, disaster preparedness, education, and health and human services. Dailey was introduced by Steve Marohn, senior vice president and Western zone officer of CNA and IICF Western division chair, who said he epitomizes the Golden Horizon Award. Marohn and Jon Axel, senior vice president of Hub International Insurance Services Inc. and Horizon Award Gala Diner chair, both spoke before Dailey and called attention to the charitable nature of the industry. I believe that our industry is filled with some of the most generous, community-minded individuals, said Marohn said. Axel, who opened up the evening, looked out at the packed the room and said the gathering was a true testament to the character and quality of our industry. Farmers efforts were a big part of helping to rebuild Joplin, Dailey said. He emphasized the value of the volunteer efforts from hundreds of Farmers employees, who helped the city rebuild far faster than the original seven-year timeline from the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the time. We had the entire city rebuilt in three years, he said. Dailey said those kind of volunteer efforts go beyond the concept of helping others, and generate feelings of goodwill for the industry. It is a tremendous benefit for us as an industry and as an organization to give back, he told the IICF crowd. Among the good deeds Farmers was celebrated for at the ceremony was its creation of the Disaster Recovery Playbook, which compiles best practices for municipalities and communities in preparing for, responding to and recovering from disaster. Farmers also donated thousands of volunteer hours and made financial contributions to support recovery efforts. The featured nonprofit for the evening, an element of each years gala ceremony, was the Center Theatre Group Young Audiences Program. The program brings thousands of students to matinee performances, while themes from the production are incorporated into their classroom learning. More than 5,000 students attended the program last year, with more than 53 percent of those students attending for the first time and roughly 66 percent were from low-income schools, according to the group. Through its grant program, IICF reinvests funds raised by a region back into that same region and its communities. IICF was established in 1994 and is directed and funded by the insurance industry. Related: Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Agribusiness Un ottobre da sogno per Antonio Conte: lex ct della Nazionale italiana, attualmente alla guida del Chelsea, nelle ultime quattro gare di Premier League ha collezionato solo successi, conditi da 11 reti segnate e addirittura nessuna incassata. Numeri da record che non sono certo passati inosservati alla Federazione inglese, la quale ha conferito al tecnico leccese lambito premio di Manager del mese. Unavventura oltremanica iniziata in sordina, quella di Conte, pur a fronte di tre vittorie nelle prime tre gare di campionato. A far vacillare, anche se solo per un momento, le certezze del patron del club londinese, Roman Abramovich, i risultati conseguiti tra la 4a e la 6a giornata, coincisi con un pareggio sul campo dello Swansea City e, soprattutto, con le due pesanti sconfitte subite dal Liverpool, sul terreno casalingo di Stamford Bridge, e dallArsenal. In particolare, la debacle interna coi Reds, aveva irritato non poco il numero uno russo, poiche occorsa proprio nel giorno della sua 250esima partita da presidente della societa. Come detto, solo un momento. Dopo lincontro dellEmirates, il tecnico salentino cambia modulo, adottando un piu equilibrato 3-4-3 e inserendo elementi di corsa come lo spagnolo Pedro. Una svolta totale perche, di li in poi, il Chelsea inanellera solo e soltanto vittorie: 2 gol allHull City e al Southampton in trasferta, 3 ai campioni dInghilterra del Leicester e 4 allo United in casa, con un meraviglioso numero zero nella casella delle reti subite. Un fantastico poker, ottenuto tra l1 e il 29 ottobre. Un cambio di marcia sbalorditivo, confermato dal 5 a 0 rifilato ai toffees dellEverton nel primo match di novembre, e una scalata che, man mano, ha portato i blues al secondo posto in classifica, a soli 2 punti dal Liverpool capolista. E allora, non poteva mancare il riconoscimento di migliore allenatore del mese, ottenuto surclassando tecnici del calibro di Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) e Mark Hughes (Southampton). Tanta, ovviamente, la soddisfazione: E un grande onore e voglio condividerlo con i giocatori e con la societa ha dichiarato Conte sul sito ufficiale della Premier League -. E la prima volta che lavoro in un altro Paese, con una cultura diversa, e portare la propria filosofia non e facile, ma ora sono contento di questa scelta. A completare la festa, la premiazione del fantasista belga, Eden Hazard, come miglior giocatore di ottobre. Due risultati importanti per il club, ottimo incentivo per la rincorsa al trono dei campioni, occupato dal Leicester di Ranieri. Il prossimo appuntamento per l11 di Conte sara al Riverside Stadium, tana del Middlesborough neopromosso. Il tempo di festeggiare e gia finito. Il ministero della Salute ha affermato che a fine estate saranno fati maggiori approfondimenti per stimare con maggiore precisione l'eccesso di mortalita attribuibile alla temperatura Le ondate di calore hanno causato, nelle prime due settimane di luglio, un aumento della mortalita del 21%, per un totale di 733 decessi nelle 33 citta italiane oggetto di monitoraggio. E quanto emerge dal bollettino del sistema di sorveglianza sulle ondate di calore pubblicato dal Ministero della Salute e riferito al periodo 16 maggio 15 luglio 2022. Nel mese di giugno nelle 33 citta e stata registrata una mortalita del 9% superiore allatteso. Dall1 al 15 luglio le citta in cui si e registrato lincremento maggiore sono state Latina (+72%), Bari (+56%), Viterbo (+52%), Cagliari (+51%), Catanzaro (+48%). Il bollettino Il bollettino riporta come, a partire dal mese di maggio 2022, si siano registrate temperature superiori alla media stagionale di +3,2C in tutto il Paese, con valori piu elevati soprattutto nelle citta del Centro Italia. A giugno le temperature sono state superiori al valore climatico di riferimento in media di +3C. Tra fine giugno e la prima settimana di luglio si sono registrati picchi di temperatura apparente massima compresi tra 37-40 gradi. Nel bollettino si evidenzia la necessita di ulteriori approfondimenti, che saranno condotti a fine estate, per stimare con maggiore precisione leccesso di mortalita attribuibile alla temperatura tenendo conto, nel modello, anche delleffetto dellepidemia di Covid-19. What Are the Basics of Business Development? In the simplest terms, business development can be summarized as the ideas, initiatives, and activities that help make a business better. This includes increasing revenues, growth in terms of business expansion, increasing profitability by building strategic partnerships, and making strategic business decisions. Business Development Executive, Manager of Business Development, and VP, Business Development are all impressive job titles often heard in business organizations. Sales, strategic initiatives, business partnerships, market development, business expansion, and marketingall of these fields are involved in business development but are often mixed up and mistakenly viewed as the sole function of business development. Key Takeaways Business development encompasses a wide scope of ideas, activities, and initiatives that a business owner and management implement with the goal of making the business better. Business development can include many objectives, such as sales growth, business expansion, the formation of strategic partnerships, and increased profitability. Successful business development impacts every department within a company, including sales, marketing, manufacturing, human resources, accounting, finance, product development, and vendor management. Business developers should be aware of new market opportunities, possibilities for expansion, competitor developments, and the current sources of the company's revenue. Understanding the Basics of Business Development Business development activities extend across different departments, including sales, marketing, project management, product management, and vendor management. Networking, negotiations, partnerships, and cost-savings efforts are also involved. All of these different departments and activities are driven by and aligned with the business development goals. For instance, a business has a product or service which is successful in one region, such as the United States. The business development team assesses further expansion potential. After all due diligence, research, and studies, it finds that the product or service can be expanded to a new region, such as Brazil. Sales Sales personnel focus on a particular market or a particular (set of) client(s), often for a targeted revenue number. In this case, business development assesses the Brazilian markets and concludes that sales worth $1.5 billion can be achieved in three years. With such set goals, the sales department targets the customer base in the new market with their sales strategies. Marketing Marketing involves promotion and advertising aimed towards the successful sale of products to end customers. Marketing plays a complementary role in achieving sales targets. Business development initiatives may allocate an estimated marketing budget. Higher budgets allow aggressive marketing strategies like cold calling, personal visits, roadshows, and free sample distribution. Lower budgets tend to result in passive marketing strategies, such as limited online ads, print ads, social media ads, and billboards. Strategic Initiatives or Partnerships To enter a new market, will it be worth going solo by clearing all required formalities, or will it be more sensible to form a strategic alliance or partnership with local firms already operating in the region? Assisted by legal and finance teams, the business development team weighs all of the pros and cons of the available options and selects the one that best serves the business. Project Management/Business Planning Does the business expansion require a new facility in the new market, or will all the products be manufactured in the base country and then imported into the targeted market? Will the latter option require an additional facility in the base country? Such decisions are finalized by the business development team based on their cost- and time-related assessments. Then, the project management/implementation team swings into action to work towards the desired goal. Product Management Regulatory standards and market requirements vary across countries. A medicine of a certain composition may be allowed in India but not in the United Kingdom, for example. Does the new market require a customizedor altogether newversion of the product? These requirements drive the work of product management and manufacturing departments, as decided by the business strategy. Cost consideration, legal approvals, and regulatory adherence are all assessed as a part of a business development plan. Vendor Management Will the new business need external vendors? For example, will the shipping of a product need a dedicated courier service? Will the firm partner with any established retail chain for retail sales? What are the costs associated with these engagements? The business development team works through these questions. Negotiations, Networking, and Lobbying A few business initiatives may need expertise in soft skills. For example, lobbying is legal in some locales and may become necessary for penetrating the market. Other soft skills like networking and negotiating may be needed with different third parties, such as vendors, agencies, government authorities, and regulators. All such initiatives are part of business development. Cost Savings Business development is not just about increasing sales, products, and market reach. Strategic decisions are also needed to improve the bottom line, which includes cost-cutting measures. An internal assessment revealing high spending on travel, for instance, may lead to travel policy changes, such as hosting video conference calls instead of on-site meetings, or opting for less expensive transportation modes. Management can implement similar cost-saving initiatives by outsourcing non-core work, such as billing, accounting, financials, technology operations, and customer service. Strategic partnerships needed for these initiatives are a part of business development. What Should a Business Developer Know? Since business development involves high-level decision making, the business developer should remain informed about the following: The current state of the business in terms of SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) The current state of the overall industry and growth projections Competitor developments Primary sources of sales/revenues of current business and dependencies The customer profile New and unexplored market opportunities New domains/products/sectors eligible for business expansion, which may complement the existing business The long-term view, especially with regards to the initiatives being proposed The cost areas and the possible options for cost-savings The Business Plan The business development scenario discussed above is specific to a business expansion plan, whose impact can be felt by almost every unit of the business. There can be similar business development objectives, such as the development of a new business line, new sales channel development, new product development, new partnerships in existing or new markets, and even merger and acquisition (M&A) decisions. For example, in the case of a merger, significant cost savings can be accomplished by integrating the common functions of the manufacturing, finance, and legal departments of the two firms. Similarly, a business operating from five different offices in a city can be moved to a large central facility, resulting in significant operating cost savings. However, would this lead to employee attrition, if the new location isn't convenient for everyone? It's up to the business development team to assess such concerns. In essence, business development involves high-level decision-making based on a realistic assessment of all potential changes and their impact. Through new ideas and initiatives, it aims to improve the overall business prospects, which drive the functioning of the different business units. It is not sales; it is not marketing; it is not partnering. Instead, it is the eco-system encompassing the entire business and its various divisions, driving overall growth. While it's common for startup companies to seek outside assistance in developing the business, as the business matures, it should aim to build its business development expertise internally. The Right Fit for Business Development A business developer can be the business owner(s) or the designated employee(s) working in business development. Anyone who can make or suggest a strategic business change for a value-add to the business can contribute towards business development. Businesses often encourage employees to brainstorm innovative ideas, which can help in improving the potential of the overall business. Businesses also seek help from external incubator firms, business development companies (BDC), and small business development centers (SBDC). However, these entities assist in business establishment and the necessary fine-tuning only during the early stages of business setup. What Drives Business Development Activity? Due to the wide-open scope of business development and activities, there are no standard practices and principles. From exploring new opportunities in external markets to introducing efficiencies in internal business operations, everything can fit under the business development umbrella. Those involved in business development need to come up with creative ideas, but their proposals may prove to be unfeasible or unrealistic. It's important to be flexible. Employees charged with business development should try to seek out and take constructive criticism, and remember that it's a process. Business Development Ethics Business ethics involves implementing appropriate and fair practices regarding issues such as corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social responsibility, and fiduciary responsibilities. Laws and regulations often set the standard for business ethics, which companies can then choose to follow and build on in order to earn trust and loyalty from consumers and market participants. Why Is New Business Development Important? New business development is important for generating jobs, developing key industries, and keeping the economy moving forward. What Are the Key Skills for Business Development Executives? Development executives need to have leadership skills, vision, drive, and a willingness to work with a variety of people to get to a common goal. How Can I Be Successful in Business Development? Having a vision and putting together a good team are among the factors that help predict success in business development. But a successful developer also writes a good business plan, which becomes the blueprint from which they build their success. What Should a Business Development Plan Include? A business development plan, or business plan, describes what a business's objectives are and how it intends to achieve them, including goals, start-up costs, and targeted milestones. The Bottom Line Business development may be difficult to define concisely, but it can be easily understood using a working concept. An open mindset, willingness for an honest and realistic self-assessment, and the ability to accept failures are a few of the skills needed for successful business development. Beyond the ideation, implementation, and execution of a business development idea, the end results matter the most. The brightest minds in business development should be ready to accommodate a change in order to achieve the best results. Every approval or disapproval is a learning experience, better preparing these professionals for the next challenge. Investment Banking vs. Investment Management: An Overview Plenty of undergraduate finance majors and master of business administration (MBA) students consider pursuing a career in investment banking or investment management, two intensely competitive fields in the finance industry, after receiving their degrees. These professions offer some of the highest starting salaries in the field, and there's plenty of room for growth for those who are talented and ambitious enough to land one of these spots. If you take away all of the industry terminologies and boil these jobs down to their basic elements, investment bankers and investment managers (sometimes called asset managers or fund managers in the U.K.) are primarily responsible for channeling money from investors to companies that need capital. Some of the top experts in the investment world can be found in these positions. Investment management is all about investment decisions and asset allocation. This means coming up with investment strategies and directing funds to property, equities, or debt securities on behalf of clients. Investment bankers, by contrast, are deal-makers. They work as high-level consultants and analysts for large companies to help with capital raising strategies. Key Takeaways Investment managers help clients by managing their money. Clients can include individuals, educational institutions, insurance companies, and pension funds. Investment managers perform financial analysis, portfolio allocation between bonds and stocks, equity research, and issue buy and sell recommendations. Investment bankers help with corporate finance needs, such as raising funds or capital. Companies and governments hire investment bankers to facilitate mergers and acquisitions as well as IPOs, and new debt issuance such as a bond offering. Investment Management Investment managers help clients reach their investment goals by managing their money. Clients of investment managers can include individual investors as well as institutional investors such as educational institutions, insurance companies, pension funds, retirement plans, and governments. Investment managers can work with equities, bonds, and commodities, including precious metals like gold and silver. Investment managers can have varied roles and responsibilities, depending on the firm, which can include: Financial statement analysis Portfolio allocation such as a proper mix of bonds and stocks Equity research and buy and sell recommendations Financial planning and advising Estate and retirement planning as well as asset distribution Investment Banking Investment bankers help with corporate finance needs, such as raising funds or capital. Companies and governments hire investment bankers to facilitate complicated financial transactions, including: Debt issuance such as a bond offering New securities underwriting Mergers and acquisitions Initial public offerings (IPOs) Investment banking can involve equity and security research and making buy, sell, and hold recommendations. Investment banking firms are also market makers, which provide liquidity or connect buyers and sellers to "make" the market. Almost every investment banker starts out as an associate or analyst and hopes to put in enough years to reach a role as a vice president or managing director. Special Considerations Education and Skills Competition for both careers is notoriously stiff. Investment banking firms are usually only interested in candidates who have graduated from top schools and who have worked previously with major corporate players. It's virtually impossible to find an investment banking associate position without an MBA and strong recommendations from respected professionals in the field. Investment management positions aren't quite as crowded by top applicants, but it's still very difficult to break into major firms. Networking is very important and sometimes matters more than experience or academic bona fides. Many firms use internships as extensive application processes; in fact, some investment management and banking internships are more competitive than entry-level positions for corporate finance or research analyst positions. Undergraduate degrees are preferred in business disciplines, such as finance, economics, accounting, or investment analysis, although degrees from other fields are considered. Some banks look for demonstrated analytical proficiency in specific sectors, like healthcare or pharmaceuticals. Firms are generally looking a strong combination of the following skills and characteristics: Strong written and verbal communication skills Analytical and problem-solving skills Demonstrated independence and responsibility Responsiveness and attention to detail Negotiation and client management skills Knowledge of investments, corporate finance and business negotiations (practical commercial expertise) Advanced mathematical and technical skills An ambitious, eager, get-it-done attitude Salary Investment banking and investment management jobs have attractive salaries and bonuses. Even the lowest-level investment banking analyst at a smaller firm can expect a first-year salary of $65,000 to $95,000 and a hefty signing bonus. The average base pay for investment managers is $95,829 with salaries that can be as high as $180,000, according to glassdoor.com. Additional compensation averages $14,900, which includes commissions and bonuses. The average base pay for investment bankers is $119,110 with salaries that can be as high as $235,000, according to glassdoor.com. Investment banking analysts make anywhere from $73,000 to 108,000. Work-Life Balance High-level investment jobs are highly concentrated in New York, London, and Tokyo. Even though there is some evidence of geographical shifts as the 21st century marches forward, it is still probable that a career in investment banking or investment management means moving to one of these three global financial hubs. Workloads for investment managers vary. Those employed by mutual funds or hedge funds work when the stock market opens and closes. This can be a relatively short time if the firm is only active in one market, but those active in all three major exchanges can have very irregular. Private equity firms average much longer workdays, sometimes as many as 65 to 70 hours per week. Investment bankers sometimes joke that they enjoy a nice "work-work" balance. Very few careers demand as much time and energy as investment banking; it's not uncommon to work 12- to 14-hour days for six or seven days a week. Despite the high salary and prestige afforded to an associate or analyst, many burn out and suffer physically and emotionally after a few years on the job. These roles are for career-minded people who may have little time for relaxing on weekends and spending time with family. Occupational Outlook These are very prestigious careers with huge salaries, so competition should remain very high for the foreseeable future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that financial jobs such as analysts, bankers, and financial managers will experience 15% job growth between 2019 and 2029. In all likelihood, a prospective banker or manager must decide on a firm-by-firm basis. Pay structures and workloads can vary, and the choice may hinge on the specifics of the role and the career goals of the individual. Which of John Hancock's funds are the top ones for retirement? Saving for retirement comes with many decisions to make, which can be overwhelming, especially if you are trying to ensure you have the right asset allocation and a diversified portfolio. There are thousands of investment options from which to choose. Like many large investment firms, John Hancock, a unit of Canada-based Manulife Financial Corporation, has funds that provide broad exposure to all the asset classes you should include in a retirement portfolio. The right mix of funds depends on your risk tolerance, your number of years to retirement, and your overall financial picture. The following funds offered by John Hancock are among the top choices in different asset classes to consider for your retirement portfolio. Key Takeaways Large asset managers, like John Hancock, provide a variety of options that make it possible to have a balanced, diversified retirement portfolio with only a handful of mutual funds. Choosing which funds best fit your retirement portfolio depends on your risk tolerance and time horizon. Fund fees have an impact on returns so dont forget to factor them in. Don't Overlook Fees Before we get into the funds, first lets talk about fees. John Hancock, like all asset managers, operates its funds with different share classes. Each comes with a different fee structure. Some of the classes have front-end loads; others have deferred loads or no loads at all. All of the funds mentioned below are actively managed. If you decide to invest in one, remember to double-check which mutual fund share class you are investing in. Fees can have a big impact on returns. Actively-managed funds typically have higher expenses than index funds, which are passively managed. Types of Funds U.S. Stocks When investing in U.S. stocks you want to ensure that you are getting broad diversification across large, medium, and small-capitalization companies. In order to do this with John Hancock, you should consider the following funds. The Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (TAGRX) invests mainly in large-cap, growth and value companies. The Disciplined Value Mid-Cap (JVMAX) will provide exposure to mid-cap stocks, and the Small Cap Value Fund (JSCAX) to small-cap stocks. (All these funds have Class A shares.) International Stocks For international exposure, you can buy shares in the Disciplined Value International Fund (JDIBX), which invests primarily in large companies in developed countries. If you prefer to also add emerging markets to your portfolio, consider the Emerging Markets Equity Fund (JEMQX). (All these funds have Class A shares.) Bonds John Hancock has a good multi-sector bond fund that will give your portfolio exposure to government and corporate bonds in developed and emerging markets. This fund is the John Hancock Income Fund (JHFIX) and is designed, like its name implies, to produce ongoing income for investors. This fund is also Class A. Asset Allocation If you prefer just one fund for both bonds and stocks, you can consider one of John Hancock's asset allocation funds. The John Hancock Balanced Fund Class R4 (JBAFX) has a breakdown of about 60% stocks and 40% bonds and cash. The Bottom Line By exploring the options of a company like John Hancock, you can easily save for retirement without having to manage a large number of funds and still achieve diversification and the right asset allocation. Just remember to make sure you invest in the right share class for your needs. Staying at a luxury hotel is the stuff of daydreams for most people. The few who do regularly stay, or even live, in upscale hotels know that there is no substitute for a life where anything you desire is just a phone call away. Luxury hotels treat their guests like royalty, with many brands going so far as to institute rules forbidding employees from uttering the word no." From photo-identification systems that allow employees to recognize repeat guests instantly to gourmet feasts in bed, luxury hotels are as close as many people get to heaven on earth. As shareholders know, all this opulence comes at a high cost. Rooms rates in luxury hotels are limitless and, on an August weekend, the price of an average five-star hotel room in New York is $351 per night, with many closing in on $1,000. Marriott International Marriott International Inc. (MAR) (Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Delta) is expanding rapidly and has reached its goal of having a million hotel rooms open or in the pipeline a full six months ahead of schedule. These million hotel rooms consist of an astounding 20,000 new rooms in Q2 2015, thanks in part to the companys acquisition of Canadian hotel chain Delta. In all, Marriott has 250,000 rooms at 101 properties worldwide scheduled to open in the near future. In the most recent quarter, Marriott posted EBITDA of $457 million and earnings per share of $0.87, is up an amazing 36% versus its Q2 2014 numbers, thanks in part to an increased RevPAR of 5.4%. Having repurchased $714 million of stock this quarter and building, acquiring and signing new properties, Marriott is showing investors that increasing EPS is a priority. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (HOT) (Westin, Sheraton, 4 Points by Sheraton) is another hotel company thats trying to increase EPS by repurchasing shares. While the company didnt spend as much as Marriott, it still repurchased 1.2 million shares in Q2 2015 at a cost of $105 million. This brings its total share repurchases in 2015 to $228 million. On top of the stock repurchases, Starwood paid out a $0.375 dividend and had an EPS to $0.84. With EBITDA of $311 million and net income of $143 million, Starwood continues to expand its holdings, adding an additional 14,400 rooms to the pipeline this quarter. RevPAR was up this quarter, overall revenue was down compared to Q2 2014 due to currency fluctuations and the spinoff of Starwood Vacation Ownership. Hyatt Hotels Hyatt Hotels Corp (H) (Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency) will release earnings on August 4th and analysts expect positive results. Last quarters EPS was $0.11 a share about $0.07 short of analysts predictions. But this quarter, the company is expected to have a $0.45 EPS. There is concern over what effect the ever-changing currency rates will have had on Q2 2015 earnings. Nonetheless, 9 out of 11 rating firms declare it a buy and give it a target price of about 21% higher than its current level. Hyatt, like the other luxury hotel chains, is engaging in a share-repurchase plan and had spent $187 million on stock in Q1 2015. The hotel company currently has about 600 properties worldwide. Bottom Line if you cant afford to pay full price to stay at a luxury hotel, you may want to try one of the many websites which sell discounted hotel rooms, coupon websites that offer fire sales, or find a friend in the hospitality industry and get a friend & family rate. Shareholders don't like that youre paying a discount price, but you have to treat yourself every once in a while. Once upon a time, back in the analog age, investors could only buy and sell mutual funds through financial professionals: brokers, money managers, and financial planners. But online investment platforms have made traders of us all, and today, anyone with a computer, a tablet, or even a smartphone can buy mutual funds. All you have to do is know where to buy them, what kind of fund you want, and what sort of fees, sales charges, and expenses you might encounter. Of course, if you have a retirement-oriented account, such as a 401(k) plan or a self-directed IRA, the account custodian or plan administrator likely allows for direct mutual fund trading through its website (though with 401(k)s, you are restricted to those specifically offered by the plan and usually to a prescribed number of trades you can make per year or quarter). For the purposes of this article, we'll assume you're looking to buy on your own, either for a regular taxable account or a tax-deferred one. Where to Buy Mutual Funds Online Though a myriad of different investment websites-cum-trading platforms exists, there are three basic ways to purchase mutual funds online. Investment companies One often-overlooked option is to buy mutual funds directly through the investment companies that offer and manage them. Mutual fund companies range from publicly traded giants like T. Rowe Price to private boutique firms like American Century or Dodge & Cox. Each firm offers at least a few different funds, from passive index funds to actively managed equity funds to high-yield bond funds, designed to appeal to different investors and different investment goals. One key advantage of buying directly from mutual fund companies: no sales commissions or brokerage fees. More of your investment dollar goes into the fund and right to work for you. The key downside: your investment options are limited to that company's family of funds. Investment-cum-financial services companies If you do not want to be limited to one fund family, some investment companies allow you to use an in-house account to buy and sell mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (EFTs) offered by other firms. The Vanguard Group and Fidelity Investments are two of the best-known of this breed of mutual fund managers that have morphed into full-fledged financial services firms, augmenting their own funds with competitors' products. The catch: these firms naturally want to push their proprietary funds, so you may incur additional transaction fees or pay commissions if you go "outside the family." Brokerages Yet another option is to open an online account at a brokerage. It will likely be the most expensive course. Typically, these types of accounts charge a transaction fee/commission for each trade, and they may also charge other account setup or maintenance fees. However, they will provide the biggest universe of mutual funds to choose from. It is fairly simple to find an account with relatively low fees, especially if you comb the ranks of discount brokerages. Among the hottest (and cheapest) are exclusively online companies, such as E*TRADE and Betterment. With little overhead and largely automated services, their operating costs are considerably reduced, and it shows in their charges to consumers. But don't count the brick-and-mortar brokerages out. Noting the e-brokers' success, especially with 30-something investors, many old-timers like TD Ameritrade, Charles Schwab, and Merrill Lynch (via its Merrill Edge) have launched digital platforms of their own. Often fees and account minimums are waived or discounted for clients who maintain online-only accounts, eschewing paper statements, and human advisory services. (Of course, having a human to talk to can be an appealing feature of a full-service broker.) Setting Up an Online Mutual Fund Account Once you decide on the financial institution and trading platform for your account, you need to set up that accountwhich you can do, naturally, online. Most firms make it pretty easyjust log on to the companys site and click a link thats usually labeled "Open an Account," "Let's Get Started," or something similar. You'll answer the same questions needed to open any brokerage account: personal info and type of account (individual or joint, IRA or taxable, etc.). You may also need to indicate whether you want any fund dividends deposited into your account or automatically reinvested back into the fund. And you will have to furnish bank account information, to transfer the cash for your initial investmentand, if you so designate, to be used as the source for buying additional mutual fund shares each month. Many companies reduce the mandated sum to open an account if you set up one of these automatic investment programs. Applying online usually takes 10 to 20 minutes. Processing the application and getting your account funded usually takes one to three days. Executing an Online Mutual Fund Trade Once your account is active, buying and selling mutual funds is simple. While each site is a little different, they all operate in essentially the same way. Indicate the ticker symbol of the fund you want to buy and the amount you want to investunlike stocks, mutual funds require you to invest a set dollar amount rather than purchasing a certain number of shares. In addition, you may be asked how you want dividend distributions handled (if you didn't set this up when applying): either by using them to buy additional shares of the fund, or having them deposited into your investment account as cash. Once you fill out the trade request, your trade remains pending until the fund's daily share value is calculated at the end of the trading day. Most mutual funds report their net asset value (NAV) by 6 p.m. ET. Once the NAV is reported, you know how many shares you have actually purchased. It takes between one and three business days for your trade to settle, meaning the official financial transaction is not completed right away. The SEC requires it to be no longer than two business days. Investment firms and brokerage sites post information about the time frame for mutual fund trades. Choosing a Mutual Fund Online Once you've mastered the mechanics, the real work begins: deciding what kind of mutual fund best suits your investment needs. First, consider your risk tolerance. Typically, investments that offer the potential for big gains, such as high-yield mutual funds and most stock investments, also come with a greater amount of risk than investments that offer more modest returns. If you have a low-risk tolerance, avoid mutual funds that invest in highly volatile securities or employ aggressive investment strategies that seek to beat the market. Because mutual funds are typically designed to be diversified investment vehicles, they also often carry lower levels of risk than individual stock investments. Next, determine what you are trying to accomplish with this investment. If you want something that generates consistent income each year, choose a mutual fund that pays dividends or a bond fund. If you want to minimize the short-term tax impact of your investment, choose a fund that makes very few annual distributions, does not pay dividends, and focuses on long-term growth. If your chief goal is to create wealth quickly, even if it means increased risk, look at high-yield bonds or equity funds. If you choose an actively managed fund, as opposed to a passively managed indexed fund, research the track record of your chosen fund's manager. The success of actively managed funds depends on the experience, skill, and instinct of the fund's manager, so the historical returns generated by other funds under their care are a good indication of their prowess. Know also that most actively managed funds carry higher fees than their passively managed counterparts. Mutual fund expense ratios In reviewing mutual funds, you should be aware of the types of fees and expenses you are likely to incur. In some cases, the costs associated with a given mutual fund may render its returns considerably less impressive. The one cost carried by all mutual funds is called an expense ratio. This is simply a percentage of the value of your investment, generally between 0.1% and 3%, the mutual fund charges each year to defray its administrative and operating costs. As mentioned, actively managed funds typically have higher expense ratios than their passively managed counterparts because their increased trading activity generates more paperwork and requires more man-hours. If the fund you choose has a particularly high expense ratio, make sure there is not a cheaper fund offered elsewhere with the same objectives and a similar portfolio. For indexed funds, especially, seek out the cheapest. Since they are designed to simply invest in all the securities of a given index, there is little difference between funds that are tracking the same index. Mutual fund sales charges In addition to the annual expense charge, many mutual funds impose sales charges, known as loads. Set by the fund management, a load is essentially a fee paid to the broker, financial planner, or investment advisor who sold you the fund (this is distinct from the sales commission or transaction fee the brokerage itself might charge youconfusing, we know). Load fees can be charged at the time of investment (a front-end load) or at redemption (a back-end load or deferred sales charge). Some funds are advertised as no-load funds. However, be aware they can still charge a number of other fees that make them just as expensive. Carefully read the terms of your chosen fund to see if it charges any redemption, purchase, or exchange fees to shareholders who wish to alter their initial investment by selling shares, buying additional shares, or moving to another fund offered by the same firm. Many funds do, particularly if you make a change within 60 or 90 days of your initial purchase. Other common expenses include 12b-1 fees, to defray the cost of marketing, advertising, and distributing the fund and its literature. Many funds offer three classes of shares, such as A, B, and C, that carry different types of expenses to cater to different investment strategies. For example, Class A shares typically carry a front-end load fee but have lower expense ratios and 12b-1 fees than B and C shares, making them better suited for someone who wants to make a single investment and hold it for a long period. What Are Common Ways to Buy a Mutual Fund Online? The most common ways to buy a mutual fund online are directly from a fund provider, through an investment company, or through an online brokerage. How Do You Purchase a Mutual Fund? Once you have an account through an online brokerage or investment firm and that account is funded, you'll need to initiate an order and input key information such as the dollar amount of the investment and the ticker of the mutual fund. Mutual fund purchases are executed once per day after the market closes and it typically takes one to two additional days for the transaction to close. What Should You Keep in Mind When Buying a Mutual Fund Online? There are a huge number of mutual funds available to investors. Not every online account and service will provide access to all of these funds, however. Before you initiate a purchase, be sure to consider the purpose of your investment and your goals. Assess your risk tolerance as compared with the level of risk inherent to the fund. Be sure to know what the fees and other costs may be, including if there are viable alternative funds that may be cheaper. The Bottom Line Trading mutual funds online is a relatively recent option for investors. But in choosing a firm to invest with, the criteria are pretty traditional: How reputable is this company? What sort of services, amenities, and products do they provide? How easy are they, and their trading platform, to deal with? And when it comes to picking a mutual fund, the basic questions to askhow its purpose fits your investment goals, the level of risk it poses vis-a-vis your tolerance, and the size of its feesremain eternal. San Francisco-based tech company Uber was founded in 2009 as a way to connect people in the city who needed rides (but couldn't find taxis) with limousine and town car drivers who wanted to make extra money. The company went public in May 2019 and the stock trades under the ticker symbol UBER. Today, Uber connects drivers and passengers in 400 cities worldwide and its drivers include, not just professionals, but also average people willing to drive strangers around for a fee. The company launched its UberEats food-delivery app in 2014 and a helicopter taxi service to JFK airport in New York City in 2019. Uber has seen a number of competitors, such as Lyft and Via, spring up in the ride-sharing business and the company has faced regulatory issues worldwide. From being banned from airport curbs (and entire countries) to increasing operational risks, Uber has four challenges on its hands in America and abroad. Key Takeaways As it struggles to be profitable Uber faces several challenges both in the U.S. and worldwide. There have been legislative and court challenges to Uber classifying its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. Changes in laws can also affect how much Uber pays in taxes; it already faces complaints from various governments that it shirks its tax liabilities. Some countries and airports have banned or drastically limited ride-sharing companies. Some authorities are imposing access or other special fees on Uber, increasing the cost of a ride and making the service less competitive than traditional taxis. 1. Status of Drivers One ongoing thorn in Uber's side has been the status of its drivers: whether they should be classified as employees or independent contractors. Uber, not surprisingly, prefers the latter. It maintains that it is a technology company and that its sole function is to connect drivers and passengers. This works out well for the companyit can start operating in new markets easily and doesn't need to concern itself with employer-employee laws and the related responsibilities and obligations. Without an employer-employee relationship, Uber isn't obliged to pay Social Security taxes, unemployment insurance, or worker's compensation. And, it is not required to reimburse drivers for mileage. Drivers welcome the flexibility and freedom that comes with not being an employee (or so Uber claims). Uber drivers can work when they want, for as many hours as they want. And they can quit anytime. That may be so, but other Uber drivers are upset about being treated as independent contractors, their working conditions, and the earnings that effectively often amount to less than minimum wage. Uber has settled major class-action lawsuits launched by drivers in Massachusetts and California. In 2021, with the lifting of pandemic restrictions, Uber has had problems in getting enough cars on the road to meet newly increased demand. It has offered sign-up incentives and significantly raised prices for rides. But it's also fiddled with compensation structures, so drivers tend not to share in the bigger fareswhile their earnings are up, it's due more to bonuses rather than pocketing a percentage of the tab. California Challenges Uber has also faced legislative challenges on this issue in California, whichwith its population of 39 millionis a huge market for the company (not to mention its home, and the site of its first ride). In 2019, the California Senate passed Assembly Bill 5, a rule that would've required Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies to treat workers as employees rather than independent contractors. Uber's top attorney said in response that the company would not begin treating drivers as employees despite the legislation. It also launched a campaign to undo it, along with Lyft and other on-demand delivery companies. On Nov. 3, 2020, Uber-backed Proposition 22 was introduced on the ballot in California, which defined app-based transportation and delivery drivers as independent contractorsoverriding Assembly Bill 5. The voters approved it. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company will more loudly advocate for laws like Prop 22, and "work with governments across the U.S. and the world to make this a reality. So, round two to the ridesharing firm. But the saga continues. On Aug. 20, 2021, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ruled that two sections of Proposition 22 were unconstitutional and that the measure as a whole was unenforceable. Uber and Lyft announced they would appeal. Prop 22 remains in effect, while its ultimate fate remains uncertain. Still, drivers in other states may likely wage their own court battles against the company. And Uber has to consider the PR angle to all this: The impression that a high-profile, billion-dollar company exploits workers doesn't play well in the court of public opinion. In February 2021, Britains Supreme Court ruled that a group of Uber drivers should be classified as workers entitled to a minimum wage and vacation time. 2. Taxes Related to the employer-employee relationship between Uber and its workers are tax issues. If Uber loses its status as a technology companya mere go-between linking riders and driversand instead is classified as a livery company, governments can argue that the entire ride payment is revenue for Uber and subject to city and state taxes. Uber already faces complaints from various governments that it shirks its tax liabilities onto its drivers and that the drivers are often non-compliant about paying their taxes. More tax legislation could exacerbate the problem and will also mean either an increase in ride fares or the end of Uber operations in that particular city or state. 3. The Risk of Being an Uber Driver Aside from non-compliance with taxes, Uber drivers face incredible risk when working in cities or countries that have banned the company. In various countries, Uber is outright forbidden. In others, there is a call for regulation in the industry or for the governments to declare the car-sharing app illegal. Aside from government intervention, airport authorities have been cracking down on Uber drivers. The authorities have begun charging Uber drivers access fees to drop-off and pick-up customers at the airport. The access fees increase the cost of a ride for consumers, making the service less competitive when compared to traditional taxis. 4. International Expansion Comes With Risks As Uber continues to expand outside of the United States, it increases its operational risks. In Asia, for example, the ratio of taxis to the population is higher than in America. Because of this, there is more competition between Uber drivers and traditional taxis. Furthermore, taxi service in Asia is fast, clean, cheap and, in some countries, can be paid for via NFC cell phones using apps such as Alipaynegating Uber's competitive advantage of being able to pay for a ride with its app. 83 The number of countries with Uber drivers as of January 2021. With more reliable and cheaper service than in the U.S., it seems unlikely that there is a strong market for Uber abroad. As the technology company expands and is met with governmental opposition and protest, it will find it harder to get drivers to compete against established taxi companies. The Bottom Line Uber is a company that disrupted the transportation system. In its role as a liaison between customers and drivers, the company takes a cut and the platform is among the most successful in the world. But Uber has struggled to attain profitability. In its first report as a public company, Uber said it lost more than $1 billion on $3.1 billion in revenue during the first quarter of 2019. In its latest report for the second quarter of 2021, net income was $1.1 billion on $3.9 billion in revenuesbut the bottom line still showed a loss of $509 million (adjusted EBITDA). While Uber stands to make a crazy amount of money given its high revenue and the low wages that drivers earn, it's not shocking to learn that Uber is facing many challenges as it grows. In a climate of growing income inequality, where the rich are amassing wealth at unprecedented levels while record numbers of everyday citizens live paycheck to paycheck, it may not seem like ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) have much to worry about. A UHNWI is defined as a person with a net worth of $30 million or more. While it takes a special kind of financial irresponsibility for a person with that kind of wealth to develop the kinds of money troubles that plague the rest of societythink bankruptcy, foreclosure, or garnishment of wagesthe ultra-wealthy deal with their own unique brand of financial problems. Many argue the financial problems that plague UHNWIs are ones most of the world would love to have, kind of like being too good-looking, too smart, or having too many invitations to choose from on a Saturday night. These challenges include ever-evolving tax codes, estate planning, sustaining their lifestyles during retirement, and protecting the principal in their financial accounts. While it may sound crazy to someone working an average job for average pay, a UHNWI worth $50 million is often scared to death of descending to simple millionaire status. Key Takeaways Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UNHWIs) have a net worth of $30 million or more. The bulk of UHNWIs' problems revolve around managing their financial assets and preserving their wealth. Politically charged feelings about the wealthy that spark changes in income, inheritance, and estate taxes can burden UNHWIs. Illiquiditymoney tied up in hard-to-get-at assetsis another problem for UHNWIs. When a bear market or recession hits, the high-growth investments that helped UHNWIs get rich are frequently the first to take a precipitous dive. Who Are Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals? As mentioned above, an ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI) is anyone who has a net worth of over $30 million, including their primary residence. People who fall into this category tend to be the most wealthy people in the world, holding a good portion of global wealth. In 2019, there were approximately 513,244 UHNWIs around the globe240,575 of them in the United States alone. Some of the wealthiest people in the world who fall into this category include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta's (formerly Facebook's) Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and members of the Walton family; heirs to the Walmart fortune. Changing Tax Codes Throughout the 21st century, the tax treatment of the super-wealthy has served as a political football. Few issues in recent memory have more starkly divided politicians and the general public along ideological lines. On one side, supply-side adherents channel Ronald Reagan, proclaiming that keeping taxes low for the affluent frees up money for them to invest in ways that create jobs and grow the economy for everyone else. This line of thinking, known as trickle-down economics, advocates cutting taxes for the rich not just for the benefit of the rich, but also because their prosperity then cascades down to the rest of society. Then there is the other side, which feels the middle class and working poor shoulder too much of the tax burden, and that UHNWIs exploit loopholes and creative accounting practices to pay far less than their fair share. Proponents of higher taxes on the wealthy point specifically to long-term capital gains, the method by which many wealthy people amass their fortunes. Taxes on long-term capital gains depend on an individual's income level, with the highest earners paying 20%. The Trump administration's Tax Cuts and Jobs Actsigned into law on Dec. 22, 2017made the largest overhaul to the tax code in about 30 years. It retained the structure of seven tax brackets, keeping two at the same rate and changing five, including the top bracket. The new code dropped that rate from 39.6% to 37%. These changes are temporary and are expected to expire in 2025. The tax rate for ultra-high-net-worth individuals used to be much higher. As recently as 1980, it was 70%. In 1963, the top tax bracket was a staggering 91%. Politicians abound who would love to see a return to these high rates on the extremely wealthy. With polarization in politics at an all-time high, UHNWIs live with the constant anxiety of a power shift toward those less friendly to their interests. Recent Proposals President Biden has proposed a new tax policy aimed at taxing the wealthy more than they are being taxed right now. There would be a new top income tax rate of 39.6%, which is targeted at those making more than $452,700 a year and married couples filing jointly making more than $509,300. The goal is for this to start in 2022. Biden intends to also increase the capital gains tax to 39.6% for those earning $1,000,000 or more. If Biden's tax proposal is not approved, the 39.6% rate will be re-imposed in 2025, when the provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire. Estate Planning Ultra-high-net-worth individuals worry about retaining their riches so they can continue to fund their own lifestyles. But most of them also want to bequeath their fortunes to their heirs when they are no longer around. Ideally, they want the government to appropriate as little of this money as possible before it passes to the next generation. The estate tax only applies to the extremely wealthy, with more than 90% of the tax being paid by the top 10% of earners. Roughly 40% of estate taxes are paid by 0.1% of the richest people in the country. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act increased the estate tax exemption for the 2019 tax year, so $11.4 million of an estate is exempt from taxes. This number was $11.58 million in 2020 and is $11.7 million for 2021. Anything above and beyond that amount is taxed at a rate of 40%. Although the exemption has been increased over the years, the maximum estate tax rate has effectively dropped. In 1997, anything above the $600,000 exemption was taxed as much as 55%. This means that the more the estate is worthat least it's above the exemptionthe more a UHNWI stands to lose in the passing of their estate. Moreover, many states have their own estate taxes, which are imposed on top of the federal estate tax. Some also impose inheritance taxes on beneficiaries. UHNWIs use many schemes to mitigate the effects of the estate tax. These tactics include leaving their estates to surviving spouses, in which case they are exempt from taxation, making use of charitable contributions, and setting up a variety of trust accountsall of which can be used to get around the estate tax. Sustaining Lifestyle During Retirement For UHNWIs who became rich from investing, basically, there's no distinction between working years and retirement years. These individuals are likely to continue doing what has worked for them, with age being an irrelevant factor. However, those who became UHNWIs by working, including CEOs and other highly paid professionals, sometimes face a loss of income when they decide to call it quits. While having $30 million or more should be enough to live any kind of retirement lifestyle you want, some UHNWIs do a poor job of managing their money and may have to scale back at some point. One problem that comes up at times with UHNWIs is illiquidity; they have millions of dollars, but most or all of it is tied up in land, real estate, and other assets they can't easily convert to cash. Other UHNWIs take too many risks with their money, and while they do not feel the effects so much when they still have piles of money coming in, they feel it when they retire, and a big loss is not so easily replenished. Protecting Their Wealth During the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, many UHNWIs became merely high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), meaning individuals with more than $1 million in net worth but less than $30 million. For a truly unlucky few, their wealth hemorrhaging went beyond losing the ultra labelmeaning they lost everything. Most UHNWIs do not have their money sitting around in certificates of deposit (CDs), money market accounts, cash value life insurance, and other so-called safe investments that provide tepid returns at best. One of the reasons they are so wealthy is they make use of aggressive investment vehicles that consistently beat the market. In market matters, however, reward and risk often move in lockstep. When a bear market or recession hits, the high-growth investments that helped UHNWIs get rich are frequently the first to take a precipitous dive. For this reason, UHNWIs who rely on the markets for income often live with the constant stress of another looming crash. The Bottom Line UHNWIs are a small percentage of the global population. Their lives appear to be luxurious: The world in which they live is far removed from that of the majority of the population. And their problems reflect that as wellthe bulk of them revolving around managing their financial assets and preserving their wealth. Top News - Investor Idea Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Continues Acquisition Path With Purchase of ELMS Assets Including Factory in Mishawaka, IN., Enabling EV Production for Retail and Commercial Vehicle Lines BREA, Calif. - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces the US Bankruptcy Court approval on Oct. 13th, 2022 of its acquisition of electric vehicle company ELMS's (Electric Last Mile Solutions) assets in an all cash purchase. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen Automotive (NASDAQ: $MULN) Taps Former GM Executive John Schwegman as Chief Commercial Officer for Next Phase of EV Growth BREA, Calif. - October 21, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today the hiring of John Schwegman as its Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for Mullen's line of commercial vehicles. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea EV Stocks Driving Higher: (NASDAQ: $MULN) (NASDAQ: $TSLA) (NYSE: $NIO) (NYSE: $F) Vancouver, Delta, BC - October 20, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering EV and automotive stocks releases a special report featuring Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), covering the continued growth of the EV market as government policy and infrastructure plans sync up with consumer and investor interest in the EV space. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: FatBrain (OTCQB: LZGI) Acquires Confidential Computing Platform ZeroTrust to Protect Data Privacy and Accelerate Innovation for Millions of Growth Businesses NEW YORK, NY - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, has acquired the confidential computing and privacy intellectual property (IP) plus software assets of Zero2A PTE LTD ("ZeroTrust Platform"), a software company based in Singapore. Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21 March 2016 HAECO Americas Receives CAAC Certification to Perform Periodic Checks and Passenger-to-freighter Conversion on Boeing 757 Aircraft HAECO Americas Airframe Services Repair Station, located at the Piedmont Triad Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, has received certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to perform A, B and C checks on Chinese-registered Boeing 757 aircraft. Additionally, the CAAC approval, under section CCAR-145R2, authorises HAECO Americas to perform passenger-to-freighter conversions in accordance with Validation of Supplemental Type Certificate (VSTC) 141 on Boeing 757 series aircraft. Jim Sokol, President MRO Services of HAECO Americas, said, "We are proud to announce that through diligent, collaborative efforts with our Chinese partners and the CAAC, HAECO Americas now joins a selected group of companies that can support customers with this authority. HAECO Americas looks forward to working closely with the CAAC to facilitate transitioning converted aircraft into China and supporting our customers with a global network of approved maintenance facilities." This certification complements the existing FAA and EASA certificates held by HAECO Americas Airframe Services. It permits HAECO Americas to pursue additional ratings in the future through coordination with the CAAC. -End- About Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited ("HAECO Group") The HAECO Group is one of the world's leading aircraft engineering and maintenance service providers. HAECO Group provides a comprehensive range of services encompassing Airframe Services, Line Services, Cabin Solutions, Private Jet Solutions, Fleet Technical Management, Inventory Technical Management, Component Overhaul, Aerostructure Repairs, Landing Gear Services, Engine Services, Parts Manufacturing and Technical Training. The HAECO Group consists of 19 subsidiaries and affiliates, employing around 17,000 staff in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore and the United States. The HAECO Group is publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 00044). HAECO Group's website: www.haeco.com About HAECO Americas A wholly-owned subsidiary of the HAECO Group, HAECO Americas (formerly TIMCO Aviation Services) supports global aircraft operators and owners with comprehensive aircraft care services including base maintenance from three multi-hangar locations, engine MRO and line maintenance support across the U.S. The company's HAECO Cabin Solutions division provides interiors design, engineering, certification and cabin reconfiguration services, as well as manufactured products including passenger seating, structures, galleys and lavatories. HAECO Americas' website: www.haeco.aero A rare original copy of the 1916 Proclamation has been sold at a Dublin auction to a mystery U.S. buyer. Lot 184, a 30-inch by 20-inch piece of Irish history, had collectors on the edge of their seats when it flashed on a big screen at the Whytes auction in the lower ground floor of the Freemasons Hall in Molesworth Street, close to the seat of government in Leinster House. It is believed to be one of just 50 of the original 1,000 copies printed in Liberty Hall and published on April 24, 1916, by the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army. Most of the copies were destroyed during the Easter Rising, the 100th anniversary of which is being officially marked this month. The seven signatories of the document famously fought for liberation from British rule. Read more 1916 Easter Rising centenary stories The war to claim this document was between bidders in Ireland and the U.S. Auctioneer Ian Whyte was patriotically dressed in green socks, white shirt and orange tie as he raised his gavel for what he called one of the most important lots in the auction. Bidding opened at 120,000 and Whyte told his audience, We sold this 15 years ago to a collector who has now decided to part with this fantastic collection. Two anonymous phone bidders battled it out for the treasure, which finally went to a U.S. buyer for 185,000. Other memorials sold at the auction included Rosary beads given to a British Army lieutenant by a mother whose son was arrested after the Rising, a gold Cuman na mBan badge like the one worn by Countess Markievicz, and a 100-year-old bottle of Irish whiskey. It was casked in 1916 and bottled in 1966 and fetched 15,000. An Easter Monday, 1916, race card from Fairyhouse expected to go for between 300 and 500 fetched a surprising 4,000. Five people - a man, a woman, two boys and a girl - died when a jeep went off Buncrana Pier in County Donegal on Sunday evening at approximately 7.15 P.M. A three month old baby was reportedly rescued alive from the sinking vehicle by a passerby and is now in stable condition at Letterkenny University Hospital. The incident has sent shockwaves through the tight-knit seaside town and the wider Irish nation. A police statement to the press on Sunday evening read: "Gardai (Irish police), Emergency Services and the Coast Guard attended the scene following reports that a car had entered the water at Buncrana Pier." Gardai added that they were treating the incident as a "tragic accident" and are investigating if "the car may have accidentally slipped into the water. "A search of the area was carried out and five bodies were recovered from the water The five bodies were taken to Letterkenny General Hospital where post mortems are to be arranged. "A baby girl was rescued from the car with the assistance of a bystander. The baby is currently in a stable condition at Letterkenny General Hospital." Buncrana pier tragedy: Victims believed to be from Derryhttps://t.co/FTiEwa64Vu pic.twitter.com/mpZD9VTLG2 The Irish News (@irish_news) March 20, 2016 The family of five were reportedly from the Galliagh area of Derry. The bodies of a woman in her 50s originally from Shantallow in Derry , her teenage daughter, the partner of another daughter and his two children were all recovered from Lough Swilly after the vehicle went into the water. The mother of the children was reportedly on a hen weekend in England when the tragedy occurred. A major rescue operation involving the Irish Coast Guard helicopter, the Lough Swilly lifeboat crew all worked together to recover the bodies. Davitt Walsh, the man who rescued the infant from the waters, gave a heartbreaking interview with RTE: Interview with Davitt Walsh, who saved baby Rionaghac-Ann in yesterdays tragedy in Buncrana https://t.co/a228dN4yDu RTE News (@rtenews) March 21, 2016 The Norths Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, who has lifelong ties with the Inishowen town, expressed his condolences. "My thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by the devastating tragedy, he wrote. Our thoughts and appreciation must also be with the emergency services who have had to deal with this tragic situation." The pier and the shorefront area of the town are 20 minutes by car from Derry and have been popular destinations with visitors from the city for generations. Book of condolences to open for Buncrana victims https://t.co/JkhBhadZto pic.twitter.com/OvxMOvI99q RTE News (@rtenews) March 21, 2016 Locals became aware of the unfolding tragedy when the sound of helicopters, fire engines and ambulances alerted them to events. Details of how the car ended up in the water are not yet known, but some reports speculate that the vehicle, an Audi Q7, may have skidded on algae. Buncrana town councillor Rena Donaghy told the BBC it was "a tragedy of enormous magnitude. "I've been standing at the pier with so many others from the town looking out at blue flashing lights on the water in a state of complete shock," said Donaghy. "People here can't believe what they're hearing, can't believe what they're seeing. It's hard to take in that just a matter of hours ago, Buncrana was buzzing with people who were down from Derry and beyond to enjoy the lovely weather. It was so scenic and happy and now happiness has turned to tragedy." The American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland, based in Dublin, launched its new report on the state of the Ireland-U.S. economic relationship at an event in the Irish Consulate in New York on Friday, March 11. The report found that Ireland has steadily increased its share U.S. foreign direct investment in Europe. Ireland now accounts for nearly 20 percent of all new U.S. investment flows to Europe, according to figures contained within the report. This compares favorably against France (three percent) and Germany (two percent), and Irelands share of the total U.S. investment stock in Europe has soared to 11 percent over the past decade and increased from six percent 10 years ago. The report also found that Irelands investment stakes in the U.S. are significant as well, with Irish affiliates estimated to have generated some $90 billion in sales from their US operations in 2014 and $35 billion in U.S. economic output. The reports author Joseph Quinlan, discussing prospects for the future says Ireland and the United States now stand as two of the strongest growing economies in the transatlantic economy. Ireland in a world of increasing disorder and unrelenting change, remains one of the prime destinations of U.S. foreign direct investment. Bob Savage, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland, added, To maintain and strengthen our success in the global battle for foreign direct investment, our nation must continually reassess the needs of business, both domestic and multinational. We believe Ireland can continue to compete strongly on the international stage continuing to attract strong U.S. foreign direct investment over the coming decade. The entire nation of Ireland and the diaspora around the world are commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising this year and more importantly the nation is being re educated about Irelands history, the characters and its meaning. Children are largely at the center of Irelands commemorations in 2016 as the nation is called on to imagine Irelands future. Among the publications released to educate, inform and entertain children about the Easter Rising is Patricia Murphys The Easter Rising 1916 - Molly's Diary. The novel tells of the tale of the Easter Week from the point of view of a 12-year-old Dubliner, Molly ODonovan. Her own family is plunged into danger on both sides. Her father, a technical officer with the General Post Office dodges the crossfire as he tries to restore the telegraph lines while her wayward brother runs messages for the rebels. Read more stories on the 1916 Easter Rising Molly a trained First Aider, risks her own safety to help the wounded on both sides. As violence and looting erupts in the streets of Dublin alongside heroism and high ideals, Molly records it all - the Proclamation at the GPO, the battle of Mount Street, the arrival of the British Troops. Encouragingly the novel is outselling David Walliams children's books and the Wimpy Kid, which usually dominate the market. Murphy told IrishCentral It is a word of mouth bestseller up against the big majors, and has been helped by kids, parents and teachers taking to social media to recommend it. Its also selling well on Amazon, which suggests it is being picked up or overseas too. She continued The novel takes a humanitarian view of the Rising, focusing on a childs eye view. And as a mother myself, Im also very conscious of how we can help the second generation Irish of the diaspora understand our history. Heres an extract from The Easter Rising 1916 Mollys Diary: Easter Monday I bolted into the main entrance of the GPO and enquired after my father. One of the counter staff said he might have left with Mr Hamilton Norway who had an urgent meeting at the Castle. But another said he might still be in the Instrument Room, as there were a few problems with the wires. I joked with the clerk that some people have nothing better to do than buy stamps on a holiday. I was one of them! I quickly purchased a postcard and stamp for my mother and wrote a brief message saying how much I missed her. The clerk was ushering me towards the lift when the marchers from outside suddenly surged in. Everybody out! shouted a tall good-looking man. It was The Big Fella, Michael Collins. Several people looked with amusement, as if it was a joke or some kind of game. The woman in front of me, a large lady in a colourful hat, sighed in annoyance. Im sorry but my daughter is getting married in six weeks and these are the wedding invitations, she insisted. I am not leaving here without my stamps! She got the message when a rebel poked her gently in the backside with his pike. Then the clerk vaulted over the counter and ran for the door. That was like a signal. A sudden understanding swept through the room and it was bedlam! People rushed towards the main doors in a frenzy, coats flying, bodies bumping into each other. A British Lieutenant was held on the end of a pike as Michael Collins searched him. It was the officer who had earlier sneered at them. Stop this nonsense at once! I am Lieutenant Chalmers! he shouted. Collins looked at him coldly. Am I to be killed? said the officer. You are being held as a prisoner of war, said Collins. They tied him up with telephone cord and put him in the tall wooden telephone cabinet with the clock on top, the centerpiece of the new public area. I thought the soldier would die of fright! There was so much turmoil that some of the rebels were nearly pushed out the doors themselves. I got the impression that some of them didnt realize themselves what was going on. At first it was comical but then, as guns were brandished, fear gripped me like ice in my veins. I felt my legs glued to the floor by the counter. Smash the windows! The yell broke through my stupor. There was a hellish racket as axes, rifle-butts and hammers smashed into the beautiful big glass panes all around the building. Shards of glass flew up into the air like icicles. A woman outside shouted, Glory be to God! Would you look at them divils smashin all the lovely windows! Read more stories on the 1916 Easter Rising A court in Poland has refused to drop the case against two British teenagers allegedly caught in June taking objects from the site of the Nazi Auschwitz death camp and has referred it to a lower court. Initially, the teenagers from Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to charges of stealing items from the historic site while on a school trip. You can tell its a hare, not a rabbit because its ears are longer, says company co-founder Karen Keane, explaining that the company, which has exports in mind, has chosen to make an Irish hare rather than a generic bunny. The goose egg, she adds, goes perfectly with the company name, which was selected because migratory bean geese are found in Wexford during the winter. Set up two years ago, Bean & Goose specialises in making craft chocolate bars, truffles, and seasonal items using single origin chocolate and, sometimes unusual, mainly Irish ingredients to create innovative flavours. Like chefs, we pair sweet and savoury and have made truffles with rosemary, olive oil, and sourdough breadcrumb and also ones with orange, juniper and sage, says Ms Keane. The company now has 30 customers a mix of independent retailers, hotels, and cafes. It also supplies an online gift company and in recent weeks has shipped bars to a US coffee roastery. Currently employing three people, including Karen and her sister Natalie, who are joint founders, Bean & Goose is now making plans to employ another staff member, build a new larger facility and develop exports. The founders say they set out to do something different with chocolate. The idea sparked while Natalie was employed in a chocolate shop in Kinsale and Karen was working in human resources. They gave up their jobs and went to Kenmare where they learned how to temper chocolate from French chocolatier Benoit Lorge. Starting a small chocolate operation at Last Tree Farm in Ferns, they began selling their products on Saturday mornings at a market in Glasnevin. We set up a HSE certified kitchen where we use marble slabs for tempering the chocolate, says Karen. Identifying an opportunity to create something new and different in flavour, branding and creativity, the sisters tried out various combinations at the market and sought customer opinion on the results. In 2014, they asked a design company to produce a packaging for chocolate products which by then included a range of truffles and chocolate bars. By the end of 2014, Bean & Goose was selling to 10 outlets and was accepted for Foodworks, a Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland backed accelerator programme. This was hugely important. It allowed us to exhibit at the food market at Bloom and to secure feasibility funding from Enterprise Ireland, says Karen. This year, salary support from the Local Enterprise Office in Wexford allowed Bean & Goose to take on a full-time chocolatier. Our top performing bar is a dark chocolate from Ecuador, 70% paired with roasted spiced hazelnuts and Wexford honey, and our most popular truffle is Irish sea salt caramel, says Natalie. High-end products retail from 5.50 for an 80g bar. Other products include Winter Bar, a 500g sharing slab which retails from 28.50. Bean & Goose is planning a number of pop-up events over Easter, including two in Galway and two in Dublin. Recent successes for the firm include sending its first shipment to the US and receiving an order from Avoca. The next step for the Keane sisters is to build a new and larger chocolate-making facility at Last Tree Farm. The emergence of the sector, supported by growing consumer demand for niche products and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, has generated many new small food companies. Most are owner-managed, frequently have a farming basis, and produce diverse products, with high potential for innovation. Artisan food also has potential to attract visitors and tourists as evidenced at Bloom and many food festivals. One of those events is the Racing Home to Mallow Festival, which will be held in the Co Cork town over the Easter Weekend. It features three days of racing at Cork Racecourse, where fashion model Vogue Williams will judge the most stylish lady and gent on Easter Sunday and where the 1916 Rising will be commemorated the following day. But the festive events at the racecourse are also linked with the town itself where a wide range of activities will include an artisan food and craft fair at Mallow Castle, now owned by Cork County Council, on Easter Sunday (9am to 2pm), with nearly 70 stalls. It is fitting that the festival organisers headed by Mary Kelly, chairperson, should provide a shop window for speciality food producers. Mallow was after all a diverse food town during much of the last century, milk, sugar beet and vegetables were processed for domestic and global markets, employing hundreds of people in the manufacturing and service sectors. Sadly, the Sugar Factory and the Erin Foods plants, strong pillars of the towns industrial base, are long since closed but dairy manufacturing continues and is poised for long term growth. Dairygold, a farmer owned co-op, created through the merger of two existing societies, Ballyclough (formed in 1908) and Mitchelstown (formed in 1919), is maintaining that tradition of quality dairy food production. The co-ops regenerated site in Mallow has a history of milk processing dating back to 1928. It was home at one stage to three separate food businesses, all of them adding value to the dairy product being produced on-site by Ballyclough Co-op. These businesses, long since closed, were the Rowntree Mackintosh chocolate crumb factory, which later became part of Nestle, Bordens and Cow and Gate. Today, the skills of producing quality food products is being maintained not just by Dairygold with its modern technology and global reach, but also by many artisan and speciality businesses that have been developed in the region. Nationally, the artisan sector includes over 50 farmhouse cheese-makers producing more than 150 types of product valued at over 12 million per annum at farm gate level. However, Holland, the size of Munster, has over 100 cheese producers while New Zealand has more than 2,000 speciality food producers. It would, thus, seem the market is far from saturated. Following the abolition of milk quotas, farmhouse and speciality cheese output could increase to just over 4,500 tonnes per annum worth around 33 million without requiring significant additional capital expenditure. Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Simon Coveney said recently the overall growth prospects for the sector are positive. These are driven by increased consumer interest in the provenance of food, environmental concerns, health and a desire to support the local economy Indeed, the growth of farmers markets here has also been quite extraordinary. They have developed from fewer than 100 in 2006 to almost 150 at present. They have a turnover in excess of 10 million a year and they also reflect the diversity of products, changing lifestyles and agricultural environment. Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter says these markets are a source of entrepreneurship, social exchange, local character and diverse foods, while also providing valuable income to producers. They are an extremely important route to market for Irish food producers, particularly those at start-up stage. Markets allow for invaluable direct contact with consumers to trial and validate new products and our research found that 80% of traders considered them to be their key sales channel, he said. Bord Bia research shows that Irish consumers place great importance on sourcing food locally, with seven in ten adults reflecting this desire when shopping. There is also an increasing sophistication among Irish consumers, who are more discerning, knowledgeable and confident about the quality and provenance of locally produced food. Consumers say they wish to sustain their local community. Markets such as the Easter Sunday event in Mallow is an example of how they can do so. Research also reveals that some 82% of consumers are now keenly aware of the term food miles and the impact that has on the food they purchase. In an introduction to the latest Bord Bia Guide to Food Markets, Mr Cotter notes that they provide a unique forum for suppliers to interact directly with their customers. In doing so, they are in a position to provide assurances on provenance, traceability and sustainability that are extremely attractive to consumers. Bord Bia recognises the value food markets can play as a route to market for many dedicated and committed Irish food producers. They are important to those for whom smaller-scale artisan food production is a passion and those who recognise in food markets a testing ground for ideas that may ultimately be scaled up. They are sources of entrepreneurship and social exchange, and they are funds in which local traditions and diversity can be replenished and renewed. Notably, too, they provide valuable income for producers and keep wealth circulating in local economies, he says. The food fair at Mallow Castle next Sunday will reflect those realities. According to organiser Sarah McMahon, it will be a truly artisan event and a feast for the senses. Prizes will also be awarded for the top young beef, sheep, dairy, tillage as well as other (pigs, poultry, horticulture) category farmers. Entrants will compete against other farmers in their enterprise category and be in the running for the overall award. The closing date for entries is April 8. The competition is being organised by Macra na Feirme and the Irish Farmers Association with the help of the current title holder, Jonathan Marry, a Co Louth pig farmer. Competition entrants will be judged according to a number of criteria including farm-business initiative and innovation, levels of farm efficiency, and enterprise quality. Farm safety and environmental protection awareness, as well as agricultural knowledge and community involvement will be also taken into account. Macra president Sean Finan said that the competition will provide young farmers with an experience and learning opportunity, while they will also identify ways to further develop their business. FBD head of farm and business, Christy Doherty, said that this is an exciting time for young farmers in Ireland as they strive to meet the increasing global demand for produce. We expect to see the proof of this growth and development reflected in what will hopefully be a record number of excellent applicants, he said. IFA chairman Jer Bergin said there is a reservoir of young farming talent in Ireland, which must be nurtured into the industry. For the future of Irish farming, a viable income will be extremely important to attract the calibre required to drive the sector forward, said Mr Bergin. The next government will have to address this issue. My message to young farmers out there is to participate. Being involved has never been more important, he said. In a robust contribution to the UK debate ahead of its referendum in 13 weeks time, the business group says there are no rosy outcomes if Britain were to vote for a so-called Brexit on June 23. Even the most favourable scenario under which the UK strikes a new free trade agreement with the remaining EU bloc within five years of the vote to exit would cost its economy 55 billion (70.5bn). A less favourable outcome by which long drawn-out talks take place under World Trade Organisation rules would cost its economy even more, 100bn. The CBIs figures are based on a 79-page report by accountants PwC, which deals with the hot issues of trade, employment, and migration. The report makes few references to the Republic. It argues however that the windfall for Britain striking bilateral deals after leaving the bloc may be illusory because its trade with the Far East and Latin American economies remain relatively low. Although much discussion has centred on the importance of emerging markets as UK export markets, they are not yet that significant, according to the report. We still export more to Ireland, for example, than to China and Hong Kong combined. In the future, we expect this to change, but it would be a slow process, as this would require structural adjustments to reorient exports towards emerging markets, it said. It also cited historical research showing EU membership delivers big US foreign direct investment in the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Sweden. The CBI said increased economic and political uncertainty following a Brexit vote would be significant and any talks could drag on for more than two years before its new relationship with the EU is agreed. It expects increased financial market and exchange rate volatility, higher risk premia in credit and equity markets, and possible consequential impacts on business confidence and investment. A process for leaving is set out in Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, but its worth saying that Article 50 has never been triggered. "By choosing this path the UK would be taking unprecedented action, said CBI director of economics Rain Newton-Smith. We know that the European Commission would draw up an exit agreement. This would then be agreed by qualified majority in the European Parliament and Council, before being offered to the UK. "The UK cant participate in the discussions about its withdrawal at the Council and it cant vote on it in the Parliament, she said. In trading terms as well, the EU would hold the balance of power. Some see the fact that we import more from the EU than we export to it as proof that they need us more than we need them, Ms Newton-Smith said. But this ignores the fact that 45% of the UKs exports go to the EU, its our biggest export market by far compared to just 7% of total EU exports which come here, she said. So while it may be in both sides interest t o complete a trade deal, the balance of power would be far from equal, she added. In case my teenagers are reading this, a single was a vinyl disc, seven inches in diameter which held two songs, one on the front and one on the back. We thought it was smart to buy them mail-order because the prices were marginally cheaper and as boarders we didnt get out to the shops much. The process was easy, sort of. All you had to do was tear out a form at the back of a comic, fill in your name and address in block capitals, tick the names of the singles you wanted, calculate the post and packing, buy a postal order for said amount, and put the whole thing in the post. Then you had to wait three weeks for delivery. This is where the problem arose. The package of records arrived at the school, but there was Customs due on it. We hadnt read, or more likely hadnt understood, the small print. The school head was a practical man and paid the Customs fine but wouldnt let us have the records until we had paid him. These days the web page has largely replaced the magazine clipping, and the credit card has certainly replaced the postal order but the fundamental business transactions remain the same. For tax purposes, buying something online should have exactly the same consequences when it comes to Vat or any other taxes, as if you had walked up to the counter with the item in your hand. There is an ongoing international debate on the taxation of the digital economy. Several issues create problems. Theres the international aspect. Many purchases and sales are made across borders. Then there can be difficulties because of the types of items being bought. Goods and services bought online are sometimes intangible. Its one thing to buy an item of clothing and have it delivered to your door, but what tax should be charged on a digital download that goes straight to your media player or a digital book that goes straight to your handheld reader? As the volume of internet commerce grows, these arent trivial questions. Countries are concerned that they are losing tax revenues to other territories, or worse still, that tax revenues are disappearing altogether. Last week the UK government published an independent review of its own economic data. The author, a professor in the London School of Economics, suggested that if the digital economy was fully captured by official statistics, it could add between one-third and two-thirds of a percent to the growth rate of the UK economy. That mightnt sound much, but governments need to know their GDP figures accurately to budget for tax and spending. In an economy the size of the UK, these differences add up in the billions of pounds. In the early days of the internet there were all kinds of weird and wonderful suggestions made. One of these was a bit tax where there would be some kind of levy imposed on the volume of materials downloaded. There was also a notion that the information which companies gathered online from customers had a particular value which of course it has and that there should be a tax charged on some notional estimate of what the information was worth. So, for example, if a UK company had 10,000 customers in France each of whom had supplied details of their addresses and preferences, the French government should receive some tax from the UK company because of all the work their citizens had done providing this information. Last year, the EU introduced new rules for charging Vat where EU-based businesses are providing online services to customers. These new rules help ensure that if an Irish customer buys an online service from a company in Luxembourg, Irish Vat at 23% is paid rather than Luxembourgs Vat rate of 18%. Vat is only one part of the taxes a consumer pays when shopping online. If youre buying from a country outside the EU, there could also be Customs duty payable on higher value items. In addition, Excise Duty is always charged on products like alcohol and tobacco. A search for Ordering Goods for Personal Use on the Revenue Commissioners website will give you chapter and verse on the extra tax costs which might apply to your online shopping experience. Whatever you buy online might be cheaper because of the efficiencies in the way your order is processed and delivered. Its unlikely to be cheaper because theres less tax to be paid. Brian Keegan is director of taxation at Chartered Accountants Ireland As far as the operation of the flight, the airport was open, it was good enough to operate, and it was good enough to land, as per the authorities, Ghaith al Ghaith, chief executive of the Middle Eastern carrier, told reporters at a press conference in Dubai. Ultimately, the pilot makes the final decision to land based on the best information available and in co-ordination with the authorities, said Mr Ghaith. All FlyDubai aircraft operate with enough fuel to circle in the air or divert to another airport, he said, without specifying how much. FlyDubai, owned by the government of Dubai, is one of two no-frills airlines in the United Arab Emirates. It began operations in 2009 and has an all-Boeing fleet of 50 aircraft with a network of about 90 destinations. Investigators began work by examining the two black boxes recovered after the jet broke apart while trying to land in gusty winds in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday, killing all 62 people on board. Flight FZ981, a Boeing 737-800 with 55 passengers and seven crew, was making a repeat landing attempt in poor weather when it crashed and burst into flames. At about the same time, flights operated by Aeroflot, Czech Airlines, and Turkish Airlines were due to land in Rostov-on-Don but opted to re-route, according to information from independent tracking service Flightradar24.com. Aeroflot made three attempts to land but both the Russian carrier and Czech Airlines diverted to Krasnodar, about 275km away, while Turkish Airlines returned to Istanbul. In this incident or any event, a pilot makes the decision to operate and man the flight on the best information that we have and its their call in co-ordination with the authorities, in this case its the tower that hes communicating with, or any authority he was communicating with, said Mr Ghaith. In Moscow, Russian, French, and UAE experts who had access to the black boxes devices planned to finish preliminary work to assess the quality of the recoverable flight data by last night. Reports are expected within a month. Dairy and beef semen supplier Dove Genetics, Teagasc, and Irish NGO Vita are supporting a cattle improvement programme, sponsoring the supply of AI straws to the National AI Centre in Eritrea. Some 2,000 AI straws from bulls on Dovea Genetics international catalogue were sent to the East African state last year and these are now being used as part of a crossbreeding programme with plans to send out more AI straws. Eritrea will cross the local breeds with breeds favoured in Ireland. The aim is to produce an animal adapted to suit available forage rather than animals dependent on costly concentrates. I am convinced that the sires available at Dovea Genetics are suitable for the Eritrean environment, said Conor Ryan, Dovea Genetics export manager. The bulls are selected for forage-based production. The cost of concentrates is very high and supply is unreliable in Eritrea. "Livestock production is most resilient in an integrated crop/livestock system where forages are the main feed sources available. This latest initiative follows on from a visit to Eritrea last year by a senior Irish delegation of agricultural specialists led by Vita, Teagasc, and Grote-SHA. The focus of the visit was to build on the partnership between these agencies and the Eritrean government. James OLoughlin, Teagasc Moorepark, said: In the dairy pilot project in Eritrea, we are recommending a breeding programme based on cross breeding. "The local Barka breed is crossed with Friesian or Jersey. The feed resource available is not able to support the nutrient requirement of animals bred for high milk output. Another key component of the dairy project supported by Teagasc and Vita is in relation to capacity building of research and extension staff and farmers. Vita has 27 years experience of working in East Africa; its vision is to forge long-term international partnerships which empower rural communities to sustain their livelihoods. James OLoughlin and his colleagues Pat Boyle and Seamus Crosse visit Eritrea regularly to work with research and extension staff on the key technologies associated with forage based milk projection systems. I am optimistic about the Irish partnership with the Eritrean government I feel that working together will have great impact on Eritrean farm families, said Prof Gerry Boyle, director of Teagasc. The Irish agriculture experience is rich in lessons learnt and successes won, and has evolved to meet so many challenges. Teagasc has considerable experience in cattle breeding and has worked closely with industry in developing Economic Breeding Indices (EBI) for traits of importance. "This knowledge has direct relevance in Eritrea and can help the animal breeding team as they develop breeding schemes appropriate to the Eritrean environment. Tell us what youre working on? Im principal investigator at the Nanoscience Institute, CRANN and the Material Science Centre at AMBER. So what I do is related to use of 2-D nanomaterials, the thinnest materials known to man, for high energy storage devices. We basically take very exotic and novel materials that are very attractive for the creation of new types of batteries and begin to create them. The 2.5m that we just received from the European Research Council will go to taking these materials a step forward. We will look to develop this in order for them to 3-D printed into any device. The idea would be that in five years time we would be able to use our software with a 3-D printer and design a full phone with the battery already made into the phone, no separate parts needed. It will customisable and can be done in less than half an hour. However, there are other applications for this, including the ability to do this with devices in the biomedical field and devices which can go inside the body. Weve been working on this for some time now. Within that time we learned how to manipulate and process them down to the nano-scale. This allowed us to discover which materials had their pros and cons. We can now create free- standing transparent batteries because we learned how to develop them and how best exploit the benefits of the materials. This has a lot of variables in terms of how it gets used? Oh absolutely, yes. The range of materials that can be used to create the devices has also grown massively, as well. So much so that we can now pick and choose the types of materials which best suit our needs. The materials can be found in a phone or changed to better suit something which may end up inside a person. Batteries are not all the same. It depends on the use of them and the amount of energy needed to keep a device going. When we talk about thin materials, most people might think about graphene. The family that we use for printing is very similar to graphene in that it is just one atom thick. That family has about 500 different possible traits. Some parts are better for conducting electricity, while others are better suited to the storage of energy. What happens in the next two or three years with your research and designs? Well be purchasing a very sophisticated 3-D printer. The idea is that within five years we should be able to 3-D print the battery and the device together no need for a physical assembly. It is time to dredge up that old quote from a former British prime minister Harold Wilson: A week is a long time in politics. Last Monday, the UK chancellor George Osborne was applying the final touches to his latest budget, his eighth. Not bad for a man of 44 years of age, he must have been thinking. By the end of the week, we had a resignation from the cabinet of the welfare secretary and former party leader, Iain Duncan Smith. Many commentators suggested that Mr Osborne was mortally wounded politically following what amounted to a full frontal attack by a prominent colleague. The Daily Mail was reporting that the countrys prime minister had directed some earthy language at Duncan Smith during a testy resignation phone call. The Tories were back at war with each other, echoes of the 1990s, all over again. Could the fortunes of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have just taken a dramatic turn for the better? Last Monday, the man in charge of the finances of our larger neighbour would have had plenty on his mind, of course. Britains public finances remain in a fragile position. Then there is the looming referendum and the threat of a British exit from the EU. Fears about Brexit have been causing businesses to put investment and hiring plans on hold not good for a man trying to balance the books. There would be bad news to break. Cuts in supports to the disabled and an extra year of austerity-driven cuts, to name just two. But goodies would be on offer to the business community cuts in taxes aimed at boosting entrepreneurial activity and overseas investment. There would also be a tax on sugary drinks that would capture most of the headlines. On Wednesday, the chancellor would have given our own IDA food for thought with his announcement of a cut to 17% in corporation tax. No doubt about it. The UK is eying some of our foreign investment pie. With the likes of Google ramping up their London operations and committing to pay a greater share in taxes to the UK Treasury, the Irish Government, caretaker or coalition, has reason to look nervously over its shoulder. Mr Osborne has remained an admirer of Irelands strategy for attracting foreign direct investment. This country now attracts more US investment than any other European country bar the Netherlands. Ireland is only famous for its accommodating tax system. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. The Government, here, must be concerned at the growing gap in the tax treatment of the higher paid, skilled workers, particularly single people between Ireland and the UK. Over there, the higher 40% rate of tax only becomes payable from next April on that portion of salary in excess of 45,000. Mr Osborne has been steadily raising the salary level at which the top rate kicks in, in part, because he seeks to appeal to his own voters, in part because he recognises that Britains ability to soak up skills has helped transform London into, arguably, a leading global city. This time round, he also moved to cut the main capital gains tax rate from 28% to 20% as part of a strategy to woo entrepreneurs. The rate is due to drop to 18% by 2020 under his plan. Attract in the job creators and you create the jobs. He also moved to boost the commercial rates threshold as part of an effort to assist smaller firms. Ireland, saddled with legacy debts, is left panting in this race for talent. Outgoing Finance Minister Michael Noonan did throw some support the way of higher earners. The rate of universal charge has been cut and the threshold above which the higher effective tax rate applies has been raised. The marginal rate has been reduced to a maximum of 49.5% in the case of incomes under 70,000 or so. Factor in our soaring housing costs and you begin to realise why so many of our younger skilled workers might be making travel plans. What is clear is that Mr Osborne has not made life easier for our policy makers, but his centre-right strategy has bred its own set of problems in Westminster, leading to a prospect of a revolt among some younger Tory backbenchers. Thats the group which helped to kill off plans last year to cut benefit payments to the lower paid. Mr Osborne has been, in many ways, a skilled operator. His freeing up of the pensions market and unexpected launch of the living wage, effectively a large hike in the minimum wage, disarmed many critics. His promotion of an investment strategy aimed at boosting the North of England is not before time, coming from a politician with a parliamentary seat close to Manchester. But he also attracted due criticism for continuing with freebies such as free transport and fuel allowances for wealthy elderly people, Tory supporters, many of them, while imposing welfare cuts on the vulnerable young and on those reliant on rent support. On Friday, Duncan Smith tendered his resignation, flashing his blade in the darkened corridors of power. Some claim that his real mission was to up end the prime ministers Remain in the EU plank in the June referendum. If he succeeds in this aim, then Britain is on its way out of the EU and the Tory party is headed for a period of internal civil war. The Tories leave the Labour people in the shade when it comes to infighting and back stabbing. The knives really are out this time, in this latest real life episode of House of Cards. The outcome is of more than passing significance for those of us, on this side of the Irish Sea. Or that if present-day residents of the West Cork town went back in time 70 years, all the street names would be different? Streets in the historic town, formerly a Protestant stronghold dating from the 1580s, were renamed in the decades following the War of Independence. Protestant street names, some hundreds of years old, were effectively written out of history, according to author and schoolteacher Kieran Doyle, who has just published a book on Bandon. The street known to generations of Bandon residents as Connolly St began life as Boyle St, named after Lord Richard Boyle, one of the towns more colourful founders. The town was born a Protestant town and received its charter in 1613, says Mr Doyle, who explains that Boyle, also the first earl of Cork, was enormously proud of the town walls, built in the 1620s, and often boasted about their strength. While the walls were a protective measure, they also emphasised an explicit demarcation between the local Catholic and Protestant communities. There was a strong demarcation between the two cultures. The Protestants were within the wall and the Catholics were outside it, explains Mr Doyle. Not far from Boyle St, Devonshire St, also originally named for a wealthy aristocratic Protestant landlord, was later renamed Allen Square, after William Philip Allen, a nationalist, a Fenian and one of the Manchester Martyrs. Whats now known as St Patricks Place was formerly Cavendish Quay, while MacSwiney Quay used to be Burlington Quay. Bandon was founded by Protestants in the 1580s after the area was taken over by English planters. The town was characterised by a Protestant culture and ethics and in 1834 Bandon had more Orange lodges than Cork City, which boasted just six. Mr Doyle, who teaches English and local history in Clonakilty Community College, warned that while we are commemorating Irish pride and culture in 2016, we forget the cultures that existed in towns like Bandon before the 1900s. After the War of Independence there was a whiting-out of other cultures which meant that anything that was not Catholic or nationalist was effectively written out of history, he added, citing the across-the-board changing of street names which took place during the 1940s as an example of this. Mr Doyles book, which took three years to research and write, examines 400 years of Bandons history. Behind the Wall: The Rose and Fall of Protestant Power and Culture in Bandon, by Kieran Doyle, is priced at 12, and is published by Inspire. Detectives arrested a fourth man on Saturday under special organised crime legislation, which allows for up to seven days questioning on foot of applications to the courts. One man has been released, but two others arrested last week remain in custody under the legislation. One of the suspects is thought to have been directly involved in the shooting. Mr Ryan, a father of a newborn girl, was shot as he sat in his car on McKee Rd in Finglas, north Dublin, just after he left his girlfriend and their daughter off. Gardai suspect the 29-year-old was shot on the orders of two major Dublin criminals, who were also behind the murder of Ryans brother, Alan, in September 2012. Alan Ryan was the then leader of the Real IRA in Dublin and had been engaged in feuds with a number of serious criminal gangs in Dublin, from whom he was extorting payments from their drug dealing. Two crime bosses, both from north Dublin, conspired to murder him, gardai believe. Since Vincent Ryans murder on February 29, detectives have been making significant progress in their investigation. Three of the four arrested have been detained in relation to the murder, while a fourth was held for withholding information in relation to it. At least one of those arrested last week is suspected of playing a leading role. One of them is a 34-year-old armed robber, who has been associated with major criminal gangs from the Finglas and Cabra areas, including gangland boss Eamonn Dunne, who was murdered in April 2010. The suspect has in the region of 100 criminal convictions and has served lengthy sentences. In applications to the court to extend his detention period, senior gardai said they suspected he was in the attackers car when the shooting happened. Gardai said they seized a number of items in the mans house when they arrested him, including a GPS tracking device, four mobile phones, walkie-talkies, and two computer tablets. The fourth man arrested on Saturday was picked up in the west Dublin area. He is also being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007. This allows for up to seven days in custody for questioning. Gardai continue to appeal to people who may have information in relation to the murder to contact them. In one of the most significant archaeological discoveries here in decades, radiocarbon dating of a butchered brown bears knee bone found in a cave in Clare over a century ago has pushed the date of the first human occupation of Ireland back to the Palaeolithic period some 12,500 years ago. The remarkable discovery by Marion Dowd, an archaeologist at IT Sligo and a specialist in Irish cave archaeology, and Ruth Carden, a research associate with the National Museum of Ireland, is set to rewrite Irish pre-history and the story of human colonisation of the island. Since the 1970s, the oldest evidence of human occupation here has been the hunter-gatherer settlement of Mount Sandel on the banks of the River Bann in Derry, dated to 8,000BC in the Mesolithic period. The parents, who now live in Britain, suffered minor wounds, while their children escaped injury. The father, named by friends as Algerian-born Mohammed Ameen Bachik, and his wife, originally from Latvia, are both naturalised Irish citizens. Their three children, two boys, aged seven and six, and a girl, aged two, were all born here and are Irish citizens. Friend and former work colleague Hussein Awada said Mr Bachik had flown back to Birmingham on Saturday night. Hes okay, said Mr Awada. He has wounds in his leg. The good news is hes safe and his family is safe. Mr Bachik, aged in his 30s, worked with Mr Awada in the Rotana Cafe in Dublins Portobello for a number of years. He was working here for a while as a driver and, before that, a waiter, said Mr Awada. He said that while Mr Bachik was originally from Algeria, he had lived in Ireland for around 12 to 13 years and had taken Irish citizenship. His wife is thought to be from Lithuania or Latvia. The Department of Foreign Affairs separately confirmed that two people injured in the explosion were Irish citizens. Mr Awada said that the couples three children were born here and are Irish citizens. They had lived in Lucan and it is understood that the affordability of renting had influenced the familys move to Birmingham about a year ago. Mr Awada thought the family may have gone out to Istanbul for a holiday over the Easter school break. Four people three Israeli, two of whom had dual Israel-American nationality, and an Iranian were killed, in addition to the bomber, in the Saturday morning attack. Video footage shows the suicide bomber waving to someone out of sight on Istiklal St, a pedestrianised shopping artery, before turning and walking casually across the road towards a shop. Other people pass in front of the bomber or are walking behind him when there is a sudden explosion. In addition to the fatalities, there were 11 Israelis injured, along with two Irish citizens and one national each from Germany, Iceland, Dubai, and Iran. Turkeys interior minister yesterday blamed IS for the outrage and identified the suicide bomber as Mehmet Ozturk. We have determined that Mehmet Ozturk, born in 1992 in Gaziantep, has carried out the heinous attack on Saturday in Istanbul, said minister Ekfan Ala. It has been established that he is a member of Daesh, referring to the Arabic acronym for IS. The identification was based on DNA tests using a blood sample from a relative, state news agency Anadolu reported. Mr Ala said five people had been detained in connection with the attack. IS targeted Istanbul last January in a suicide attack at a historic tourist area, which killed 12 Germans. Last October, more than 100 died at a railway station in the capital Ankara in a twin bombing by IS. Last Sunday, 37 people were killed in a bomb attack at an Ankara bus station claimed by a breakaway Kurdish militant group. The Department of Foreign Affairs has warned Irish travellers to exercise caution in Turkey, saying the terror threat remains high. It has also expressed warnings in relation to popular destinations in the EU, such as France, Belgium, and Britain. The EU police agency, Europol, has warned that Europe was currently facing the most significant terrorist threat in over 10 years. Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said on Saturday that he was deeply saddened by [the] horrific bomb attack in central Istanbul. Irelands ambassador to Turkey, Brendan Ward, later said the two Irish citizens were expected to be discharged on Saturday and to fly out that night. The parents were slightly injured, he said. They suffered some cuts and bruises and were taken to hospital. In a revealing interview with the Irish Examiner, Ms Lynch said that, during the budget negotiations, the 35m was removed from the budget entirely. This was the figure the Government committed to ringfencing annually for mental health in its Programme for Government 2011-2016. Ms Lynch also revealed that she will throw her hat in the ring again in the event of a general election being called in the next 12 months, having lost her seat in last months poll. And she said it is probably time for Joan Burton to step down as Labour Party leader, with Brendan Howlin her preferred replacement, not Alan Kelly. She also predicted that Frances Fitzgerald will be the next leader of Fine Gael and that another election will be called shortly. However, she said she had no idea why Mairia Cahill was chosen as Labours candidate for the Seanad by-election, which she won last November. Ms Lynch said the decision to pull the plug on mental health funding was made by Finance Minister Michael Noonan, Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin, and Health Minister Leo Varadkar. There were three involved, said Ms Lynch. The minister for health, the minister for public reform, and the the minister for finance. The Budget was Tuesday morning and I refused to go to Dublin. There was a lot of phonecalls, they didnt believe me until someone said: Where are you exactly? I said: Im at home, its a beautiful day. And it was. They [department officials] said: Why arent you in Dublin? I said theres no need to be in Dublin. What would I be doing in Dublin? By 2pm, they capitulated. She left Cork for Dublin an hour later and arrived at 5.35pm, with just 25 minutes to go to the Department of Health press conference. When I walked in someone said: What were you going to do? And I said: Well its very difficult to negotiate with someone who doesnt want anything for themselves. The only thing I wanted was a budget for mental health. It wasnt as if they could offer me something else that would be beneficial, I wasnt interested. Asked by the Irish Examiner where the Government found the 35m for mental health funding at the last minute, Ms Lynch said: Sure they find money everywhere. Every government finds money. Asked if the figure had been plucked from the air, Ms Lynch said: No, it all has to add up at the end of the day. The figures have to add up at the end of the day, take my word for it. Ms Lynch said it was the closest she came to resigning during her time as minister. She said Taoiseach Enda Kenny was aware of her threat and told her that evening: Youll be getting your money, to which Ms Lynch said she replied: I never had any doubt. Asked how she had breezed her way through the press conference, she said: Thats whats called being a politician. At the press conference, no details were given in relation to the mental health spend other than Ms Lynch saying that the annual 35m committed to in the Programme for Government would be delivered. In 2013, amid reports Ms Lynch threatened to resign on foot of cuts to the mental health budget, she said at the time: I never would, and thats not what I do. The victim was named locally as Rod Sweetnam, 73, from Castlemartyr, near Mildleton in East Cork He was pronounced dead at the scene after the cab of the truck he was driving separated from the vehicle after it struck up to four cars travelling in the opposite direction on the N20, about 400m south of Mallow town centre at lunchtime yesterday. The occupants of three of the cars, three males and three females, aged in their mid teens to late 60s and a passenger in the lorry, a man in his late 20s, were taken to Cork University Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. The two occupants of the fourth car involved were uninjured. However, emergency services said it was a miracle that there were not further casualties given the scale of the crash, and given that competitors in a 10km road race were due to be running through the accident site a short time later. The truck was travelling from Mallow towards Cork city when the accident happened shortly after 12.30pm. Gardai were last night still trying to establish what caused the accident but they confirmed that the truck jack-knifed and careered onto the opposite side of the road, striking up to four cars travelling towards Mallow. One of the cars was pulling a horse box and the truck clipped the side of the car, before striking the horse box almost head on. The horse was catapulted on to the road and died instantly. The truck then crashed into the ditch on the other side of the road, where its cab separating from the main vehicle. Gardai and emergency services responded immediately. Paramedics worked to save the driver and the Air Corpss 112 aeromedical helicopter landed close by on standby to airlift him to hospital. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Seven people in the other vehicles were taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital, where their injuries were described as non-life threatening. Meanwhile, gardai are also investigating a fatal road traffic collision on the R154, Trim Road, Warrenstown, Co Meath shortly before 4.30pm yesterday. A man in his early 30s suffered fatal injuries when his motorcycle collided with a car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has been taken to Our Ladys Hospital, Navan. Relatives were left stunned when a number of headstones at St Pauls Churchyard in Ray, Falcarragh, Co Donegal, were damaged in the early hours of Saturday. An investigation was launched into the incident and gardai arrested a number of young men who are expected to appear before a future sitting of the courts. But instead of condemning the culprits, churchgoers at St Pauls chose to pray for forgiveness for the culprits at their services yesterday morning. A statement issued on behalf of the Church of Ireland parish said the act had brought the community closer together. The rector and parishioners of St Pauls are thankful for the overwhelming support from the local community following vandalism in our churchyard, it read. This was an isolated and random incident, the root of which we are told was drug related. While it is very upsetting, especially for the families affected, we forgive those who caused the damage. Gods love knows no bounds and with hearts filled with love we prayed for them at our Service this morning and we keep them in our prayers, that whatever is amiss in their lives may be healed. Community worker John Curran said it was a shame this incident happened in a week full of community celebrations for Proclamation Day and St Patricks Day. Its great to see that people can reach out and have this forgiveness. It is telling of these people and their character that they can reach out and do that. Its very telling of the strong spirit of community in the Falcarragh area. We all have loved ones resting in graveyards and its awful to think that they wouldnt be left in peace. It follows a dispute between the DAA and Siptu over the DAAs right to use 12-month contracts to hire new recruits. Siptu representatives argued workers recently hired as airport police should be recruited on contracts of indefinite duration as opposed to 12-month temporary assignment or fixed-term contracts and that the DAA had deviated from previous recruitment practice. The union claimed the DAA was in breach of a 2003 collective agreement which envisaged airport police would have staffing levels of 80 personnel and which would grow in line with passenger traffic at the airport. It pointed out that passenger numbers have increased in the past four years and were expected to increase in future years. However, the DAA said it operated recruitment in accordance with the companys policy, procedures, and relative agreements. It maintained there was nothing in the 2003 agreement which stipulated what kind of contract should be offered to new recruits. The staffing levels referred to in that agreement were at a point in time and are not relevant now, the DAA said. At this point, there is a requirement and business need to recruit staff on a 12-month contract basis to allow a full review of resources. The DAA called for the appointment of a mediator. The Labour Court recommended that both sides engage in a collaborative consultative process on the future of policing services at the airport to be overseen by a mutually agreed facilitator and completed within six weeks. At that stage, the recruits should have their employment status confirmed to provide them with certainty, the court said. Despite a hung Dail looming for some weeks, parties and non-aligned TDs have submitted various motions for debate on matters such as the health services, Irelands neutrality, the right of women to abortion, the housing crisis, and water charges, some of which are expected to be raised tomorrow when TDs return for a one-day sitting. Following the notice of eviction given to 200 residents in Tyrrelstown, Dublin, some Independent TDs want to highlight the lack of security for tenants and renters. TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly want tenancy laws amended so tenants cannot be evicted where loans on their properties are traded by investors, banks, or vulture funds. A sale of a property should no longer constitute the ending of a tenancy, say TDs. A full national review of investment funds, vulture funds, and real estate investment trusts that have bought loans from banks or Nama is also needed, it is warned. This is to prevent any harm coming to tenants, homeowners, or businesses which might be linked to the swapping of those loans, say the TDs. The motion, also signed by newly elected Galway West TD Catherine Connolly, as well as returned TDs Joan Collins, Thomas Pringle, and Tommy Broughan, seeks to have Namas legislation amended so that it takes cognisance of social issues in its activities. TDs Joan Collins The group, in its submission, claims that Nama, IBRC, Irish Nationwide, Ulster Bank, KBC, and Bank of Scotland Ireland and others have sold tens of billions of euro worth of property loans to so-called vulture funds. They warn that this means that potentially tens of thousands of residents in Ireland could find themselves in the same situation as tenants in Tyrrelstown in the near future. The same group of TDs also wants the new Government to enshrine neutrality in Irelands constitution and ban the US military using Shannon airport. The group notes that more than 55,000 US troops passed through Shannon on the way to theatres of war in 2014. The groups Dail motion notes that no State authorities currently inspect these planes for weapons. Separately, the same group of TDs has tabled a motion for the new Dail calling for an immediate referendum on liberalising the abortion laws by repealing the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. Addressing the housing crisis, the group has also tabled a motion calling on the new government to borrow 8bn to fund a five-year social housing programme. Elsewhere, Fianna Fail has tabled a motion for debate relating to housing. Micheal Martins party criticises the freezing of rent supplement levels and the failure to build new housing units on the ground. The party notes that 769 families are currently in emergency accommodation, including some 1,570 children. Fianna Fail also wants the state of the health services debated, including the increase in hospital waiting lists over the last two years as well as the difficulties experienced by hospital emergency departments. Sinn Fein also wants a debate about scrapping water charges. It is expected to raise the issue tomorrow. And with an increased focus by IS on popular tourism areas from beaches to music venues to shopping districts the threat is likely to mount. The suicide bombing in Istanbul on Saturday came just six days after another bombing in the capital, Ankara, and a day after the dramatic arrest of Paris terror attack suspect Salah Abdeslam in Brussels. The explosion on Istanbuls main shopping street left four people dead three Israeli (two dual Israeli-American) and one Iranian and 36 people injured. The injured included two Irish citizens, who suffered minor wounds. Yesterday, Turkeys interior minister identified the suicide bomber as Turkish national Mehmet Ozturk, who they established was a member of Daesh, the Arabic acronym for IS. This attack followed last Sundays more deadly explosion at a bus stop in Ankara, which claimed 37 lives. That bombing was claimed by a breakaway Kurdish militant group. The IS attack on Istanbul on Saturday comes after last Januarys suicide bombing by IS in a historic tourist district in the city, killing 12 German visitors. The attacks in Turkey highlight the danger to tourists, including Irish visitors, and those working in high-risk destinations. It follows the multiple IS attacks in Paris last November, in which Irish couple Katie Healy and David Nolan survived the assault on the Bataclan music venue. Some 89 people were murdered in that atrocity, in which Mr Nolan received a serious injury to his foot. Last June, Laurence and Martina Hayes, along with Lorna Carty, were murdered on the beaches of Tunisia. IS-inspired Seifeddine Rezgui took to Marhaba beach, in Sousse, armed with an assault rifle and grenades and killed 38 people. The Department of Foreign Affairs has issued warnings for a number of key holiday spots in Europe. In Turkey, the department said the terror threat remains high and anyone planning to travel there should exercise caution. It said vigilance was required in areas popular with tourists, including Taksim Square in Istanbul and locations close to police stations which may be targets for terrorist attacks. The department said that anyone planning to go to France should exercise extreme caution. It said a national state of emergency was declared after the multiple attacks in Paris. The department said that the Belgian authorities state that a level 3 terrorist alert continues for the whole country and that people should exercise increased vigilance, especially in places with a high concentration of people. The department said the threat in Spain was considered to be high, adding: While there is a risk of indiscriminate attacks, targets could include areas frequented by tourists. It said the Spanish government increased the terror threat level from three (medium) to four (high), out of a five-point scale. The department said the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks also applies to Germany and attacks could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by tourists and expatriates. In Britain, the department said the terror threat had been raised from substantial to severe, the second- highest alert level. The department said this suggests that an attack is highly likely and that such indiscriminate attacks could be against civilian targets. CELEBRATING their 25th anniversary this year, Sligos wonderful Blue Raincoat Theatre arent pausing to blow out any birthday candles. Always a busy mob, theyve lined up a hectic schedule for 2016. One of the major parts of this busy year is a new show, Shackleton, which opens in the companys own theatre, the Factory, next week. The latest in a strand of productions that have seen Blue Raincoat re-imagine the stories of adventurers Donald Crowhurst, Yuri Gagarin, and Amelia Earhart, Shackleton centres on the famous events from the Endurance expedition of 1914-17. Edward Shackleton and a small band of men from his crew, among them Irishmen Tom Crean and Tim McCarthy, sailed a small lifeboat through relentless icy seas of the Antarctic before then hiking through mountainous rock and glacier in order to secure rescue for their forsaken crew, left stranded behind on Elephant Island. Directed by Blue Raincoat founder Niall Henry, the show relays the scale of this famous tale of survival against the odds through provocative use of performance, visuals, music, puppetry and miniatures. Henry says that what appeals to him about the Shackleton saga is not so much the notion of brave explorers as the more elemental, existential nature of these mens experiences. In doing all the research on this, you read all about Amundsen and you read all about Scott, but after a certain point, as sacrilegious as this may sound, the people and what they achieved, the historical side of the thing, becomes less and less interesting, he says. And what becomes more interesting is the question of why are all these stories so engaging. Henry suggests they appeal to us because, in great part, they provide images of our own persistence in the face of the strange, terrifying, awe-inspiring world that we all inhabit, as well as for the daily grind that we each of us face in our own lives. The metaphors in these kinds of stories that these people in these wastelands, all theyre really doing is trying to survive connects with the difficulties that we all have in living our lives, at a broad social level and at an individual level. And, of course, the story has got a lot of action and derring-do and colour in it. "So it responds to the natural want for a good story, coupled with the fact that there seems to be something about this kind of story that has personal meaning for everybody. Having trained in France with Marcel Marceau and Maximillian Decroux, Henrys roots are in visual, physical theatre, a quality that has very much distinguished the companys diverse range of work over the years. The new show is notable for featuring no dialogue, something of a daring move. We might get hung for it, says Henry, laughing. It wont be daring when were walking up the gallows. But its not a question of the show not having speech, but of it having its own strong and integral theatre language within it. It shouldnt make any difference to how an audience relates to it. Certainly, if its done right, audiences shouldnt find it any more difficult. "If it works, I would hope that there would be an implicit sense of awe in the piece not awe in terms of how good or bad the show is, but rather that it gets across that sense of being small in a very large and hostile universe. Shackleton runs in The Factory, Sligo, Mar 23 Apr 4 Born in Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary in 1878, Thomas MacDonagh is one of the most fascinating characters behind the Easter Rising. He was the child of a peculiar marriage of two national school teachers, his father a jovial drunkard with little interest in politics and his mother a devoted convert to Catholicism who instilled in her children a devotion to just causes. Educated by the Holy Ghost Fathers at Rockwell College, Co Tipperary, MacDonagh developed a decided inclination for the missionary priesthood and applying to join the order. However, at no point, as has previously been asserted in the history of the Easter Rising, did MacDonagh become a priest or take any religious vows. He was a surveilliant, which was an adolescent boy who showed potential to go further within the Catholic Church as a priest if he so chose. At Rockwell, however, MacDonagh drifted from the Church and battled a crisis of faith where he doubted the existence of a God and afterlife, and rejected much of the Churchs teachings. Unable to stay at Rockwell, he left for Kilkenny where he worked as a teacher of English and French at St. Kierans College. It was here that he developed a lifelong love for the Irish language and experienced what he termed a baptism in nationalism at a meeting of the Gaelic League which he had intended to disrupt for a lark. MacDonagh was involved in several political crusades including labour politics, womens suffrage, and cultural nationalism. In 1908, he was hired as deputy principal in Patrick Pearses revolutionary educational project Scoil Eanna. That same year, the Abbey Theatre produced his first play, When The Dawn is Come, ironically based on the theme of a rebellion led by a council of seven. Rubbing shoulders with W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, Francis Ledwidge, A.E. Russell, and Padraic Colum, he embraced the Dublin literary scene but was frustrated by his inability to be accepted as a serious poet or playwright. In 1912, he accepted a position in University College Dublin teaching English literature, and strongly considered a PhD on the theme of language in Ireland. This PhD was published posthumously under the title Literature in Ireland, where MacDonagh asserted that the English language as spoken in Ireland was a new form of Irish and that a national literary culture could be written in English. Inspired by the Ulster crisis in 1912, MacDonagh became a founding member of the Irish Volunteers and elected to its provisional committee. He became commandant of the 2nd battalion, Dublin Brigade and director of training. In April 1915, MacDonagh was sworn into the Irish Republican Brotherhood and he recruited Eamon de Valera into the conspiracy. Discussing this with Eamonn Ceannt, who was skeptical about de Valera, MacDonagh prophetically said: Dont you worry about de Valera, he always lands on his feet. The last man to be co-opted onto the IRB Military Council, it is wrongly assumed that MacDonagh knew nothing of the Rising until a few weeks beforehand. The evidence indicates he had been working on these plans with Joseph Plunkett prior to his co-option to the Military Council. In charge of Jacobs Factory on Easter Monday 1916, assumptions that MacDonaghs garrison saw little action are not entirely correct. Although isolated, they were regularly engaged in sorties and sniper fire with Dublin Castle, and provided relief to Michael Mallin in the Royal College of Surgeons and de Valera at Bolands Mills. While the atmosphere in the Jacobs garrison was tense, there were moments of levity too, with assembled volunteers organising ceilli and reading circles. Here the rebels found a gramophone but, to their horror, the only record they could find was God Save the King. As the Easter week wore on, the Jacobs garrison became wholeheartedly dejected and it was recalled that MacDonagh, disheveled and worn-looking, had become more of a figurehead within the garrison, with real authority passing to his second-in-command, John MacBride. By Wednesday, the garrison stood on top of the roof of Jacobs and saw the city ablaze, watching in horror as the British used heavy artillery to pound the distant GPO. Throughout the course of the week, MacDonagh wrote extensive propaganda to keep the rebels spirits up, and rumours of German landings and national uprisings spread through the garrison. Resultant from this, when MacDonagh eventually agreed to a surrender, the garrison collapsed into visible pandemonium amidst calls to fight it out, fight it out, while one rebel, Peader Kearney, recalled men were in tears and others had become prostrate with disbelief. Addressing his men for the last time, MacDonagh lamented: We have to give in. Those of you in civilian clothes, go home. Those of you in uniform, stay on,you cannot leave. MacDonagh was sentenced to be executed in the Stone Breakers Yard at Kilmainham Gaol on May 3, 1916. Unable to see his wife Muriel, MacDonagh wrote to her hours before his execution, saying: I am ready to die, and I thank God that I am to die in so a holy a cause. My country will reward my deed richly. I counted the cost of this, and I am ready to pay it. In what would become the most iconic execution of the Easter Rising, he addressed the firing squad and, offering them a cigarette, lamented: I know this is a lousy job, but youre doing your duty I do not hold this against you. Turning to the officer in charge of the firing squad, he offered him his silver cigarette case, saying: I wont be needing this. Would you like to have it? Shortly after MacDonagh was shot dead, the British said: They all died well, but MacDonagh, he died like a prince. Shane Kenna is a historian of modern Irish history, whose books include Thomas MacDonagh in the OBrien Presss 16 Lives series on the executed leaders. Although inevitably shaped by the period in which it was written, the historiography that has emerged over the past century has gradually transformed our understanding of the Irish revolution. The earliest accounts were mostly written by republicans. Popular memoirs by IRA leaders such as Dan Breen and Tom Barry, or the stories recorded by Irish Volunteers throughout the country, presented the conflict as a straightforward struggle for independence between the Irish people and British imperialism. The Civil War was overlooked, as were the perspectives of those who did not experience the preceding four glorious years as a period of liberation. This republican narrative was reinforced by school textbooks, as well as by State commemoration, which centred on the sacrificial gesture of Easter 1916 rather than the more divisive violence that followed. From the 1970s, when professional historians belatedly turned their attention to the period, more critical and challenging interpretations emerged. Local studies provided a more complex and less romantic picture of the forces that shaped the conflict at its grassroots. Revisionist accounts emphasised social and political divisions rather than unity, and explored how factors other than patriotism, such as generational conflict, agrarian and sectarian tensions, and rising social frustrations, motivated many. It was shown that civilians formed almost half of the revolutions victims, and that combatants more often died, unarmed, at the hands of hidden assailants than as a result of the daring ambushes at crossroads depicted by revolutionary memoirs. Against the backdrop of the Troubles, the acrimonious debates that followed revealed a gulf between popular belief and scholarly perspectives. Despite recent controversies centred on revolutionary violence in Cork, this gap has narrowed considerably, as is demonstrated by the transformation of public attitudes to Irish soldiers in the First World War. The emergence of a more nuanced understanding of the past is also evidenced by the changing nature of State commemoration (even if this also reflects new imperatives resulting from the Good Friday Agreement, including a problematic tendency to understate the enmities that shaped our shared past). Despite criticism of aspects of the Governments commemorative programme, the adoption of a decade of centenaries incorporating the campaign for Home Rule, and Irishmens experiences of the First World War, alongside the War of Independence, represents a more pluralistic approach than previous major commemorations. So too does the greater attention focused on working-class struggle, the experiences of women, and campaigns for social reforms. Another important development is the widening of access to archival sources through such projects as the digitisation of the Military Service Pensions Collection, Bureau of Military History and 1901/1911 Census, as well as the availability of a much wider range of first-hand accounts of the period. Like all valuable sources, these voices from the past complicate the picture. One of the greatest impediments to historical understanding is our knowledge of what happened next. Contemporary accounts remind us how those who lived through this era acted in the expectation of different outcomes. Prior to the outbreak of the First World War, most Irish people including republicans anticipated a Home Rule parliament. The conflict that many feared in 1913 was not between separatists and the British authorities, but between the Ulster Volunteer Force and the British army, or between Catholic nationalists and Protestant unionists in the North. Few expected a lengthy war when John Redmond declared his support for Irish enlistment in the British army in September 1914. The value of autobiographical accounts does not rest solely on the factual detail they record. Like most sources, they are unreliable, reflecting bias, subjectivity, and the changing perspectives brought by subsequent events. For the same reasons though, they allow us to retrieve past mentalities, and to trace the evolving memory of the revolution. Rather than reflecting triumphalist perspectives, these memoirs were often framed by the optimism and idealism that preceded the revolution, and the frustrations and disappointments that followed it. Although many republicans remained reluctant to discuss the past, in the 1940s and 1950s as their generation began to pass into history several thousand felt compelled to record their experiences for posterity. The realisation that the veterans of the War of Independence, ordinary people who achieved remarkable feats, were no longer remembered outside their own townland, and the concern that their sacrifices were no longer appreciated or even understood, prompted Ernie OMalley to record the testimony of hundreds of unknown soldiers in the hope that their stories could be made into a patchwork quilt from memory. Greater familiarity with these sources including the range of evocative first-hand accounts spanning the revolutionary decade from the Ulster crisis to the Civil War published as part of UCD Presss new Centenary Classics series should complicate as well as inform commemoration in 2016. Although the achievements of the founding generation will be honoured and, inevitably, appropriated, the urge to celebrate independence should be tempered by an unsentimental understanding of the process by which it was achieved. PS OHegartys belief that the violence of the revolution killed the spirit of the national movement was shared by many after the Civil War. Violence accelerated the pace of political change, resulting in a level of independence that few anticipated before 1914, but it also narrowed the space for an accommodation between the two Irelands. Despite the relative success of the republican campaign, a significant moment in the global development of anti-imperialism, Irish revolutionaries did not achieve their central aims: the restoration of Gaelic, complete separation from England (for many, the essence of republicanism), and a united Ireland. Nor did they fully comprehend the contradictions between the last and first two of these aims. Independence did not always live up to expectations, as the enthusiasm of the revival gave way to a conservative ethos. The revolution produced losers as well as winners, including the minorities on both sides of the border left, in Churchills words, to stew in their own juice. It is increasingly clear from the Military Service Pensions collection that the losers included the many veterans who endured hardship after, as well as during, the conflict. Few, though, regretted their attempt to change their world. Despite the complexities of the period, and the limitations of their achievements, the wealth of first-hand testimony which continues to emerge testifies to that generations willingness to struggle against more powerful forces in pursuit of the republic of their dreams. Fearghal McGarry teaches history at Queens University Belfast. This article is adapted from his introduction from UCD Presss Centenary Classics series (www.ucdpress.ie). His latest book is The Abbey Rebels of Easter 1916: A Lost Revolution, (Gill and Macmillan, 2015). The 50th anniversary commemorations of the 1916 Rising, held throughout Ireland in 1966, are usually noted as one of the major public events to have taken place in the Republic during the 1960s. Although that period was generally marked by a new mood of national self-confidence, many commentators have retrospectively seen the golden jubilee commemorations as a negative reminder of how little had changed. The historian, Enda Staunton, has described the commemorations as expensive splurges of triumphalism reflecting the complacency of a state still unshaken in its Roman Catholic and nationalist verities and basking in the first glow of material prosperity since its formation. According to another historian, Brian Girvin, the commemorations were entirely one-dimensional, celebrated so unselfconsciously in an atmosphere where, according to Girvin and many others, it would have been unthinkable to question the Rising. The impression has been created that historical understanding in the republic largely reflected a simplistic monolithic view of Ireland. However, a close consideration of the events in 1966 does not support this view and calls for a broader understanding. Plans for the golden jubilee were already being formulated well over a year before the event. In February 1965 the taoiseach, Sean Lemass, announced that a commemorative committee, the Coiste Cuimhneachan, had been established (chaired by Lemass) to ensure the Rising would be commemorated on a grand scale and that there would be nationwide participation. Sean Lemass, taoiseach from 1959 to 1966, and a veteran of the Easter Rising The commemorations, Lemass stated, would signify our understanding of [the] historical importance of the Rising and would also be a time of national stock-taking, and for trying to look ahead into the mists of the future to see the right road leading to the high destiny we desire for our nation. The events would be publicised extensively at home and abroad and it was also emphasised that that the commemorations would incorporate a significant educational aspect. An extensive programme was devised which included cultural and artistic tributes and a wide range of competitions for adults and children were launched. Funding was also provided for academic research on the 1916 Rising and for various 1916-related documentaries, interviews with veterans and even a highly popular dramatised account of the Rising, Insurrection, to be screened on the recently established national television station, Radio Teleifis Eireann. The remarkable extent of the coverage of the jubilee events through this exciting new medium was, in itself, testimony to Lemass modern vision. It was by far the most challenging and ambitious project in the early history of Irish television. Kevin Nowlan and nine other highly regarded historians were approached by the Coiste to produce a work of scholarship on the Rising. The contributors were given no thesis to prove and no official line to follow. The result, The making of 1916: Studies in the history of the Rising, is a collection of non-celebratory studies which includes valuable analysis and criticism of the Rising. However, this book was only one of a remarkable raft of quality studies of the Rising which appeared at this time. A popular series of radio lectures, Leaders and Men of the Easter Rising, was broadcast in 1966 (and later published in book form). The rebellion was examined in a detached spirit and from multifarious angles and perspectives by the cream of historians of modern Ireland (who were themselves from diverse backgrounds) including F.S.L. Lyons, T. Desmond Williams, F.X. Martin, A.T.Q. Stewart, Leon O Broin, etc. The notion that 1916 could only be treated as a sacrosanct national epic by the establishment (academic, political, or otherwise) or that there was a paucity of critical material, is simply untrue. In fact, a historiographical revolution was underway. As to the public commemorative events, though they were very extensive, the tone was overwhelmingly respectful and sombre. The principal commemorative event was a military parade on Easter Sunday. Approximately 600 veterans of the Rising were present for the occasion. At 12pm, the 1916 Proclamation was read to the crowd by a member of the Defence Forces. The Tricolor was then hoisted with full ceremonial honours, on the roof of the GPO. After a salute of 21 guns, the military parade began to march past the GPO where the President, Eamon de Valera (a noted 1916 veteran himself), took the salute. Various military units followed different routes passing most of the buildings in Dublin occupied by the Irish Volunteers in 1916 before converging on OConnell St. President Eamon De Valera inspects the guard of honour at Mallow Racecourse during the 1966 pageant As the last units in the parade passed the reviewing stand beside the GPO, a flight of Vampire jet aircraft swept overhead. The event concluded with the playing of the national anthem. Later in the afternoon, the next commemorative event took place in Kilmainham Jail, where de Valera laid a wreath, with full military ceremony, in the yard where the 1916 leaders were executed. Various relatives of the executed leaders were in attendance. Following the ceremony, the President officially opened the new historical exhibition on the Rising, contained within the east wing of the old prison building. The jail had been restored by a voluntary group over a six-year period as a monument to the many Irish patriots who were held there, in an endeavour which could rank as one of the most inspiring instances of active citizenship in modern Irish history. The secretary of the Coiste Cuimhneachan, Piarais MacLochlann, was also secretary of the Kilmainhan Jail Restoration Society. That evening, An Tine Bheo, a film commissioned from Gael Linn by the Coiste, premiered at the Savoy cinema in Dublin. The film focused on the events of Easter week 1916 and the forces which led to the Rising. The film was very well received and provided a fitting end to the principal day of commemoration. Apart from the events in Dublin, military ceremonies sponsored by the Coiste for Easter Sunday were also organised at 12 provincial centres associated with key individuals or events of the Rising. Parades were organised (on many occasions by sub-branches of the Coiste) in practically every town in the Republic to mark the anniversary. Special exhibitions relating to the Rising were launched in the major museums and art galleries in the State and numerous other events to commemorate the Rising took place over the next two weeks. Among the events, special church services, representing all denominations, were held throughout the Republic on the morning of Friday, April 22, as schoolchildren honoured those who lost their lives in the Rising. Many schools were decorated for the occasion and in many cases the national flag was flown. At a ceremony in St Patricks Cathedral, Dublin, the Church of Ireland Archbishop, George Simms, told a congregation of approximately 2,000 children that they were right to meet for worship on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Rising to dedicate themselves to the service of the country. The RTE Guide dramatically promotes the television series, Insurrection It should be apparent from this brief article that much of the comment on the golden jubilee events since the early 1970s (when history-writing in Ireland became at times overly influenced by developments in the North the Provisional IRAs ruthless campaign in particular) has not been based on genuine research or understanding and has often been more marked by a corrosive cynicism. Even the expensive splurges reference cannot be backed up convincingly. With regard to the cost of the commemorations, the matter was raised in the Dail in 1969 when it was revealed that the total expenditure was a mere 108,122. The Department of Finance, notoriously penny-pinching in this period, controlled spending on the many State-sponsored events in 1966 with a gimlet eye. The events were largely carried along by an enthusiastic voluntary ethos. As taoiseach and chair of the organising committee, Sean Lemass was consistent in his plans for the jubilee. He was determined to ensure a fitting commemoration of the 1916 Rebellion which would also be forward-looking and would present the Irish state as a modern democratic nation with a proud sense of identity. As a result, the golden jubilee was not, in Conor Cruise OBriens memorable phrase the greatest orgy ever of the cult of the Rising, but a sincere and meaningful commemoration with considerable educational potential for anyone with an interest in the 1916 revolution a complex but vital event in 20th century Irish history. In this sense, the more expansive (and considerably more expensive) plans now underway to mark the centenary of the Rising are consistent with the golden jubilee in 1966. Rory ODwyer lectures in University College Corks School of History THE Aud had sailed under orders to deliver the cargo of arms and ammunition at Fenit between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday. But after it had sailed Patrick Pearse notified Berlin that the ship should not arrive before the evening of Easter Sunday. The Aud had no radio on board, so Captain Karl Spindler had no way of knowing on arriving in Tralee Bay on Holy Thursday, that he was more than three days ahead of time. There was no sign of the submarine with Casement, and Spindler was perplexed that there was no pilot to guide the Aud into Fenit Pier. He waited in the bay throughout the day and the night for the pre-arranged signal from the pilot. The U19 arrived in Tralee Bay shortly after midnight on Good Friday, but no effort was made to contact the Aud, which anchored in the bay for the night. When the agreed signal from the pilot had still not come by the morning, Spindler abandoned all hope of landing the arms. He decided to head for Portugal instead. But around six oclock in the evening the Royal Navys HMS Bluebell intercepted the Aud off the southwest coast and, after firing a shot across its bow, ordered it to accompany it to Queenstown (Cobh) for inspection. As the two ships were heading for Queenstown another facet of the drama was being played out on land. Five men arrived in Killarney by train from Dublin at around 10 pm. They were planning to steal a radio transmitter from the Atlantic College, a radio training school in Caherciveen. Con Keating, one of the five men, had been a student at the college, which was deserted over the holiday weekend, so they would have little difficulty stealing the transmitter. They planned to take it to Tralee and use it to contact the Aud to facilitate the landing of the guns at Fenit on Sunday. For regular updates on news and features (as well as twitter action action as it may have happened 100 years ago) to mark the revolutionary period follow @theirishrev HERE The five men split up into two cars, and headed for Caherciveen. The cars got separated and the second car missed a turn outside of Killorglin and drove over Ballykissane Pier, drowning Keating and two colleagues. As Keating was the radio operator, they had to abandon the whole plan, which was doomed from the outset anyway, because the Aud had no radio. Moreover, the Aud was already heading for Queenstown under a Royal Navy escort. Next morning, at about 8:30, while about three miles off Queenstown, the crew changed into German uniforms, abandoned the Aud, and scuttled it. They were then picked up by the Bluebell, and spent the remainder of the war as British prisoners. Eoin MacNeill, the chief of staff of the Irish Volunteers had only learned of the plans for the rebellion during the week. He intended to call the whole thing off until he was informed that the Germans arms were to be landed on Sunday. He then went along with arrangements until he learned on Saturday that the Aud had been intercepted and scuttled. He sent officers around the country to call off the rebellion, and he inserted the following notice in the Sunday Independent: Owing to the very critical position, all orders given to Irish Volunteers for to-morrow, Easter Sunday, are hereby rescinded, and no parades, marches, or other movements of Irish Volunteers will take place. Each individual Volunteers will obey this order strictly in every particular. It seemed that anything that could go wrong with the plans for the rebellion had gone wrong. Enjoyed this? Then check out our dedicated micro-site, developed in collaboration with UCC, to mark the revolutionary period HERE IN WEXFORD in 1916, the Volunteers had seven branches with 325 members, poorly armed with 95 rifles, 47 shotguns, 34 revolvers, bayonets and ammunition. Despite their lack of arms, the Rising in Enniscorthy was among one of the more remarkable episodes of the week. The town, infused with the spirit of 1798 given its proximity to Vinegar Hill, had a strong tradition of nationalist activity, with the Gaelic League, the GAA, the IRB, and the Irish Volunteers all active and with overlapping membership. The local Volunteer leaders were non-plussed by the countermanding order hand-delivered by Min Ryan from Tomcoole. After an anxious conference which included Ginger OConnell, Min Ryan, Fr Pat Murphy and Dr Dundon, the decision was taken to respect MacNeills orders. The more hardline activists demurred. (Min Ryan was in a relationship with Sean MacDiarmada, who was executed for his leading role in the Rising, and she married future Army chief-of-staff Richard Mulcahy in 1919). The IRB leaders had sent Paul Galligan to the town earlier in the year to beef up the organisation and training, and he now set off for Dublin to establish contact with the leadership. He was instructed by James Connolly to head back to Enniscorthy, seize the town and prevent British reinforcements reaching Dublin by train from Rosslare. After an arduous and circuitous bicycle trip, Galligan arrived back in the town and authorised the Volunteers to rise. They seized Enniscorthy at 4am on Thursday, April 27. Thomas Doyle recalled that Keegans house in Irish Street was the first headquarters of the Irish Republic: With about 90 men we marched over to the Athenaeum, took it over, hoisted the Republican flag over it, fired a salute and made it our headquarters. With Commandant Seamus Rafter in nominal command (Galligan really called the shots), Captain Sean Etchingham, Adjutant Seamus Doyle and Bob Brennan placed Volunteers at all the principal locations in the town. Thomas Doyle remembered: At 8 oclock that morning when the people were on their way to work, the Volunteers told them that there would be no work that day as the Republic was proclaimed. They all went home again. That morning some of the banks were taken over by Captain Etchingham. We placed guards in them and told the managers to lock up everything and, if anything went wrong, they were to report to us. The Volunteers pasted notices, requiring anyone with firearms to hand them in before noon. Doyle was ordered to call on houses which allegedly had arms: if anyone had anything against you, they would send in a report that you had arms in your house and get you raided and send us on a fools errand. It was not a very nice job. Anyone leaving town had to apply to headquarters for permission to leave. A recruiting office was also opened in the old police barracks. Initially hardly anyone enlisted: then a rumour went out that, if they did not join, they would be conscripted. After that, we got all the recruits we could arm. On Thursday a proclamation was issued, imposing a 10pm curfew and warning that anyone caught looting would be shot on sight. The leadership was very proud of the fact that they successfully closed the pubs for four days. The first armoured train used in Ireland, fitted with a fifteenpounder gun, was nicknamed Enniscorthy Emily. The government enquiry was later told: Some of the rebels had taken up positions on Vinegar Hill, which overlooks the town of Enniscorthy. A council of war was held, but the deliberations were brought to an abrupt conclusion by a well-planted shell which the gunner of Enniscorthy Emily discharged at the hill. The shell, which, it is stated, was a blank one, landed plump amongst the rebels, who hoisted white flags on the hill, while two hundred of the insurgents bolted for the hills. Many of the escaping rebels were captured. The others laid down their arms unconditionally. The rebels voluntarily disbanded once the surrender in Dublin was personally verified by Captains Doyle and Etchingham, who received safe conduct to see Pearse in Kilmainham jail. 375 alleged Sinn Feiners were arrested with 319 were sent to Dublin. The police seized 46 rifles, 66 shot-guns, 8 pistols, 6 revolvers, 1 bomb, 21 stone of blasting powder, 667 rounds of sporting ammunition, 4,067 rounds of rifle and revolver ammunition, as well as gelignite and other explosives. For regular updates on news and features (as well as twitter action action as it may have happened 100 years ago) to mark the revolutionary period follow @theirishrev HERE Events in Enniscorthy (Extract from the Royal Commission of Enquiry) The Enniscorthy rebels waited for information from their leaders that the city of Dublin had been captured, and when this information came to hand the local rebels immediately gave orders to their forces to begin action. They first seized the business houses of the town and also the railway station, and held up a train which was on its way from Wexford with 300 workmen for Kynochs [munitions] factory [Arklow]. The engine was detached from the train, and the men were permitted to walk back to Wexford by the railway line. The rebels then debated amongst themselves the advisability of blowing up the fine bridge at Enniscorthy, but fortunately abandoned the idea. They then attempted to blow up the bridge of Scarawalsh, which crosses the River Slaney on the main road between Wexford and Enniscorthy. Before doing so they warned the old and respected blacksmith, named Carton, who with his family, lived in a house close to the bridge. The signalling wires on the railway were cut, and the instruments in the cabin were destroyed. Between Enniscorthy and Ferns, an extensive trench was dug, and the rebel forces advanced and captured the town of Ferns, making the ancient [episcopal] mansion of St. Aidans their headquarters. Then, when they thought they were firmly entrenched, they advanced a little in the Gorey direction, but just then a train which contained a few military arrived at Camolin Station. On seeing the soldiers, who were there for ordinary guard duty, and had no knowledge of the rising, the rebels hastily retreated to their stronghold at Enniscorthy. Here, however, they learned to their dismay that a military armoured train, including the now famous Enniscorthy Emily, a 15-pounder gun, was on the south side of the town, and only about six miles distant. There were 600 men, and 200 of them had rifles and shot-guns. They established themselves in the Athenum as their headquarters and appointed Irish Republican Police. They appointed sentries, and allowed no one to enter or leave the town without a permit. They commandeered motor cars, food, and every description of good, including arms, and they searched houses for arms. Five constables and the District Inspector held the police barracks, and the sergeant and one man was in the bank. The bank was in view of the barracks. The rebels took possession of the Castle on the hill, and from that they fired on the barracks, and they also fired from the slopes of Vinegar Hill. There was an open space around the barracks, and that saved the barrack. On the morning of the 28th the administrator of the parish, Father McHenry [recte Fr Robert Fitzhenry], and a Mr. [P.] ONeill wanted the police to surrender. He (witness) was very glad they did not surrender. They held out until relief sent by the military arrived on the 1st May. [Extract ends] Fitzhenry and ONeill were members of a Peace Committee working to prevent all-out conflict, and negotiating between the rebels and the British. A retired local British Army Lieutenant Colonel on furlough, Colonel G.A. French of Newbay House, had assumed local command of the British military. Perhaps because of his stature and local knowledge, he deftly handled the situation, treated the leaders with respect, and showed considerable latitude to the rebels. James OConnor described him as a gentleman whose family were very respected in the county. The upshot was that Enniscorthy managed to avoid a major conflict. The Volunteers dispersed peacefully and the RIC emerged from their barracks and re-assumed control of the town. A galling pill for the rebels was that 200 of their political antagonists in Enniscorthy, National Volunteers, Hibernians, and Unionists, now helped the RIC to patrol the town. John OReilly was horrified that the British Army entering Enniscorthy was accompanied by some of the Wexford (so called) National Volunteers (Redmondites). The rats all came out of their holes to welcome the British soldiers, according to the Republican, May Moran.My sister [Sheila Lynch] had twin boys and when the police were raiding her home, thinking there was only one baby in the cot, when one baby was lifted out a policeman pulled up the mattress and killed the other little baby. Her husband had already been arrested. Her brother Sean was later killed by the Black and Tans in Drogheda and after that news arrived to her mother: I never saw her smile again. In Co Wexford, 270 men were arrested after the rebellion, of whom 10 were sentenced to imprisonment or penal servitude. Dr Conor McNamara is NUI Galway 1916 Scholar in Residence. His books include The Easter Rebellion 1916: A New Illustrated History (Collins Press, 2015) Enjoyed this? Then check out our dedicated micro-site, developed in collaboration with UCC, to mark the revolutionary period HERE GALWAY was one of the few places outside of Dublin to have a significant Volunteer mobilisation at Easter 1916. Over 600 Volunteers under the command of Liam Mellows traversed south-east Galway for five days, attacking the police at Clarinbridge, Athenry, Oranmore, Carnmore, and Lydecan. One police constable was killed and several taken captive by the insurgents. The group commandeered foodstuffs, cars, horses, and cattle, destroyed railway lines, barricaded roads, and generally defied the police authorities over a large section of Galway countryside. The charismatic Mellows was very much an outsider in the county, but a figure who attracted great loyalty among his followers. The plan for the Rising in Galway was predicated on the successful delivery to the county of 3,000 rifles from the Aud. When the arms landing in Kerry failed, the prospects for a concerted and meaningful rural dimension to the Rising ended. The 600 or so men who went out in Galway were armed with fewer than 30 .303 service rifles, a few miniature rifles, and 300 shotguns. The plan for the county envisaged two distinct phases: Companies were to be armed at central points, before returning to their districts to attack police barracks, then proceed as a combined force into heavily-garrisoned Galway. A few months before the Rising, Patrick Pearse visited Athenry and asked if the local Volunteers, could hold a line to the river Suck in Ballinasloe in the event of a rebellion. He was told that, because of their poor equipment and armament, their only chance was to attack local Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) barracks. The first shots of the east Galway Rising were fired just after 7am on Easter Tuesday, when 100 men from Killeeneen and Clarinbridge attacked the police barracks in the village of Clarinbridge. The parish priest, Fr Tully, who was saying Mass when the attack began, pleaded with Mellows to call off his men.He refused and called for the barracks to surrender. After hours of fruitless sniping, a small force was left to keep the building under intermittent fire while the main body of Volunteers marched seven miles to nearby Oranmore, taking with them three RIC men who had been caught unawares while on patrol. As the rebels approached the village of Oranmore, they were joined by the Oranmore and Maree companies. The four constables on duty in the village barricaded themselves into their barracks. Thirty-five rebels tried to rush the door but were greeted with a fusillade from the reinforced windows above. When a contingent of Connaught Rangers arrived by special train from Galway to relieve the beleaguered police, a prolonged firefight ensued as police and army charged down the main street. Mellows decided to move west to the Athenry agricultural college, cutting telegraph wires, tearing up railway tracks and commandeering foodstuffs as they went. The rebels were joined in the town of Athenry by Volunteer companies from the nearby districts of Athenry, Kilconieron, Coldwood, Coshla, Rockfield, Derrydonnell, and Newcastle. As the rebels regrouped at their new camp, they heard the distant boom from the big guns of the Naval cruiser, The Gloucester, in Galway Bay. The indiscriminate shelling of the coast between Oranmore and Castlegar continued all week, and the effect on the atmosphere in the rebel camp and the countryside was immense. Some Volunteers believed their German allies had arrived and that the booming represented a naval battle between U-boats and the British navy. Moyode Castle, Athenry, which was occupied by the Galway rebels. For regular updates on news and features (as well as twitter action action as it may have happened 100 years ago) to mark the revolutionary period follow @theirishrev HERE WHILE hundreds of Volunteers massed at Athenry on Tuesday night, the Claregalway and Castlegar companies billeted for the night in the small village of Carnmore, six miles east of Galway town, to await orders from Mellows. A group of Special Constables and RIC formed a convoy in Galway town and drove to Carnmore to confront the Rebels. Volunteer leader Mick Newell later recalled: The enemy advanced up to the crossroads and Constable Whelan was pushed by District Inspector Heard up to the wall which was about four feet high, the District Inspector standing behind [Patrick] Whelan and holding him by the collar of his tunic. Constable Whelan shouted, surrender boys, I know ye all. Whelan was shot dead and the District Inspector fell also and lay motionless on the ground. They got back into the cars and went in the direction of Oranmore. Following the killing of Constable Whelan, the insurgents marched to Athenry, joining up with their comrades. On Wednesday evening, over 650 rebels awaited arms and reinforcements, but none were to arrive and the group was placed in an increasingly invidious position: As each day passed the military were gaining the upper hand in Dublin and well armed military reinforcements would soon depart from the capital to destroy the Galway Volunteers. They had become, to all intents and purposes, sitting ducks. The initial euphoria faded as the realisation sank in that it was only a matter of time before the group must face better-equipped British troops. Their chances of mounting an effective defence were small, and demoralising rumours swept the camp of the imminent arrival from Dublin of troops armed to the teeth. As night fell, Mellows decided to march south towards the Burren to join up with the Clare Volunteers. Late on Thursday night, the group marched south to Limepark, a ruined big house near Peterswell, on the Galway-Clare border. Fr Henry Feeney, who had been with the Volunteers all week, was joined by Fr Thomas Fahy of Maynooth College and the pair pleaded with Mellows to disband his men before the military decimated them. The resolute Mellows refused. Fr Fahy persuaded him to allow the case to be put to a meeting of brigade officers, however, and Volunteer Michael Kelly recalled: A discussion then arose mainly between the priest and Mellows. The priest was trying to convince the meeting that, as the Volunteers in Dublin had surrendered, the Galway Volunteers should disperse, as the position was hopeless in the circumstances. Mellows, as commanding officer, addressed his men: He would not order them to disband, but he was willing to let them decide their own fate. Only Mellows and his deputy O Monachain voted not to disband. Following the Rising, 328 men from Co Galway were arrested and deported to jails across Scotland and England, before joining their comrades in Frongoch. In letter to a friend in 1919, Mellows wrote of the Galway men he commanded: It will never be, in our day anyway, in all probability, but it is to them the thanks of future generations of the Irish people will be due. They gave all in silence, seeking no reward and getting none. Dr Conor McNamara is NUI Galway 1916 Scholar in Residence. His books include The Easter Rebellion 1916: A New Illustrated History (Collins Press, 2015) Enjoyed this? Then check out our dedicated micro-site, developed in collaboration with UCC, to mark the revolutionary period HERE ON EASTER Friday, 1916, the noose tightened around the neck of the Irish Volunteers in Dublin City. Surrounded on all sides, the countrys failure to rise in response to the Proclamation of the Irish Republic meant defeat was all but assured. A different story was playing out at Ashbourne, however. Here, the fifth battalion of the Dublin Brigade, better known as the Fingal battalion, were rounding off a successful week by defeating a much larger force of Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Shunning the tactics employed in the city, the Fingal battalion proved how successful guerilla warfare could be in an Irish context, and offered a ready made blueprint to future Irish rebels. The establishment of the Irish Volunteers in 1913 was enthusiastically received in Fingal. Charles Weston was typical of many Fingal volunteers. He joined the Volunteers because it gave him a chance to burst the English domination. Following the Volunteer split in August 1914, the battalion was reorganised on a much smaller scale. It consisted of four companies based around Swords, Lusk, Donabate, and St Margarets. Training was undertaken religiously; one Volunteer remarking that we were so well trained, we could hide behind an apple tree. Mick McAllister, maintained most of the men were good natural shots some of them were exceptionally good and could be said to be marksmen with a rifle. Despite their intense training, the Irish Volunteers were, in reality, a subscription army. One Fingal man recalled paying a six-pence weekly subscription. It was a testament to their dedication that subscriptions were maintained in an era of grinding poverty. By Easter Week, the Fingal battalion was well trained and many were itching for a fight. Bernard McAllister maintained he had a good idea that the fight we were looking forward to would start soon. Battalion commandant Thomas Ashe, a high-ranking Irish Republican Brotherhood member, who had assumed command shortly before the rising from Dr Richard Hayes, received an order from James Connolly on Good Friday that operations should begin at 7pm on Easter Sunday. On the day, 120 men mobilised at Saucerstown. Due to Eoin MacNeills countermanding order, confusion reigned. Ashe sent Hayes and Joe Lawless into the city. They returned with the message that everything was off and to await further orders. At 7am on Easter Monday, Joe Lawless handed Ashe a dispatch from Pearse ordering the battalion to strike at one oclock today. Sixty men now mobilised at Knocksedan crossroads on Easter Monday. The battalions standing orders were to disrupt enemy movement and communications. To this end, small detachments were sent out during the week to cut telegraph lines and wreck railways lines. The battalion camped at Finglas on Monday where they met with three Volunteers from the city. Amongst them was Richard Mulcahy who became an invaluable member of the battalion during Easter Week. After sending reinforcements into the city on Tuesday, around 45 men remained and these were sub-divided into four sections. Three would undertake operations, while the fourth was kept in reserve. For regular updates on news and features (as well as twitter action action as it may have happened 100 years ago) to mark the revolutionary period follow @theirishrev HERE The battalions mobility was key, every Volunteer having a bicycle, which allowed it to range over Fingal and beyond. Essentially acting as a flying column like that later commanded with devastating effect by Tom Barry in west Cork, the battalion acted with impunity throughout Easter week, striking at RIC barracks in Swords, Donabate, and Garristown. In each instance, communications were destroyed and arms captured when available. It was not until Friday that the RIC undertook action against the Volunteers. At 10.30am on Friday, three sections of the battalion entered Ashbourne with orders to attack the RIC barracks. Gerry Goldens section encountered three RIC men on bicycles. Two surrendered on seeing the rebels, the third was disarmed after a scuffle with Golden. Another group were disarmed while erecting a makeshift barricade. The outskirts secured, Ashe then demanded the barracks surrender. Joe Lawless thought it a rather flamboyant gesture. The reply was a volley of gunfire from inside the barracks. A 30-minute firefight began, which ended when a bomb was thrown at the barracks. Mick McAllister remembered it made a terrific noise but did no damage. It was, however, enough to force the police into surrender. Before the surrender could be taken, a large convoy of police, under RIC County Inspector Alexander Gray and District Inspector Harry Smyth, arrived behind the Volunteers position. The RIC could not take advantage of their position despite having superior numbers and surprising the Volunteers. Eugene Bratton, one of the RIC men in the convoy, remembered the arrival of the police convoy was met with a rapid fire from the Volunteers which was accordingly returned by the police. A chaotic five-hour battle ensued. Frank Lawlesss section was called for and as they made their way to the fight, they were mistaken for RIC reinforcements and fired upon by Lawlesss own son. As the fight wore on, however, the Volunteers field training and superior marksmanship began to tell. Mulcahy initiated a ruse... making great noise to give the impression that we were very numerous. This tactic was successful and caused the RIC resistance to break. Mulcahy and Ashe worked it that Mulcahy would drive the police down to Ashes position. Volunteer James OConnor thought Mulcahy was a very brave man as he went up to the middle of the road disregarding any cover and firing at the RIC as he went. The Volunteers were now in the ascendancy. As District Inspector Smyth encouraged his men to keep up the fight, he was shot down by Frank Lawless. His death was a signal for a general collapse of police resistance. When the dust had settled it was clear the Volunteers had scored an overwhelming success. The RIC had suffered heavy casualties; eight dead and 18 wounded, while the Volunteers had comparatively light casualties; two dead and five wounded. Ashe paraded the RIC before him and warned them not to fight against the Irish people again, as Dr Richard Hayes attended the police wounded. After the Volunteers had left, an eyewitness recalls the surviving police were very shaken and were shivering. One of them remarked to me that the rebels were great men. Returning to camp, Ashe remarked he smelt victory in the air. The prophecy proved to be wide of the mark. Although they had a successful week, in Dublin it was, of course, a different matter. On Saturday morning, two RIC men came to the Volunteer camp and stated that the leaders had surrendered. Ashe sent Mulcahy into Dublin for confirmation from Pearse. When Mulcahy returned the message was clear: It is all up boys. Although ultimately defeated, the battalion had showed ample evidence that guerilla warfare was the best way in which to conduct a future insurrection. Enjoyed this? Then check out our dedicated micro-site, developed in collaboration with UCC, to mark the revolutionary period HERE Q: How did you handle defeat in the general election? A: Im a great believer in dealing with reality, Ive done that all my life. I ran under a bus when I was 10 and I could have sat back and said, I have a disability now so this is it, this is my life and this is it for me. Q: Were you badly injured? A: Hugely injured, thats why I still pop in and out of hospital every now and again. Q: A lot of people think that is because you are one of the women who received Anti-D (contaminated blood product from the State) and that you have ongoing health problems? A: Anti-D? No. Not that, not that at all. Even though Anti-D didnt help. I was 10 when I ran under a double-decker bus in Blackpool. I was coming home from school and I spent the next seven years in hospital... I suppose the first four years continuously... They took everything off one of my legs, left me with a bone. Thats why Im always fascinated by people who overcome great odds. I think it takes a particular mindset to do it. I had to learn how to walk about three times. Q: But you must have been disappointed when you lost your seat? A: Absolutely, very disappointed. I mean you wouldnt be normal not to be disappointed and especially when youve put in so much work. Q: How did it compare to losing your seat in 1997? A: There was no comparison. When it happened in 1997, it was unexpected, completely unexpected. At least we were half prepared this time. Of course, we thought we were still going to do it always up to the final close of poll you feel youre going to do it. But you get on with it, because when I lost my seat in 97, two years later my mother died and that puts it right back into focus. I thought that was the worst thing that ever happened to me until my mother died. And that was a much bigger event. Q: What went wrong in the election? For Fine Gael and Labour? A: We thought saving the country was going to be the issue. I think we relied too much on the Clinton thing, you know, its the economy stupid, when in fact it was the day-to-day stuff. People didnt see the improvement in their day-to-day lives despite the amount of people who are back at work. I think water was a big issue but I think that was only a catalyst for an awful lot of other things. Q: Will you run if theres another election soon? A: I think its quite likely that were going to have another election very soon, and in that event, I dont think Ill have an option. I think as well, Im always a great believer in choice and I do believe that the people deserve to have a choice. Cork is left without any female representation I think that choice needs to be there. And I think the Labour Party has to be part and parcel of any platform thats there because I think we have something to offer. Q: Is it strange going to Leinster House and continuing with government business when youve lost your seat? A: Not as weird as when youre elected for the first time which I think is probably the most daunting thing because you dont even know where the toilets are. I suppose Ive been through it slightly once before, even in this position, because I was the only one to survive the reshuffle two and a half years ago. And at that time for about almost two weeks myself and Adrian, private secretary at the Department of Health, used to look out the door every morning and say Jesus, its like the Mary Celeste. Q: Who will form the next government? A: Its the first time in my lifetime that I have seen people so reluctant to go into government. Its the programme for government you work on, nothing else. You dont have to love one another, you just have to work on the programme for government. And they [Fianna Fail] won this election and it is their job to form a government. And this business of its being about reform and ideas it isnt. Its about positioning for the next election. Thats what its about. Nothing else. Q: Do you think Joan Burton should stand down as leader of the Labour Party? A: Then it comes back to what do you do if she does? Q: Is there anyone else? A: Theres no shortage of takers. I think Brendan Howlin would be an exceptional leader. I think Sean Sherlock we have to have a leader and a deputy. Sean Sherlock is very solid, very focused. Q: You havent mentioned Alan Kelly? A: Ah yes. But if the leader steps down, then surely its incumbent on the deputy to vacate and maybe put himself forward for a different position? Q: For example, party leader? A: For example, party leader. As I say, theres never a shortage of takers. Q: Who would you prefer? Brendan Howlin or Alan Kelly? A: Brendan Howlin. I think Alan was a good deputy leader in the circumstances but I think Brendan would be a better leader. Q: Do you thing Alan Kelly would be a bad leader? A: Im not certain that he has the experience to be a good leader. Now I always believe as well of course that the people we least expect to perform best usually do perform best and the people we have very high expectations of cant possibly live up to them. Q: Is it something you would put yourself forward for? A: In the event that I was re-elected I would certainly sit and say What exactly can I bring to that table? I would be interested. But I would be realistic enough, I hope I would be realistic enough to recognise maybe greater ability in somebody else. Q: Did you consider Joan Burton to be a good leader? A: I think Joan did very well in Social Protection. I thought that she was a good leader at that particular time. I think we probably need a different leader now. Q: Within the Government, who was the most difficult person to work with? A: It wasnt Alan Shatter, he was actually very easy to work with and myself and Alan got on very, very well. And he was the most progressive... And I do think sometimes people sort of fix on him as being the most difficult and actually he wasnt. Q: So who was? A: I prefer not to say. Q: Who was the easiest to work with? A: James Reilly was actually quite easy to deal with... he would give you credit there was that kind of inert decency about him. Q: Compared to who? A: Compared to other ministers for health who are so obsessed with publicity. Q: Do you mean Leo Varadkar? A: Compared to other ministers for health. Q: How do you find Leo Varadkar? A: I think we can often be blinded by the visual. Hes a very good communicator, hes an excellent communicator. He has a vision for the health service, he really has a vision for the health service, Im just saying in comparison with James Reilly, James was far more likely to give you credit for all you had done. Thats really all that Im saying. Q: I wonder would Roisin Shortall say the same thing? [about James Reilly] A: I found James very easy to deal with. I suppose recognising that you are not the minister for health is very important. He has overall responsibility you have responsibility for your section. I suppose if youre a minister of state in any department, the first thing you have to know is that you are not the minister. Some people never get that. Q: Are you saying Roisin thought she was the minister? A: Or wanted to be. Q: Could you see Leo as Fine Gael leader? A: I could actually... But I think Frances Fitzgerald will get it... I think shes less overtly grabbing about it. I think shes stable. To a great extent she exudes the kind of confidence Angela Merkel exudes. Q: Would she get the support for it? A: I think she probably would. Q: What did you make of Enda Kenny? A: He had an enormous grasp of detail which always surprised me. You would sit down and go through your papers before you went in [to meet him for a twice-monthly briefing] but he would ask you about something and you would think How could he possibly know about that?. Q: How would you categorise him? A: To a great extent he was a very steadying figure in times of great crisis, and there were enormous crises. And he doesnt sell himself well... Its not as if he doesnt have a personality, he does. Q: What was the low point of your career? A: Trevor Casey, that whole thing coming down on top of my head and on top of people around me who cared for me as well and they were very distressed. (Kathleen wrote a reference on behalf of the parents of Trevor Casey which was read out in court by the judge at Caseys sentencing hearing when he was jailed for 14 years for the rape of two sisters when they were in their early teens.) Do I regret writing that letter? Yes, I do. If I had my time over again would I have written it? No I wouldnt. I would have changed my mind because of the odium it placed on his family. And because at the end of the day you shouldnt interfere in any process thats before the courts. Q: What about giving your husband the job of being your personal assistant? A: My husband has always been my adviser and has always worked for me all his life, he just happens to be paid for it now. But for most of my political career he had done all of the work for me without being paid. Did I think it was the right thing to do? Yes, he knows the job, he knows it very well, he runs the office, he runs it very efficiently, works longer hours than anyone else. Q: What about your budget as mental health minister? People are sceptical about the 35m allocation. Does it actually get spent or subsumed back into the budget at the end of the year? A: Think about it for a minute. Just towards the end of last year, we rolled out on the southside of Cork City a community mental health team. We have one on the northside of the city, it works extremely well, 24/7. And now we have one on the southside. That team is at least 14 people. And who pays for them? Where does that money come from? The new acute mental health unit in Cork University Hospital in order to open that, the revenue costs, we had to put extra staff in... So that all comes out of the 35m. Perinatal developments, the new beds in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)... Q: So you are basically saying the money was spent as intended? A: Yes. Q: I met Catherine Clancy [former Labour city councillor] out canvassing with you. Someone made the point that she had given the party years of loyal service and that she deserved a seat in the Seanad and not Mairia Cahill who was not Labour Party. Why was Mairia Cahill chosen as the partys Labour candidate? A: If someone said to me What are the values that you hold dearest?, I would count loyalty as one of those and yes, I would have put someone like Catherine Clancy in, someone that you know is going to work for the party, someone that you know is going to have the same values as you have. And Im not saying Mairia Cahill doesnt. Q: So why was Mairia Cahill chosen? A: I have no idea. Q: Would you run for the Seanad? A: No, I wouldnt. Firstly, I think its probably the most gruelling campaign that you could put yourself through. And secondly, I think that the electorate in the Seanad is too narrow, the focus is too narrow, Ive always believed that. I do think that the franchise has to be broadened. Its elite. Q: What do you think of Michael McDowell returning? [to contest the Seanad election] A: Look, you have to know when to go, dont you? And theres some people who just have a bigger ego than others. And I mean I like him. I worked with him. And hes very bright and hes very intelligent and he has a lot to offer. But like, time to go. Q: Would you encourage your kids to go into politics? A: I wouldnt encourage any of them to go into politics... I think that politics has changed and I think that those around you are probably more hurt than you are about the things people say about you. And I wouldnt like my children to be subjected to the kind of abuse that you now see on a daily basis from people who feel that they can say whatever they like because there are no consequences... these keyboard warriors they can say whatever they like, press send, and then no consequences. Kathleen Lynch is outgoing minister of state at the Department of Health with special responsibility for primary care, social care (disabilities and older people) and mental health. In her own words On re-entering the fray: I think its quite likely that were going to have another election very soon, and in that event, I dont think Ill have an option. On whether Joan Burton should continue as Labour Party leader: I think we probably need a different leader now. On who should replace Ms Burton: I think Brendan Howlin would be an exceptional leader. On Alan Kelly becoming next Labour Party leader: Im not certain that he has the experience to be a good leader. On the possibility of herself becoming Labour Party leader: I would be interested. But I would be realistic enough. I hope I would be realistic enough to recognise maybe greater ability in somebody else. On the most difficult person to work with in government (or not): It wasnt Alan Shatter. He was actually very easy to work with... And he was the most progressive. On the easiest person in government to work with: James Reilly was actually quite easy to deal with. He would give you credit. There was that sort of inert decency about him compared to other ministers for health who are so obsessed with publicity. On Leo Varadkar: I think we can often be blinded by the visual. Hes a very good communicator, hes an excellent communicator. On Roisin Shortall: If youre a minister of state in any department, the first thing you have to know is that you are not the minister. Some people never get that. On Enda Kenny: He was a very steadying figure in times of great crisis, and there were enormous crises. And he doesnt sell himself well. Its not as if he doesnt have a personality. He does. On who might be the next leader of Fine Gael: I think Frances Fitzgerald will get it. I think shes less overtly grabbing about it. I think shes stable. To a great extent she exudes the kind of confidence Angela Merkel exudes. On why Mairia Cahill was chosen as a Labour candidate for the Seanad: I have no idea. On Michael McDowells plans to contest the Seanad election: There are some people who just have a bigger ego than others. And I mean I like him. I worked with him. And hes very bright and hes very intelligent and he has a lot to offer. But like, time to go. Here, there were companies from as far north as Castletownroche 15 miles away and Nadd, Donoughmore and Waterloo, all within five miles march of Bweeng. The biggest company on parade there were the 75 men from Mourneabbey, the parish near Mallow where the Irish Volunteers Cork Brigade commandant Tomas MacCurtain spent his early years. The 220 men who gathered at Bweeng Cross in mid-afternoon were under the command of area battalion commandant Patrick Twomey from Kilmona, who had been briefed on the plans a few days earlier by MacCurtain. On that occasion, the Brigade leader went over details outlined earlier in April. He did not specify the purpose of the exercises, but it was clear to all of us from the particular care taken to ensure the most exact compliance with the orders issued that something out of the ordinary was afoot, Twomey recounted to the Bureau of Military History in 1947. While orders were awaited, the men were taken to a hill about a mile from Bweeng Cross and undertook some military drilling. It was after this had been done and they returned to the crossroads, that MacCurtain arrived by car late on Sunday afternoon, or possibly approaching dark, to give the dismiss orders. The mobilisation at Bweeng had been joined earlier in the afternoon by Michael Lynch from Tracton, who had taken instructions earlier from MacCurtain and his vice-commandant Terence MacSwiney near Beal na Blath. For regular updates on news and features (as well as twitter action action as it may have happened 100 years ago) to mark the revolutionary period follow @theirishrev HERE The brother of Diarmuid Lynch a key figure in the IRBs plot to import the German guns Michael Lynch was travelling on a motorbike whose sidecar was filled with explosives but which never got used. He managed, however, to avoid his cargo being checked by police who were keeping a very close eye on proceedings, as his motorbike and some of the arms brought by the Volunteers were under guard by members of the Courtbrack company. Like most of the other gatherings on the day, the rain-drenched turnout were quite poorly armed. They carried only a few rifles, but did have 120 shotguns that were either owned by the Volunteers or borrowed from local farmers for what they had been expecting to be a two-day training exercise. There were also a few dozen pikes, all brought home again that evening, after MacCurtain dismissed the men. He did tell them first, however, that they were to be ready for fresh orders and keep their weapons to hand. But, as pressure mounted on MacCurtain and MacSwiney in the days that followed to have the Volunteers arms surrendered, fresh orders were sent out to the rural companies to dump their arms where they could avoid being seized. Enjoyed this? Then check out our dedicated micro-site, developed in collaboration with UCC, to mark the revolutionary period HERE Its not looking good. On the one hand, you have Trump. Trumps grandfather was Friedrich Trumpf, from Kallstadt in Germany. Its not impossible that, somehow, one of the Irish Wild Geese, having not found a decent vineyard in France, made their way over the border into the Rhineland-Palatinate, and settled down. (Thats what Wild Geese mainly did, judging by the expensive bit of the wine shelf in my local Spar. They made wine.) Trumps grandfather left because he figured he was never going to get much more than a labouring job, as the sixth child of get this a vineyard owner!!! No, its too flimsy. Are there any other Irish clues in the area? A quick Google reveals an Irish pub called the Molly Malone, and their Facebook page said they were showing the Manchester Utd-Liverpool Europa League match. Thats the most Irish thing you can do: watch two Premiership teams play. Still, though, its not really enough to hang a narrative off that would justify naming a motorway service station after Trump, should he become president. Technically, of course, we dont need him to be of Irish blood. Shur, didnt he buy a hotel here, out of the goodness of his heart? Thats probably the moment that Michael Noonan will look back at and consider to be the start of where it all went wrong: Waiting in the cold with a harpist for Donald Trump to get out of a plane. Ive no doubt its a lovely hotel. Ive heard all the radio ads: The seductive voice of the woman telling us that its time to spoil ourselves with a break. Unfortunately, when she mentions Trump, it has the effect for me of being by a swimming pool relaxing, but then inadvertently glimpsing someones testicle. It just spoils it. Trump probably wont win anyway. Although, if he did, Irish taoisigh on future St Patricks Days would never hand over a bowl of shamrock, with such trepidation for what hed say. You know, Id like to punch you in the face for giving me such a crappy gift. On the other side, we have Hilary Rodham Clinton. All her people were French-Canadian, or English or Welsh. But wasnt Bill Irish? Unfortunately, we could never find any proof. He was definitely Ulster Scots, but thats different. We dont claim the Ulster Scots ones, for some reason, even though 19 of 22 American presidents of Irish descent were Ulster-Scots. I think they might be too Protestant for us. Even though many were Presbyterian and emigrated because of high rents in the 18th century, ah, but still, though, its not the same. But wasnt Obamas ancestor Protestant? Ah, but thats different. Shur, he was from the Tipp-Offaly border, which was located handily within the Irish economic zone. And, anyway, that area is so Irish you could be Shinto there and it wouldnt knock a bit out of you. As time goes on, we need to change the focus. The day of the Irish-American president may be passing. Hispanic America is where its at. The Irish vote mightnt be as important. Even Ronald Reagan didnt want anyone knowing he was Irish before he got elected, in case it put the WASPs off. No, we need to look at it differently. Lets elect a few more TDs of foreign extraction and build the tourism and business links that way. In the future, China will be the worlds largest economy, Poland a European superpower, and Nigeria will have a bigger population than the USA. Theyll have a billion middle-class people between them by 2050. Lets give them a Taoiseach to visit. The bleeding heart liberals (including President Higgins) are in favour of this, but a little reflection gives a different perspective. Turkey has long supported the Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq, as part of (Sultan) Erdogans mad plan to create a new Ottoman empire. Turkey has attacked Kurds in Syria, Iraq and also in Turkey itself. The South East of Turkey (Kurdish area) has become a warzone with brutalities committed daily against the local Kurdish civilians by the Turkish military. In other words, Turkey has been partly responsible for creating the refugee problem, and has the chutzpah to ask Europe to pay for the problem that it has created. Europe can show leadership by 1. Supporting Syria and Iraq in its quest to rid both countries of the Isis [Islamic State] Sunni Muslim terrorists. 2. Supporting the peace process in Syria so that the refugees can return home. 3. Kicking Turkey out of Nato because of its support of Isis and its actions against the Kurds. 4. Stopping supporting Saudi Arabia militarily because of its support for Isis terrorists and its actions in Yemen. 5. Sanctioning Erdogan and his family for profiteering from supporting Isis terrorists and for its actions against the Kurds. The 6bn would be better off spent in Syria rehousing refugees and rebuilding the infrastructure rather than supporting the fascist Erdogan regime. James McCumiskey 19 Rosetta Park Initially, regional government spokesman Jordi Jane said 14 had died in the crash, but interior minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz later confirmed the death toll was 13. He said 28 passengers received medical treatment in local hospitals and others received first aid at the crash site. The bus, which was carrying 57 passengers, appeared to have hit the right-hand side barriers of the AP7 highway before cartwheeling across the road and slamming into the central fence, landing on its side, said Mr Jane, spokesman for Spains Catalonia province. Television images from state broadcaster TVE showed the bus also crashed into an oncoming car on the opposite side of the highway. The bus driver was being held at a police station in the city of Tortosa, Mr Jane said. Road conditions were good at the time of the accident and investigators were looking into the cause of the crash, he said. Mr Fernandez Diaz said the driver passed alcohol and drug tests. The major highway linking Spain with France along the Mediterranean coast was closed in both directions following the crash which took place near Freginals, halfway between Valencia and Barcelona. Mr Jane said the students part of the Erasmus exchange programme had travelled to Valencia to take part in the renowned Fallas fireworks festival and were returning to Barcelona when the bus crashed. The minister said students were of several nationalitiesand most were studying at two universities in Barcelona. The Erasmus programme provides foreign exchange courses for students from countries within the 28-nation EU and enables them to attend many of the continents best universities. The Fallas festival is held each year in Valencia on the feast day of St Joseph and draws thousands of tourists. Large wooden monuments and effigies representing famous people often in humourous postures that local workshops take a year to build are burned in a colourful ceremony accompanied by a barrage of fireworks. Iain Duncan Smith has delivered a devastating attack on the British governments austerity drive, accusing David Cameron and George Osborne of balancing the books on the backs of struggling working people and the vulnerable. As Tory infighting spiralled out of control in the wake of his dramatic resignation, the former work and pensions secretary condemned the chancellors arbitrary cap on welfare spending and obsession with short term savings. Energy secretary Amber Rudd immediately lashed out at Duncan Smiths high moral tone and dismissed the critique as completely wrong. Meanwhile, ministers at his old department clashed openly after pensions minister Baroness Altmann accused him of causing maximum damage in order to get Britain out of the EU. Speaking on the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show, the former Conservative leader insisted his decision to quit was not personal or a secondary attack on the PM. He said he felt the Conservatives were abandoning their One Nation approach and his position had become impossible amid massive pressure to finalise deep cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for the budget. Duncan Smith said he finally chose to go after finding out that Osborne had juxtaposed the 1.3 billion (1.6bn) a year PIP curbs with tax cuts for the better off. I am concerned that this government that I want to succeed is not actually able to do the kind of things that it should because it has become too focused on narrowly getting the deficit down without being able to say where that should fall, other than simply on those who I think progressively can less afford to have that fall on them, he said. The truth is, we need to get the deficit down, but we need to make sure we widen the scope of where we look to get that deficit down and not just narrow it down on working age benefits. Because otherwise it just looks like we see it as a pot of money, that it doesnt matter because they dont vote for us. Asked why he decided to go even though the Treasury had signalled a last-minute climbdown on the PIP issue, Duncan Smith said the department would still have been forced to find equivalent savings. The former Tory leader said he had to consider whether the compromises of being in government benefit or damage society. He said the Government had already stripped 33bn out of working age benefits. Duncan Smith flatly denied his decision had anything to do with personal animosity to Osborne or his desire for Britain to leave the EU. Dont doubt my motive on this. I am not about seeing the PM depart, because if there were a vote tomorrow I would vote for him. I want the team to succeed as a one nation team, he said. The 40-ft high duck presides over Sao Paulos Avenida Paulista, Brazils economic nexus. It has landed on the esplanade in the capital Brasilia, while its ducklings swam in the reflecting pool outside congress. The duck and its brood have also hit the sands of Copacabana Beach, a prime place to see and be seen in Rio de Janeiro. Brazils business leaders have adopted the duck to fight against what they describe as the economic quackery of Rousseff, a leftist who is facing growing pressure to quit and struggling to pull the economy out of its deepest recession in 25 years. Enough of paying the duck, said Paulo Skaf, president of the Federation of Industries of the State of Sao Paulo, in a video earlier this month urging Brazilians to demonstrate against Rousseffs government. To pay the duck in Brazilian Portuguese means to unfairly pay for someone elses mistakes. Since Rousseff took office in 2011, Brazils economy has gone from being one of the worlds fastest growing major economies to one of its worst performers, contracting by 3.8% in 2015. Boatally bonkers ENGLAND: A state-of-the-art polar research ship could be called Boaty McBoatface after more than 16,500 people voted for the name online. James Hand, who put the suggestion forward, described it as an absolutely brilliant name. Other ideas include RRS (Royal Research Ship) David Attenborough, RRS Usain Bolt, RRS Boat, RRS Pingu, and RRS Its Bloody Cold Here. The nomination RRS Henry Worsley, after the explorer who died trying to make the first unassisted solo crossing of the Antarctic in January, is currently the second most popular with around 2,400 votes. Poetry in motion AUSTRIA: Budding poets can use their words to get a free coffee. Viennese coffee firm Julius Meinl is marking World Poetry Daytoday with a Pay With A Poem initiative. Customers can visit any participating location in more than 30 countries and pay with a handwritten poem which will be used by artist Robert Montgomery for a new artwork. Pizza strop USA: Pittsburgh police say a man upset that his pizza delivery was late went to the restaurant, broke things, and threw objects at staff. Neil Orr, 59, has been charged with aggravated assault, terrorist threats, and other charges after the melee at Italian Village Pizza. Police say Orr was told his pizza would be delivered in 30 to 45 minutes and he called to complain when he still didnt have a pizza after an hour. Police say Orr then went to the shop, threw several unspecified objects at employees, and broke some glass. He was hit in the head by something and started bleeding. Puppy love USA: A vet helped save the life of an ailing New Mexico dog after discovering the source of the pups pain a stuffed toy polar bear. Santa Fe Animal Humane officials said the 6in-long bear was discovered in the dogs stomach during surgery. A vet said the dog named Honey had been sick for about a week and would have likely died within two days. The dog is now expected to survive. The site is struggling to attract new users, has seen share prices tumble, and faces continued questions over how it handles abuse. Five hundred million tweets are now sent every day, with 200bn posted every year and hashtags such as #JeSuisParis in the wake of the November terrorist attacks in the French capital dominating international debate online. Tempers flared at the rally, but without the violence that marred Trumps event in Chicago a week earlier. For hours, about two dozen protesters parked their cars in the middle of the main road to the event, unfurling banners reading Dump Trump and Must Stop Trump, and chanting Trump is hate. Traffic was backed up for miles, with drivers honking in fury. The road was eventually cleared and protesters marched down the road to the rally site, weaving between supporters of Trump who booed and jeered them. Trump was in Arizona to campaign ahead of tomorrows primary in which the winner will take all 58 delegates at stake. Polls show him leading his rivals in the border state where his hard line on immigration has drawn support from Republican voters. Trump was introduced at the rally by Joe Arpaio, the tough-talking sheriff of Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and nearly two-thirds of Arizonas population. Arpaio has supported harsh measures to deal with immigrants living illegally in the US. He has forced inmates to wear pink underwear and live outside in tents during 38C-plus heat. Trumps main rivals, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, are desperately trying to prevent the real estate mogul from accumulating the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination at the partys national convention in July. They are hoping for a contested convention in which delegates would be freed to turn from Trump if he failed to win a majority on the first ballot. He has won 678 delegates so far. Cruz is in second place with 423 delegates, and Kasich is third with 143. His rivals hope to offset a likely Trump win in Arizona with a strong showing in the Utah caucuses, where Mormons account for two-thirds of the states 3m residents. Limited polling shows Trump running second to Cruz, but ahead of Kasich, said Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. The delegates will be distributed according to percentage of votes unless a candidate gets more than 50%, which would give that person all 40 delegates. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and the Mormon faiths most visible member, said he intends to vote for Cruz in the caucuses, but stopped short of endorsing the Texas senator. Asia Exiled Tibetans Vote for Government Shunned by China The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile calls for China to engage in dialogue on autonomy for his peoples homeland. DHARMSALA, India The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile called Sunday for China to engage in dialogue on autonomy for his peoples homeland, as tens of thousands of Tibetans around the world voted for new leaders of a government that Beijing does not recognize. Buddhist monks in crimson robes lined up along with hundreds of Tibetan men and women in schools, government buildings and the courtyard of the Tsuglakhang Temple in Indias northern city of Dharmsala, where the exiled government is based, to cast their votes for prime minister and parliament. They started to line up early Sunday, carrying their Green Bookspassport-size booklets that record their paid taxes and are mandatory for Tibetans to be eligible to vote. The voters stood patiently, at times for more than an hour, as they waited for their turn to mark their choices on ballot papers printed with the images of the two prime minister candidates. Elderly Tibetans carrying walking sticks and rosaries were assisted by government officials in voting. The ballot boxes were fashioned out of painted tin boxes with hinged lids. Separate boxes were marked in Tibetan for the election of the prime minister and for parliament. It was the second election since the Dalai Lama stepped down as head of the government-in-exile in 2011 to focus on his role as the Tibetans spiritual leader. Some 80,000 voters were registered, and results are expected next month. Lobsang Sangay, the incumbent prime minister, arrived with his young daughter to cast his vote at a polling booth in a government building. The dialogue [with China] will be the main initiative, Lobsang, who is running for re-election against parliamentary speaker Penpa Tsering, told reporters. I hope Chinese President Xi Jinping in his second term in 2017 will look at the Tibetan issue and take the initiative to hold talks with Tibetan exiles, he said. Lobsang added, however, that the reality on the ground is repression. China says Tibet has historically been part of its territory since the mid-13th century, and the Communist Party has governed the Himalayan region since 1951. But many Tibetans say that they were effectively independent for most of their history, and that the Chinese government wants to exploit their resource-rich region while crushing their cultural identity. The Dalai Lama and his followers have been living in exile in Dharmsala since they fled Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. China doesnt recognize the Tibetan government-in-exile, and hasnt held any dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010. We never recognize this so-called government-in-exile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular news conference Thursday in Beijing. We hope that all countries in this world, especially those that want to maintain friendly relations with China, will not provide facilities or venues for any anti-China, separatist activities by the so-called Tibet independence forces. Both prime minister candidates support the middle way approach advocated by the Dalai Lama, which calls for seeking regional autonomy under Chinese rule. Some Tibetan groups advocate independence for Tibet, since little progress has been made in dialogue with China. But their representatives couldnt win enough support in the first round of voting last year to be in the running for the prime ministers post. There has been little discussion about the future of Tibet, said Bhuchung D. Sonam, a Tibetan writer. For example, how the two candidates would approach the issue of Tibet in terms of talking to China. Lobsang said he wants Indias government to recognize Tibet as a core issue of its policy. New Delhi considers Tibet as part of China, though it is hosting the Tibetan exiles. He said that Tibet has become more of an issue for India, and mentioned New Delhis concerns over the falling water levels of the Brahmputra River, which flows from Tibet into India, as well as plans for a railway link. In that sense, I think Tibet is becoming an important issue not just simply for human rights, but also from a geopolitical point of view, an environment point of view and from a climate change point of view, he said. Exiled Tibetan officials say at least 114 monks and laypeople have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule over their homeland in the past five years, with most of them dying. US government-backed Radio Free Asia puts the number of self-immolations at 144 since 2009. Beijing blames the Dalai Lama and others for inciting the immolations and says it has made vast investments to develop Tibets economy and improve quality of life. Burma Parliament Approves President-Elects Proposal to Downsize Ministries In a proposal supported by nearly 95 percent of lawmakers, President-elect Htin Kyaw stressed the importance of reducing the number of ministries. RANGOON In a proposal supported by nearly 95 percent of lawmakers on Monday, Burmas President-elect Htin Kyaw stressed the importance of downsizing the Parliament-approved list of government ministries. Leading his first legislative discussion, Htin Kyaw was given the stage to explain a plan he submitted on March 17 suggesting a reduction of the executive cabinet from 36 ministries to 21. These ministries would be led by 18 ministers approved by the Parliament and three ministers appointed by the military. Htin Kyaw is expected to put forward nominees for ministerial positions on Tuesday. Under his proposal, 10 existing ministries would remain unchanged. Meanwhile, some would be subsumed into others, with 10 ministries merging into five. Htin Kyaw also proposed a new ministry to cover ethnic affairs. He addressed concerns that the reduction of government ministries would leave current staff jobless, promising that they will be able to continue their work as long as it is done in accordance with the law. We will create job security [for existing staff] by transferring them to relevant offices, Htin Kyaw explained. He also said that the proposed eliminations and mergers would establish a more efficient cabinet, and that capacity building trainings were planned for staff. The downsizing of the cabinet will save five billion kyats (more than US$4.1 million) in salariesover the next five years, he explained to the lawmakers. That money can be used for education, health and the rural development of the country. A total of 647 lawmakers were present at Mondays session, of which 611 voted in favor of reducing the number of ministries, while three MPs were opposed to the idea and 22 abstained from voting. Similarly, 601 lawmakers voted to keep the number of non-military ministers at 18, while 22 lawmakers opposed it and 14 abstained. After the vote, Union Parliament Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than declared that the proposals had been approved. Burma Spotlight on UV Dangers Ahead of Thingyan Revelry Burmese meteorologist Tun Lwin cautions young revelers during Thingyan to protect against UV exposure during the week-long water festival next month. RANGOON Burmese meteorologist Tun Lwin has cautioned young revelers during Thingyan to protect against UV exposure during the week-long water festival in April, given the dangerously high heat index spurred by a persistent El Nino weather pattern this year. In particular, Tun Lwin warned on Sunday, at a public talk in Rangoon organized by the National League for Democracy (NLD), of an increased risk of skin cancer and other weather-related maladies as participants in the festival, which over the years has become increasingly associated with drunkenness and drug use, might be overexposed to the unusually high temperatures gripping the country. Because people will get wet during the water festival and be unprotected against the [heat from the suns] reflection from water, UV exposure will be worse than in any other period. People are also likely to stay in the sun longer during the festival, Tun Lwin said. At a minimum, Tun Lwin noted, UV exposure can cause sunburn, while overexposure can increase ones risk of skin cancer, short-sightedness and infertility. It is best to avoid going outside between 11am and 3pm, when the UV rays are strongest. But if people wont listen, I urge [them] to take protection before going outside, he said, advising festival-goers to wear hats, long-sleeve clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen. El Nino, which has a 12- to 18-month cycle, is forecast to produce dangerous heat waves for the next three months. Accordingly, the government has warned people to prepare for potential health advisories and water shortages, particularly in the agriculture sector. Burma Suu Kyi to Control Govt as Party Head: NLD Spokesman Aung San Suu Kyi will steer the incoming government of her National League for Democracy, staying on as party head, a party spokesman says. NAYPYIDAW Burma democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi will steer the incoming government of her National League for Democracy (NLD), staying on as party head, and is unlikely to take a formal position in the government, the party said on Sunday. Burmas Parliament last week elected Htin Kyaw, a close friend and confidant of the Nobel peace prize laureate, as president, making him the first head of state since the 1960s who does not hail from a military background. Suu Kyi led the NLD to a historic landslide election win in November, but a Constitution drafted by the former junta bars her from the top office because her two children and her late husband do not have Burmese citizenship. Suu Kyi has vowed to defy the Constitution described by senior NLD members as ridiculous, pledging to run the country from above the president. The party has not clarified how such an arrangement would be implemented, fueling speculation about possible positions Suu Kyi might assume after the government takes office on April 1. Taking positions is not that important any more. In the United States, there are many famous lawmakers in the parliament who are very influential, but they dont take any position in the cabinet, Zaw Myint Maung, an NLD spokesman and one of its leaders, told Reuters late on Sunday. Its the same here. She will lead the [ruling] party, so she will [by extension] lead the government formed by that party, said the spokesman, in the most detailed remarks on the issue by a senior NLD politician to date. He did not elaborate on the partys plans. Win Htein, another top NLD leader and Suu Kyi confidant, told Reuters in November that Suu Kyi could be something like Sonia Gandhi. Suu Kyi herself said in October that her plan was not quite like that, but she did not provide details on her plans. Gandhi is the Italian-born widow of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. As leader of the Congress party, she dominated the government of former Prime Minister Mahmohan Singh before it fell from power in 2014. Burmas powerful military holds a quarter of parliamentary seats and the constitutional right to nominate one of the three presidential candidates. Its candidate, retired lieutenant-general Myint Swe, last week became the countrys vice president No. 1. Relations between the armed forces and Suu Kyi will define the success of Burmas most significant break from military rule since the army seized power in 1962. The NLD spokesman said that on Monday, President-elect Htin Kyaw would speak in Parliament about reducing the number of government ministries. Last week the NLD said it would slash the number of ministries by about a third to 21. Burma Ethnic Leaders Discuss Federal Constitution Leaders of the UNFC, an ethnic armed group alliance, begin a six-day federal constitution drafting workshop. Leaders of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an ethnic armed group alliance, began a six-day federal constitution drafting workshop on Monday in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. The workshop is being facilitated by the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center (ENAC), a resource center supporting the peace process through policy development. Through engagement with local and international experts, attendants said that the meetings primary discussion will center on the key principles and characteristics of a union constitution. Nai Hong Sar, the UNFC vice chairman, told reporters that they were preparing themselves for future discussions with political parties and government representatives by brushing up on knowledge of federalism. We all are asking for a genuine federal constitution in our country, and so we need to have advanced knowledge about that, he said. Sai Kyaw Nyunt, a representative of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) political party coalition and a delegate to the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), also briefed the attendants about federalism discussions in Januarys UPDJC meeting. Throughout the week, experts and leaders in the workshop will explore how federalism in Burma might be structured, through the division of power, the composition of parliament and the establishment of security forces. One idea which has been put forward in Burma is that of eight states, including seven regions representing various ethnic nationalities, and one designated as central Burma. Currently, Burma has seven ethnic states along the northern, eastern and western parts of the country and seven central divisions, which critics say creates an imbalance of power. Aung Htoo, a human rights lawyer, who heads the Legal Aid Network, said that equal rights should be guaranteed for residents of all states, to dispel the notion that having ones own state, demarcated along ethnic lines, is the best solution to Burmas problems. There have also been advocates calling for the consideration of more, rather than fewer, states in the country; specifically, representatives from the Wa, Palaung (Taang) and Pa-O requested their own self-administrated states. Burma does not need rigid centralization of power, Aung Htoo added, referencing India as a neighbor practicing the type of federalism from which lessons for Burma could be drawn. We must build a federal union by allowing the states to have more power, he said. Experts at the workshop also credited federal systems in Europe, such as those in Switzerland and Germany, as positive examples for Burma, particularly regarding sovereign state power. Aung Htoo added that more needs to be done to enhance public understanding of genuine federalism, through consultations and a dialogue on ethnic groups hopes for the country. Peace building, he explained, should be achieved before undertaking further economic development. In the final days of the workshop, senior UNFC leaders will share their input for an upcoming federal constitution draft. The Irrawaddys Kyaw Kha contributed to this report from Chiang Mai. Interview NLD Spokesman: Civil-Military Relations Need to Be Warm The NLD spokesman Dr. Zaw Myint Maung discusses a range of issues confronting Burmas incoming government ahead of a power transfer due April 1. Dr. Zaw Myint Maung was recently designated the sole member of the National League for Democracy (NLD)other than its chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyiauthorized to speak officially on the partys behalf. A lawmaker in the Mandalay Division legislature, Zaw Myint Maung joined the party shortly after its tumultuous formation amid nationwide pro-democracy protests in 1988, and was elected in a general election two years later in an NLD landslide that the ruling junta of the time ignored. He recently sat down with The Irrawaddy to discuss a range of issues confronting Burmas incoming NLD government, including a streamlining of the executive branch, the controversial Chinese-backed Myitsone dam hydropower project, the military and its relationship with party leader Suu Kyi. As his answers make clear, however, the NLD is remaining tight-lipped on specifics ahead of a power transfer due April 1. People voted for the NLD because they want change. What will be the difficulties for the NLD to make radical changes that reach the grassroots? At present, the directors-general and staff on the ground are used to old habits. How will the NLD try to change system? Yes, it is a challenge for the new government. In making changes to the old administrative apparatus, which all government employees are used to, we need to take a top-down approach and set out policy guidelines. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said that government staff need not worry about their future, and that she would not slash the government workforce. No matter what they did in the past, weve all blotted them out. But they need to work cleanly and serve the interests of the people when they work under our government. Well encourage them to do so. If they continue to be corrupt and dont serve the publics interests, well take action against them. Firstly, well persuade them, and train them. Well tell them to work honestly with genuine goodwill and avoid corruption in doing the works of public service delivery. Mainly, policies will decide how far the changes will go. Government staff are now worried about the cutting of ministries. Dont worry. To be frank, we want to reduce government expenditure. There will be transfers and well arrange for staff to transfer to departments they desire. But they need to undergo training if they are not qualified for a transfer. I would say they dont need to worry about it. Most of the permanent secretaries of the ministries are former military service personnel. What role will they be assigned under the new government? Frankly speaking, we are ready to work with anyone if that serves the interests of the country and citizens. Well not care about who he is. The most important thing is to work honestly with genuine goodwill and without corruption. People have suffered for around 50 years waiting for changes. Now the opportunities have come for us. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said that there is no dignity higher than that of serving the country. Why did the NLD decide to keep the Information Ministry? We think we should maintain the Information Ministry because for the time being, we want to educate people about certain things and talk about certain things. I have said that we would not use the ministry for propaganda. Weve decided to keep the ministry to display transparency and accountability. Will the NLD appoint deputy ministers? As we are preparing to reduce ministries, we are also taking steps to reduce the ministers. I wont say we will not appoint a deputy minister at all. The permanent secretary has to do the job of deputy minister. It is the permanent secretaries who will run the ministries. And well have to lay down guidelines for them. In the parliamentary era, the permanent secretary was the post of deputy minister. Only those who are capable were appointed to that post. We may appoint deputy ministers if necessary. Were not saying we wont appoint deputy minister at all. What can you say about press freedom in the time of the NLD government? Lets speak frankly about media freedom: The things you are talking about today, such as access to information and right to know, are starting to be addressed by Parliament. If the Parliament takes responsibility for it, media will enjoy those rights to the extent that the legislation enshrines. Rather than the government enabling such things, it would be better if they are legitimized at Parliament and exercised according to the law. I do want to see the development of media. Will Daw Aung San Suu Kyi take an official position in the government? Is there any way she can still become president? To be frank, it is too early to answer your question. For example, what positions did U Ne Win hold in the time of the Burma Socialist Programme Party [BSPP]? Presidents changed, but he still held the party chairmanship. Another example is Mao Zedong. In a democratic country, both the government and the parliament have to operate under the policy of the ruling party. So, as long as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the chairwoman of the NLD, she is the chairwoman of all. People are concerned that the Myitsone dam [hydropower project] may be resumed during the new governments term. An NLD leader has also said the project may be resumed in a different form. How does the NLD plan to strike a balance between building good relations with China and managing anti-China sentiments among Burmese people? Your question is a very tough question, quite difficult to answer. Our policy is to serve the people. But we have to consider the question of geopolitics. China is our neighbor and so is India. To stand with dignity between these two countries, we have to be able to stand as a genuine democratic and federal Union. I mean if we are a democratic federal Union, well be able to stand tall with our territorial integrity no matter how powerful other countries are. We know nothing about the Myitsone dam project, and neither does Parliament. The previous Parliament also knew nothing about it. And our new government does not know anything about it. To solve the problem, we have to know first what the terms of the dam were. China is talking about the dam recently, but it is just talking about what it wants to see happen. A senior NLD members remarks about the dam are also just his view. I dare say nothing before I know details about the dam agreement. But I want to repeat that our policy focuses on the people. Both Burmans and non-Burman ethnicities have welcomed the creation of an Ethnic Affairs Ministry. What approach will the NLD adopt to address ethnic issues? It is not an issue that has recently appeared. It has existed since a long time ago. As to the Ethnic Affairs Ministry, we must well understand that our country is a multi-ethnic country. It is important that our country gets peace. Democracy cant be built without peace. In our country, civil war was born with independence. To handle ethnic issues, we have to take care of internal peace. Ethnicities have their fundamental rights. Our land is a land of equal rights and correct policies. How can peace be achieved unless and until ethnicities and Bamars [majority Burmans] enjoy freedom, justice and equality on equal terms? To ensure these three things means handling the ethnic issues, doesnt it? The previous government was able to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement with eight ethnic armed groups. But many more have not yet signed it. How much further does the NLD expect to push the peace process over the next five years? It is one of our priorities. It is not that well do this first and do that later. We will handle priorities at the same time wherever possible. The NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement] is important in the peace process. A ceasefire agreement is the thing between the military and ethnic armed groups, and peacemaking is something between government and ethnic parties, and this is one of our priorities. You were frequently seen at meetings between the commander-in-chief and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. What do you think of the relationship between the military and her? I am not authorized to comment. But, they welcome us warmly. We are also warm toward them. Civil-military relations also exist in other countries. The civil-military relationship needs to be warm, especially when a country is changed from authoritarian regime to democracy. I dont think there will be problems while the leadership remains dedicated to building the nation. What measures will the NLD take to eradicate deeply rooted corruption and bribery in the country? In the time of the previous government, [giving government personnel] a present of more than 300,000 kyats [US$250] was prohibited. It will be embarrassing if we cant do as much as we say. We need to fight corruption. The corruption index of our country is really poor, it is almost the worst [in the world]. We need to improve it. There must be an anti-corruption commission. Warning is not just enough, actions must be taken. There will be fewer cases of corruption and bribery if we take actions. We need to reconsider the gift policy. We need to learn the amount of gifts usually given in other countries. As far as I know, $100 is the maximum. We need to consider these things when we think about anti-corruption. I would say just wait and watch. Regarding land confiscation, though the U Thein Sein government gave compensation and returned some lands, only a small percentage of landowners have gotten back their lands. What will be the land policies and agricultural development policies of the NLD government? It is one of our priorities. It is the people, the farmers, who bear the brunt of land confiscation. This must be resolved. At present, we cant say how much we will reduce poverty. Poverty must be reduced if we want to bring development for the country. Burma Road-Weary Paletwa Residents Protest for District Status About 200 residents of Chin States Paletwa Township protest for district status, which they say would save them from burdensome travel for administrative matters. RANGOON About 200 Paletwa Township residents staged a protest on Monday, calling for an administrative upgrading of their town in Chin State to district status, said township authority Maung Maung Soe. The sanctioned protest began at 10am on Monday and was led by the chairman of the Khumi National Party (KNP), Tun Kyaw, who could not be reached for comment on Monday. Paletwa resident Aike Nyi Htwe participated in the protest and said if Paletwa were upgraded to district status, people wouldnt have to travel as many miles to report to government offices or district-level judiciary cases, as is currently the case. When we have to do something on the district level, we must go through Arakan State and Mandalay to reach Matupi, he said, referring to another township that currently serves as the district-level administrative seat for Paletwa. If they designate our town [district status], we wont need to travel anymore. Paletwa residents travel by bus to Matupi, their capital Hakha and other cities in the state, undertaking journeys that can sometimes take more than 48 hours to reach their destination due to a lack of well-connected roads between townships. Though Matupi lies less than 45 miles northeast of Paletwa, mountainous terrain and a more direct road passable only by motorbike in the dry months require the circuitous route that sees travelers pass through Arakan State, and Magwe and Mandalay divisions, before re-entering Chin State from the east. For the last five years, Paletwa lawmaker Pike Lin has submitted a proposal to Parliament to earn his township district status, but because of the towns weak infrastructure, the more developed Matupi Township was favored instead, in a vote in the Chin State legislature, said Maung Maung Soe. He said construction on a 100-mile highway between Paletwa and Matupi Township began last year but was never finished, rendering parts of it impassible during the raining season. He added that construction might finish in 2016. Paletwa is in southwestern Chin State, near Burmas border with Bangladesh. Locals want to develop their border as a trade zone, similar to Myawaddy in Karen State, on the Thai border. Maung Maung Soe said if the Indian government were to help in the construction of a highway linking Paletwa with the Indian border, the region could develop quickly. 6 Ways to Win the IT Talent War and Retain Top Performers Last week, I wrote about Jessica Kriegel, senior organization development consultant at Oracle, who argues that generational stereotypes, like the widespread notions weve all read about millennials as entitled, tech-savvy, structure-averse job-hoppers, are harmful to workplace fairness and productivity. In my interview with Kriegel, I also drilled down on the issue of stereotyping as it pertains to IT professionals, which warrants further discussion here. I found Kriegel, a millennial herself, to be persuasive in her argument, which she makes in her new book, Unfairly Labeled: How Your Workplace Can Benefit from Ditching Generational Stereotypes. I also found her to be refreshingly candid. She didnt miss a beat, for example, in responding to my question about what sorts of generational stereotyping she has found to be most common within Oracle: I can only speak to the groups that I have worked with. I was brought in to work with the product development team. The managers were basically saying that millennials could not easily transition from college to corporate. They felt like millennials were bringing the college campus style to the corporate atmosphere. So I was brought in to resolve that issueto teach the millennials how to be more professional, more corporate, and less casual and college-like. That manifested itself in many ways. Some of it had to do with dress code; some of it had to do with productivity; some of it had to do with expectations with regard to work/life balance. We conducted numerous focus groups, studies, and surveys to understand really what was at the core of the issue. What we found wasnt necessarily that these millennials didnt want to dress more professionally, or they didnt want to be more productive. They were lacking some of the tools, because there was less communication happening between the managers and the millennial college hires than there needed to be. So instead of teaching these millennials how to dress, what we ended up doing was facilitating communication between the managers and the millennials, so that expectations were set. Once that communication started happening, we saw a massive uptick in productivity, and a massive uptick in job satisfaction, on both the manager side and the millennial side. So the issue wasnt that they wanted to do it differently. They didnt have the communication from their older coworkers that they needed. Kriegel went on to address the issue of how IT professionals are stereotyped in a broader sense: IT professionals in general, regardless of generation, are typically considered to be more academic, more nerdy, whatever. Those are stereotypes that are just as damaging as generational stereotypesthats why I think all of these broad categories are not necessarily useful. If were talking about millennials, thats so broadthere are 80 million millennials in America. If were talking about IT professionals that are millennials, that are in Silicon Valley, that are affluent, that are living in the city, now Im getting a little bit clearer picture of whom were talking about. Because some millennials are CEOs in Silicon Valley, and some millennials are illegal immigrants who are waiting tables. Those two people are not going to be very similar when it comes to what they buy, or how they want to be managed, necessarily. Kriegel was also keen to challenge the concept that millennials are digital natives, while the older generations are the digital immigrants: That is probably the most widely accepted stereotype, because of studies that show technology use among millennials is higher than it is among baby boomers, which is truethats a fact. But if you dig a little deeper, technology use is strongly associated with economic status and social class. So if you look at Hispanic millennials compared to white Gen Xers, for example, Hispanic millennials do not use technology more than white Gen Xers. So theres a major socio-economic layer there that people ignore, that I think is important. Also, studies have been done that show that younger people dont use technology for collaborative, interactive, content-creation communities that we all experience. Most young people are actually just using technology for passive media consumption. So I think there are common stereotypes that, even statistically when we look at trends, arent true the way we think they are. Kriegel said its very important for people in every generation to understand the stereotypes that are associated with their generation, so that they can combat them if they choose to: It could be that the stereotypes associated with your generation perfectly describe you. Im not saying that no one fits that constructIm sure that exists a lot. Its a matter of whether you want to be associated with that construct. As a millennial, do you want to be perceived as entitled, as wanting to change the world, as being tech-savvy? Personally, I dont like being considered tech-savvy, because I know that Im not. Ive never used Facebook in my life; Im very uncomfortable with technology in general. One of the brilliant ideas that these generation experts have created in order to facilitate inter-generational personal skills is a program called co-mentoring, where theyll pair a baby boomer with a millennial. The baby boomer will mentor the millennial on how to act appropriately, and the millennial is supposed to mentor the baby boomer on technology. If I were placed in that program, I would be very embarrassed, because I know there are many baby boomers at Oracle who are much more tech-savvy than I am. Being associated with tech-savviness places me in a box I dont want to be in, because it raises expectations. So it makes a lot of sense to understand the stereotypes associated with your generation, so you can be aware of how your behavior might be associated with that, or how peoples minds might go to that. For example, I know that I need to dress very sharp, all the time, as a millennial, because there is a perception that millennials are kind of lazy, they dont want to look professional, they dont know how to act appropriately professionally, when it comes to the dress code. I never want to be associated with that, so I almost over-compensate by making sure that I look extra good whenever Im at headquarters. A contributing writer on IT management and career topics with IT Business Edge since 2009, Don Tennant began his technology journalism career in 1990 in Hong Kong, where he served as editor of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. After returning to the U.S. in 2000, he became Editor in Chief of the U.S. edition of Computerworld, and later assumed the editorial directorship of Computerworld and InfoWorld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. Follow him on Twitter @dontennant. Cloud Forecast: Where Its Been and Where Its Heading The enterprise is eager to implement private and hybrid clouds even though full public infrastructure is likely to be less costly, more scalable and more flexible. At the same time, organizations are looking to supplement legacy virtual resources with advanced container platforms in support of broad service- and microservice-based data environments. Clearly, there must be a way to bring all of these technologies together so that everyone is happy. Microsoft is looking at containers as a key opportunity to draw more enterprise workloads to its Azure cloud. The company is close to releasing the next version of Windows Servers that features Hyper-V container technology to provide a distributed environment that the enterprise can use to deploy and manage self-contained virtual environments both on-premises and in the cloud. The company is rather late to the container game, as it was with the virtual machine, but its reach into legacy data environments is considerable, and many organizations will no doubt find it appealing to suddenly gain the ability to pool container services across hybrid clouds simply by upgrading their existing server environment. Cisco is taking much the same tack with its installed enterprise networking base. At the recent Cisco Partner Summit in San Diego, Cisco CTO Zorawar Biri Singh estimated that upwards of 30 percent of the public cloud workload will be pulled back into private or hybrid infrastructure due to the rise of containers. Leveraging Cisco systems like UCS and the emerging HyperFlex and DNA platforms, enterprises will be able to deliver high levels of scalability and flexibility within their own plants, most likely running critical apps and services on trusted infrastructure and porting only basic workloads to the public cloud. All of this talk about broadly distributed container environments marshalled under legacy data center stacks has Docker scrambling to deliver its own cloud orchestration solution. The company recently purchased container management service Tutum and renamed it Docker Cloud with an eye toward integrating it with other aspects of the Docker management stack to enable multi-cloud support, application mobility and targeted use cases for deployment into vertical markets. As with Microsoft and Cisco, the idea is to make it easier for the enterprise to integrate Docker containers into both their legacy infrastructure and growing cloud deployments while keeping the value-added management capabilities within the Docker portfolio. This is a tall order given the plethora of container management stacks that are hitting the market. Google is already well ahead with its Kubernetes platform, which was recently adopted by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation as its container orchestration solution, although the Docker Swarm platform is gaining converts due to its cloud-agnostic architecture and improved performance in highly scaled environments. In the meantime, the Open Container Initiative is developing its own standard runtime and image specifications for Linux-based containers, while Amazon is devising a container management stack for EC3 workloads. The market for container technology is simply too lucrative to expect much cooperation among developers or exceedingly broad interoperability among solutions. But this wont be as big of a problem as it was with previous generations of technology because the enterprise is no longer confined to the limits of its own data center when supporting key applications. As containers make it easier to push workloads onto the cloud, organizations will have the leeway to select infrastructure that conforms to their needs, rather than scale back expectations to within the confines of available resources. In other words, no matter which container environment and management/orchestration stack you choose, there should be ample compatible infrastructure out there somewhere that can scale to your requirements. Arthur Cole writes about infrastructure for IT Business Edge. Cole has been covering the high-tech media and computing industries for more than 20 years, having served as editor of TV Technology, Video Technology News, Internet News and Multimedia Weekly. His contributions have appeared in Communications Today and Enterprise Networking Planet and as web content for numerous high-tech clients like TwinStrata and Carpathia. Follow Art on Twitter @acole602. Social engineering is increasingly being used to send out highly targeted emails in the hope that someone will be stupid enough to click on a link, install malware, and go to hell! Corporate Phishing emails purporting to be from real companies - has become the latest attack vector. The human factor makes it almost impossible to protect against the harm it can cause. Fake messages are being sent by cybercriminals in the name of reputable companies without the brand even suspecting the abuse. While first focusing on banks, electronic payment systems and online stores, cybercriminals are now even abusing the identity of logistics companies. Basically every brand with a good reputation based on consumer trust is a potential target, explained Julia Janssen-Holldiek, Certified Senders Alliance (CSA) Manager for Business Development & ISP Relations. If a spoofed email gets wide circulation and contains a payload - such as links to websites containing malware - people tend to ignore or block future emails from that organisation. Imagine the lost business opportunity as real emails may not be opened. iTWire has written about Email attacks that avoid Authentication and the use of DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Compliance) that, via consistent monitoring of the senders email authentication, allows companies to protect their good name and ensure that phishing emails do not get through. The e-mail authentication protocol DMARC and the related technologies Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) significantly help to reduce identity abuse. As a result, brands have the opportunity to make their emails clearly identifiable as authenticated for the ISP, and therefore prevent fake emails from getting through to their customers. International companies like AOL, Google and Microsoft highly recommend the implementation of DMARC. Using DMARC, leveraging its reporting and policy capabilities helps to reduce spoofed mail to almost zero, explains Marcel Becker, Director Product Mail with AOL.> DMARC makes it easier for the receivers by not letting spoofed mail corrupt the senders reputation, says Sri Somanchi, Product Manager with Google. As email threats and spear fishing grow, every business should make email authentication, and especially DMARC, a priority to help protect their customers, their employees and their brands emphasizes Conor Morrison, Principal Program Manager Information Protection with Microsoft. But the move to DMARC is not fast enough. CSA has prepared a whitepaper that should be compulsory reading to any brand manager to raise awareness of the issue and the ways that DMARC can prevent it. It is also hosting its 2016 Summit from 20-22 April in Cologne, Germany where you can hear speakers on the theme of Trust. Issues such as Trust along the email value chain; Building up trust with brands; Building up trust with ESP's; Building up trust with ISP's and Mail Security Providers; and much more. As a fair slice of marketing budgets are devoted to email campaigns, this may be a good excuse to get over to Germany. Security information and event management (SIEM) is an approach to security management that provides a holistic view of an organization's IT security. The buzzword in 2015 was cyber threat intelligence (CTI) - everyone wanted useful data and analytical tools for next-gen cyber security to detect and respond to threats faster. The industry responded by providing a plethora of CTI products. Matt Willems, a four-year, Labs Engineer, at LogRhythm has written a good overview of CTI and SIEM. Of course it is from a LogRhythm perspective. He works closely with the Machine Data Intelligence team to collect consistent data for its Co-Pilot Program, develop new rule blocks for advanced correlation and builds parsing rules to support new devices. He also provides Incident Response supportanalysing and interpreting data and delivering up-to-date content for the Knowledge Base to neutralize threats faster. He starts by defining what cyber threat intelligence means and how to leverage successfully the information that is already in the SIEM ecosystem. What is Cyber Threat Intelligence? SC Magazines free Cyberthreat Intelligence e-book, (registration required) discusses CTI, the benefits of integrating into an organizations defence strategy, as well as the different threat sharing initiatives and alliances. Gartner defines CTI as evidence-based knowledge - including context, mechanisms, indicators, implications and actionable advice - about an existing or emerging menace or hazard to assets that can be used to inform decisions regarding the subjects response to that menace or hazard. It can also be described as the process of detecting potential and actual threats using evidenced-based data, responding to them and defeating the attackers using forensic and logical data the attackers themselves leave behind, according to SC Magazines Cyberthreat Intelligence e-book. Without actionable data, there is no proactive defence. An effective CTI sets up the appropriate countermeasures automatically for drastically improved detection and response times. Next-Gen Log Management to Facilitate CTI CTI requires a log management tool [such as LogRhythm] to correlate the information to make the raw data collected actionable. The absolute minimum barrier to entry is a security information and event management (SIEM) or log management product of some sort. Then you at least have something to correlate the information thats coming into your security ecosystem, says Andrew Hay, CISO at DataGravity. LogRhythm contextually structures every log message to store and understand what the data means. Identify Nefarious Activity with a Distributed Set of Data Every attack is different. All cyber-attacks have indicators of compromise (IOCs). Feeding IOCs into a SIEM provides full visibility into the network. With this information, a SIEM will correlate the logs from across the network to form a distributed set of data. An effective CTI solution can identify various touch points as a potential hazard using the distributed data set. Instead of looking at the attack pattern as a whole, it should only need one command before automating a response and thwart an attack. LogRhythms AI Engine has over 70 metadata fields that provide highly relevant data for analysis and correlation and over 900 preconfigured, out-of-the-box correlation rule sets. It can accurately define normal activities and automatically alarm for nefarious activities. Make Data Actionable Out-of-the-Box The goal of cyber threat intelligence is to draw actionable data from the thousands of log files and data streams to identify signs of nefarious behaviour. SIEMs can efficiently correlate log messages and set off alarms. Once these behaviours are detected an effective CTI product will automate your response based on the digital evidence before a breach takes place. Its not just detecting a potential attack or compromise, its a question of what youre going to do about it, says Michael Orosz, director of Decision System Group, Information Sciences Institute, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California. LogRhythms SmartResponse operationalizes data out-of-the-box to make it actionable. Once an alarm is set off, it enables an automated response or a semi-automated response with a sophisticated approval process. Employ Honeypots for an Adaptive and Proactive Response Honeypots are isolated systems such as web servers designed to look like part of the corporate network. These decoy systems are easy to exploit, to make them an attractive target for opportunist attackers. Honeypots provide the actionable data necessary for cyber threat intelligence without compromising the network. By monitoring honeypot activity, an organization can learn about targeted threats and use this information to understand who they are being targeted by, what information their adversaries are seeking and how attack patterns will look within the network. This information enables proactive threat defence. LogRhythms Honeypot Security Analytics Suite automatically tracks and analyzes an attackers actions to create a behaviour profile. If an observed attackers behaviour on the honeypot is mirrored by similar action within the environment, AI Engine automates a SmartResponse. Cyber threat intelligence combines data left behind by attackers and innovative analytics to create the next-generation of cybersecurity intelligence. Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice will argue in court Tuesday about whether a judge should require the tech giant help the FBI unlock an iPhone used by the San Bernardino, California, mass shooter. The hearing, before Magistrate Judge Sher Pym of U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, is the end result of weeks of court filings, media coverage, and often contentious debate. The case has pitted advocates of encryption and other security measures on electronic devices against law enforcement agencies trying to fight crime and terrorism. Here are five things to remember about the hearing, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. PDT in California. 1. Apple faces an uphill climb: Pym, in mid-February, ordered the company to assist the FBI in breaking the password protections on an iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the shooters in the San Bernardino attack on Dec. 2. Apple has resisted, asking Pym to overturn her earlier order. While Pym has taken written arguments from all sides, she would have to change her mind for Apple to win in her court. 2. The case doesn't stop with Pym: Whatever happens before the magistrate judge, the losing side is certain to appeal the case. That means the case could get another hearing in district court, and beyond that, appeals court, and potentially even the U.S. Supreme Court. The case touches on several important public policy issues, so the nation's highest court may be interested, some legal experts say. 3. Apple has a lot of support: Even though early polling found a small majority of U.S. residents siding with the FBI, Apple enjoys strong support from the tech industry and from a vocal group of privacy and security advocates. Among the companies filing briefs in support of Apple are Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Cisco Systems, LinkedIn, eBay, Kickstarter and Reddit. Also supporting Apple's position are the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Consumer Action, the Center for Democracy and Technology, the American Civil Liberties Union, 32 law professors and 46 technologists, researchers and cryptographers. Meanwhile, digital rights group Fight for the Future says it has collected comments in support of Apple from nearly 20,000 people over the past week. The group plans to read and display the comments outside Tuesday's hearing. 4. What's the FBI's argument? The FBI and DOJ argue they need access to the iPhone to fully investigate the Dec. 2 shootings and determine whether the suspects were working with accomplices. The FBIs request relies heavily on the All Writs Act, a U.S. law dating back to the late 1700s, allowing courts to "issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid of their respective jurisdictions and agreeable to the usages and principles of law." More broadly, the FBI, DOJ and President Barack Obama's administration have argued that smartphones and other devices protected by encryption shouldn't be exempt from court-ordered law enforcement searches. Here, the government has obtained a warrant to search the phone of a mass murderer, but unless this Court enforces the Order requiring Apples assistance, the warrant will be meaningless, DOJ lawyers wrote in a stinging rebuke of Apple filed Feb. 19. 5. What's Apple say? The company argues Pyms order ignores several limits on the All Writs Act and is "unreasonably burdensome" by requiring Apple to create a new operating system, tying up six to 10 of its employees for up to a month. Apple has also argued that the judge's order would violate its First Amendment, free speech rights by forcing it to write new code, in essence forcing it to speak. The company also argues the order violates its due-process Fifth Amendment rights by requiring the Apple to "do the governments bidding" in a way thats burdensome and violates its "core principles." In 2014, a Listeria outbreak has caused one death and multiple illnesses. Recently, evidence has risen proving that there is a link between the outbreak and a source which is an organic farm in Pennsylvania. Back in January 2016, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was able to identify a listeria bacteria strain in raw chocolate milk. The raw milk was produced by Miller's Organic Farm located at 648 Mill Creek School Rd. in Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania, as told by UPI. The investigation was taken from the CDC's genetic testing. The bacteria found had a close relation to the strain that killed one milk consumer in Florida. CDC has warned consumers over the weekend to avoid purchasing raw milk from Miller's farm. Health officials have been advising against the consumption of raw milk because raw milk has not been pasteurized. Unpasteurized milk can carry bacteria such as salmonella, E.coli, listeria and campylobacter. The CDC is concerned that the farm's conditions may still hold listeria contamination. The same organic farm has been tested positive for salmonella prior to May 2015. "Only club members can order foods from Miller's Organic Farm," the Miller's Organic Farm website states. Though the farm does not distribute its raw dairy products to retail stores, owner Amos Miller is still reported to be selling their food items to their current members. Miller tells CBS that he is not aware of any health issues and is curious as to how the CDC proved the bacteria came from the farm. Pennlive reports that Miller was only notified about the listeria strain on Thursday but has explained that no one from CDC has contacted him or the company for further testing. Still, Miller hopes "...and pray for the best." If you have purchased raw milk from Miller's Organic Farm and believe to have been infected, it is best to consult a physician immediately. JPMorgan Chase, the New York bank and PNC Financial will no longer finance new coal mines around the world and will end support for new coal-fired power plants being developed in "high income" countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The banks announced these new policies restricting their activity supporting mountaintop removal, a particularly destructive coal mining process. It comes after banks such as Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America announced commitments to back away from financing the coal industry, although the language in each firm's environmental statements tends to vary. "The major banks are first movers on this," said Amanda Starbuck, climate and energy program director of the Rainforest Action Network, an environmental group that has pushed for banks to exit financing coal development projects. "The bank that has the furthest to go is Goldman Sachs; the bank has not cut financing for coal mining on a sector-wide basis." Outside of rich countries, JPMorgan will back only coal-fired power plants that employ "ultra-supercritical" technology that is more efficient than conventional systems. The bank will consider on a "case-by-case basis" coal plants that capture carbon dioxide emissions and prevent their release into the atmosphere "We believe the financial services sector has an important role to play as governments implement policies to combat climate change," JPMorgan said in the document. JPMorgan also plans to shrink its credit exposure in the "medium term" to companies that generate most of their revenue from coal mining and sales. The bank said it expects its business to reflect the "decline of coal as an energy source." The White House this year issued a moratorium of new leases for coal mined on federal lands, a blow to coal producers. California pensions, under Gov. Jerry Brown's 2015 law, will divest from investments in coal companies by mid-2017. Somewhere along the line, financing the coal sector became nearly tantamount to backing firearms makers. The gigantic tech company LG Electronics has mobilized its resources and was reported to collaborate with Denmark's high-end electronics Bang & Olufsen company to produce state of the art TV's for this era. Furthermore, it remains to be seen how this joint endeavor would fare. In a post from Gadgets 360, South Korea's LG Electronics aims at making televisions' that would feature the latest technological trend and to attain that, it has connected with Bang & Olufsen to create televisions that boast of the latest screen technology. The post further relayed that Chief Executive Tue Mantoni aims on ensuring that the "strategic technology partnership" with the world's second-largest TV maker will allow his company "to stay at the forefront of innovation." More report from CBS News indicated Mantoni's desire to see both companies soaring above mediocrity. He further said that it would allow both companies "to focus on core competencies within acoustics and design and to improve the long-term profitability of the company." On a different note, although there were neither financial matters nor details revealed by both corporations, both have revealed that the collaboration would render positive results for both enterprises. In addition, their joint effort is forecast to produce a new era of television products that boast of having an organic light-emitting diode screen that is anticipated to hit the stalls in 2017. It appears that the former talks of B&O with LG Electronics have pushed through. In the past, it was speculated that the company was setting up deals with an anonymous buyer after garnering three years of losses. With LG at bay, B&O is expected to rebound and attain stability in the coming years. GREENSBORO Police said an electrical malfunction caused an explosion that rattled buildings, shattered windows and damaged vehicles along East Washington Street Sunday night. At 8:31 p.m. the explosions force sent a manhole cover skyward in front of 111 W. Washington St. Ten minutes later a second manhole cover blew. The explosions sent downtown residents, visitors, police officers and firefighters into a frenzy. This is a confusing situation, an officer said while directing traffic. After evacuating most of downtown, officials began to let residents and visitors back into the area around 11:30 p.m. The City of Greensboro sent out a message on Twitter that confirmed the explosion took place in an underground electrical utility vault in front of the Biltmore Hotel. Duke Energy is repairing the damage. One witness said he felt the explosion from 15 blocks away. He walked to downtown to see what had happened. A second person felt the explosion as he drove a block from the site of the explosion. He saw a cloud of dust or smoke fill the air. A strong but unidentifiable odor filled downtown Greensboro as police, fire and paramedics raced toward downtown. Officials said 911 calls werent needed because first responders heard the ruckus. Their dispatchers heard the explosion at their desks several blocks away. Firefighters set up a staging area for their trucks at Hardees on Market Street. Paramedics camped out at the YMCA waiting to learn if anyone was injured. Luckily, no one was. Buildings and vehicles near the explosion didnt fare as well. Several vehicles and the front of the Biltmore Hotel sustained damage. The bumper hung from a vehicle parked on West Washington Street. Glass was shattered out of windows. Police evacuated The Biltmore Hotel. The Lofts at Greensborough employees moved residents to another building. Parking garages also were evacuated. Police evacuated guests at the Carolina Theatre watching a performance of the Piedmont Triad Jazz Orchestra. Some evacuees were taken to the Greensboro Police Department. Fire officials ran preliminary tests that determined the cause of the explosion to be an electrical malfunction and not anything suspicious. We want residents to feel safe and secure, Greensboro Police Deputy Chief James Hinson said. Police blocked off the surrounding area for five blocks. Most of downtown was evacuated. Greensboro Fire Department, Duke Power officials and the citys water and sewer staff worked well into the night investigating the exact cause. Right now it looks like theres nothing suspicious happening, Hinson said. It does not look like somebody planned any harm. Hinson said emergency workers would perform other tests throughout the night, but he hoped he could relay the same information afterwards. Im going to go with the preliminary test, which is that its an electrical malfunction, Hinson said. Theyre doing additional testing, and if they discover anything out of the ordinary well address it with kid gloves, and well address the situation then. Kathryn Bufano, chief executive of Bon-Ton Stores Inc., pictured at the Mayfair Boston Store. Credit: Paul Gores SHARE By of the Bon-Ton Stores Inc. will not increase the pay for its executives and salaried employees and will cancel this year's company matching contributions for its employees' 401(k) retirement plans, the firm told employees Monday. In addition, hourly employees at Boston Store and other Bon-Ton department stores will receive pay increases this year but they will be delayed until November, company CEO Kathy Bufano said in a letter to company associates dated Monday. "I assure you that I, and the management team, do not take these decisions lightly," she said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Journal Sentinel. Bon-Ton, which has dual headquarters in Milwaukee and York, Pa., posted a loss of $57.1 million, or $2.90 a share, in 2015, compared with a loss of $7 million, or 36 cents a share, in 2014. The company announced last week that its fourth-quarter profit dropped 29.5% as mild fall and winter temperatures hampered sales of cold-weather apparel and severance costs cut into earnings. For all of 2015, Bon-Ton reported a 1.4% decline in sales, to $2.72 billion, with comparable store sales decreasing by 1.3%. "We all know it was a difficult year," Bufano said in her letter. In addition to the hit to cold-weather apparel, she said, "changing consumer shopping behaviors resulted in less traffic to our stores, and economic uncertainties dominated the news. These factors did not single out Bon-Ton, but impacted the entire department store sector, forcing retailers to ramp up discounts and intensify marketing programs." Bufano said the company had made progress on several strategic initiatives, with e-commerce sales up by more than 17% last year. But its cost-saving and other initiatives "were not enough to meet the financial expectations that we set out to achieve at the beginning of 2015," she wrote. "It is important that we gain the confidence of our shareholders, investors and customers in meeting expectations in order to further our growth." During a conference call with investment analysts last week, company executives said they expected savings of $17 million to $22 million, with reductions in areas such as payroll, taxes and benefits. That's part of a multilayered strategy that also includes other initiatives including an expansion of the company's furniture and mattress offerings into 24 more stores this year, Bufano said during the call. Bon-Ton operates 267 department stores in 26 states. Stores operating in Wisconsin operate under the names Boston Store, Younkers, Elder-Beerman and Herberger's. The company's other store brands include Bon-Ton, Bergner's and Carson's. SHARE By of the Sales of existing homes rose 4.1% across the state last month, with median prices up even higher, at 6.8%. Statistics released by the Wisconsin Realtors Association on Monday paint a portrait of a housing market that continues to show strength, even as home sales nationally fell in February. "This has been a very robust winter for Wisconsin's housing market, with sales at the highest level we've seen since we've been collecting data in 2005," said K.C. Maurer, chairman of the association's board, in a statement. February sales in northern Wisconsin, he said, were up nearly 17%, aided by mild weather. That region saw a 32% increase in the median price, reflecting sales of large, expensive vacation homes. The surge "reflects the fact that a strong economy is bringing buyers back into the second-home market," Maurer said. In the eight-county southeast region, home sales rose 3.6%, with Kenosha, Washington and Ozaukee counties reporting double-digit gains and Sheboygan, Walworth and Racine counties seeing lower sales. Sales rose 1.3% in the south central region, 2.7% in the central region and 3.5% in both the northeast and west regions, the association said. For the December-through-February winter sales season, more than 12,700 homes were sold in the state, exceeding the 2006-'07 winter by 261 sales. The median price of a home sold in the state last month was $146,800, a gain of more than $9,000 from February 2015. Prices have been helped by the fact that fewer homes are on the market, with the total number of homes for sale falling 12% from last year, to just under 38,000 homes. The number of new listings last month fell by nearly 8% from February 2015, the Realtors association said. "This is a classic supply-and-demand story with low inventories and high demand pushing prices up," said Michael Theo, the association's president, in a statement. The strength in Wisconsin's home sales last month stood in contrast from the housing market nationwide. The National Association of Realtors said Monday that sales of existing homes fell 7.1% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.08 million. "We assume the plunge in the stock market in the first six weeks of this year persuaded some potential homebuyers to reconsider, at least temporarily," said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. The Associated Press contributed to this report John Gurdas Milwaukee: City of Neighborhoods chronicles changes in local neighborhoods, including the Kosciuszko Park area. Credit: John Gurda SHARE By of the The Council for Wisconsin Writers will give Milwaukee historian John Gurda its annual nonfiction book award for "Milwaukee: City of Neighborhoods," his geographic chronicle of how waves of migration and economic disruptions have altered Milwaukee communities. Gurda will be honored during the council's annual awards banquet at 11 a.m. May 14 at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee. The public is invited to attend the banquet. Reservation forms will be posted at wiswriters.org. Tickets must be reserved by May 10. The banquet will honor first-prize winners and honorably mentioned writers in the following categories: Fiction book:Judith Claire Mitchell, of Madison, for her novel "A Reunion of Ghosts" (Harper). Nonfiction book: Honorable mention to Lynne Diebel, of Stoughton, for "Crossing the Driftless" (University of Wisconsin Press). Poetry book:Ronald Wallace, of Madison, for his "For Dear Life" (University of Pittsburgh Press). Honorable mention to Robert Nordstrom, of Mukwonago, for "The Sacred Monotony of Breath" (Prolific Press). Children's book: Gayle Rosengren, of Fitchburg, for "Cold War on Maplewood Street" (Putnam). Honorable mention to Ann Bausum, of Janesville, for "Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights" (Viking). Short fiction: Matt Cashion, of La Crosse, for "Any Idiot Can Feel Pain," published in Grist. Honorable mention to Jackson Tobin, of Madison, for "Kneecap" in Midwestern Gothic. Short nonfiction: Ronnie Hess, of Madison, for "The Red Shoes" in Peninsula Pulse. Honorable mention to Nate Lowe, of Plymouth, for "Archipelago" in Beecher's. Poetry: The award for five individual poems goes to John Walser, of Fond du Lac. Honorable mention to Susan Elbe, of Madison. Category winners will each receive $500 and a weeklong writing residency at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point. Honorably mentioned writers will each receive $50. The council will give its essay award ($250) for a young writer to Hannah L. Nies, a junior at Waunakee High School, for her essay "The Girl in the Moon." The Council for Wisconsin Writers is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to promoting awareness of the state's literary heritage and recognizing outstanding writing. Jessica M. Ellenberger, 28, and her 4-year-old daughter Madyson M. Marshel. Credit: family photo By of the By all accounts, Mady Marshel was an amazing little girl. Following surgery for cancer in December the same month she turned 4 the wavy-haired girl known as "Puddy cat," "Pumpkin'" and "Poo Bear" still managed to bring joy and comfort to her close-knit family, despite the physical pain she obviously endured, her grandfather said Monday. "The doctors said she was one of the best patients they ever had," Konrad Ellenberger said of Mady, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer that starts in early nerve cells and most often affects infants and young children. "She recovered, she went back to school in two weeks, she looked just like she did before the surgery, everything was looking up," Ellenberger said. "That's what makes this such an unbelievable tragedy." On Monday, Milwaukee police identified Madyson Marie Marshel and Jessica Marie Ellenberger, 28, as the daughter and mother found dead in a fire that was intentionally set Saturday at their home in the 100 block of N. 68th St. The fire is being investigated as a homicide-arson case. "We can't believe that this is happening," said Konrad Ellenberger, a former Milwaukee police lieutenant. "It's like a nightmare that we can't wake up from." Milwaukee police have not disclosed how Mady and her mother died and were seeking a suspect and a motive for the crime Monday, as Mady's grandmother endured the additional pain of canceling follow-up medical and dental appointments for the little girl. Mady's first follow-up MRI after surgery was scheduled for Wednesday. "The week of her surgery was devastating for us, and our only prayer was to keep her disease-free for the rest of her life," Mady's grandfather said. "Unfortunately that didn't last long." Konrad Ellenberger described his daughter as a hardworking, single mother with a wide circle of friends. Jessica Ellenberger graduated from Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 2006 and attended Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon for a year, her dad said. She held a variety of positions with several manufacturing firms and businesses before becoming a security officer with Total Security Management, he said. After Mady was born, her grandfather retired from the police department so that he and his wife, Annette, could become caretakers for her. "Our house has just as much children's stuff as any person with children," Konrad Ellenberger said. "Mady was our first grandchild, and she was an amazingly perfect kid. She slept through the night, she wouldn't cry, and she had a smile that could win anyone over." When she wasn't stealing hearts, the Brookfield Christian School 3-K student enjoyed writing left-handed from right-to-left and indulging herself watching the "Mickey Mouse" show and "PJ Masks," a cartoon television series about kids-turned superheroes, her grandfather said. "She would always act out like the girl Owlett," the character with the power of flight and the ability to locate things or villains with her owl eyes, he said. When her great-grandfather Johann Ellenberger was dying, "The one thing that would bring a smile to his face was Mady," Konrad Ellenberger said. In December, surgeons removed a tumor the size of a small Nerf ball from Mady's chest, her grandfather said. "Even with a chest tube, an epidural and a morphine drip, she never complained, even though you could tell she was in pain," he said. So successful was her surgery Mady did not have to go through chemotherapy and lose her signature curls, Konrad Ellenberger said. The day she died, he said, her mother and grandmother took her to a stylist for a trim to remove any split ends. "My wife said she was so proud to walk out of there," he said. "Mady loved her long hair." Ashley Luthern of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report. By of the Human remains have been found in a Muskego landfill that was being searched in connection with the disappearance of a Hales Corners woman whose son, with a long history of mental illness, has been jailed on suspicion of homicide. Hales Corners police had said that Julie Rozewicz, 68, was likely dead as they and other agencies continued their search for her, including at the Emerald Park landfill, where the partial remains were discovered Sunday, police announced Monday. Though investigators are trying to determine the identity of the remains, the search for Rozewicz was continuing, according to a news release from the Hales Corners Police Department. Rozewicz was reported missing Friday, and her son, Robert G. Rozewicz, 40, was arrested Saturday. Robert Rozewicz is in the Milwaukee County Jail on preliminary charges of first-degree intentional homicide in connection with his mother's death. His bail was set at $500,000 and as of Monday he had not been formally charged in connection with his mother's disappearance. A neighbor told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the missing woman lived with her son, who had battled mental health problems for a long time. The woman had expressed fears about living with him, the neighbor said. Experts say of the 4 million people in U.S. with severe mental illness, only about 40,000, or 1%, are dangerous. Rozewicz was hospitalized five times at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex between 2001 and 2003 and he also required psychiatric evaluation 11 times from various crisis services between 1994 and 2015, according to a Journal Sentinel review of court records. Rozewicz was charged with felony fleeing last May his only adult criminal charge in Wisconsin and was examined by court-ordered mental health professionals. Police chase On May 18, a Hales Corners police officer saw a speeding car linked to an earlier theft from a gas station. The officer tried to pull over the car. The driver, later identified as Rozewicz, initially stopped, then sped off. The officer chased after the car, and the pursuit covered nearly 10 miles through Greenfield and Franklin. The chase reached speeds of 85 mph and ended when officers used "stop sticks" to puncture Rozewicz's tires. Rozewicz was sweating profusely and had body tremors when he was arrested after the chase. He suffered a seizure at the jail and a psychologist later said he was experiencing symptoms from one of his prescribed medications. When an officer asked why he fled, Rozewicz said, "I don't even care anymore," according to the criminal complaint filed May 21. His attorney requested a competency exam on June 1, which was granted. In a report dated June 19, the mental health examiner described Rozewicz's history and delusions. Rozewicz told the examiner he first received mental care about age 26, when he began having "nightmares about commercial airlines crashing into him" after terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, because his home was near the airport. He claimed he was a secret Navy intelligence officer and made references to "tracking other individuals" and his belief that others were trying to kill him. He said he had been hospitalized at the county facilities at least four times after either police identified him as a person in crisis or after his parents called police. Rozewicz's father died in 2005, according to court records. At one point, when asked to describe what led up to his arrest, Rozewicz launched into a seemingly irrelevant and confusing account related to his purchase of a machete to cut a bush, family disorder, allegations his mother killed his cat and the arrival of police, according to the competency report. The mental health examiner concluded Rozewicz was not competent to proceed. In July, before the report was addressed in court, Rozewicz was admitted to the county Mental Health Complex again. He was discharged from the facility on Aug. 12. On Aug. 25, Circuit Judge Stephanie Rothstein received the report and ruled he was not competent to proceed but was likely to become competent with treatment. She ordered him into the care of the state Department of Health and Family Services, and he was admitted to the Mendota Mental Health Institute on Oct. 7. Rozewicz did well with treatment and before the end of the month, a mental health professional wrote to the court to say he had become competent. The court case resumed with a preliminary hearing in November. At that time, court records show Rozewicz was living with his mother. In December, he entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. A court-ordered psychiatrist examined Rozewicz and determined he met the criteria for such a plea because of his well-documented history of major mental illness. Rozewicz's next court hearing was scheduled for April 18. UWM chancellor Mark Mone presents upcoming budget cuts Monday as the university copes with state funding cuts and falling tuition revenue. Credit: Rick Wood By The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee would cut as much as $41.25 million from its budget over the next three years under a plan Chancellor Mark Mone introduced Monday to address a $38 million deficit. The plan, delivered in a packed student union, would include $5 million in cuts from administration. Mone said there are no plans to eliminate entire schools or colleges, but he released few details of specific future cuts or restructuring in academic programs and staffing. "A whole UWM is better. ... I'm not going to tell you that this school or this college will be no more," he said. Mone referred to "inherent tensions" and "competing priorities" in trying to maintain the university's dual mission as a research institution and providing access to students less prepared for college. Like other universities coping with changing demographics, UWM has been losing millions of dollars in tuition revenue since 2010, when the number of high school graduates began dropping. UWM's enrollment this fall fell by 3% to 27,156 an estimated loss of $6.5 million in tuition revenue. The university has lost a total $22.1 million in tuition revenue since 2010. In addition, state lawmakers have cut funding $30 million in the 2015-'17 budget or failed to keep its commitments, including committing $10 million to establish the School of Freshwater Sciences and Zilber School of Public Health but then pulling back $20 million promised to staff and equip the schools. "We don't have much choice in terms of the situation we're in, so it's making the right cuts in a responsible manner that allows us to balance those tensions," Mone said. Administrative cuts are expected to come from reducing administrative positions. Salaries and benefits make up about 85% of UWM's operating expenses. Most of the cuts to academics will come from reorganizing and consolidating programs, colleges and schools, but what those realignments would look like has not been decided. Mone said he is open to suggestions from students, staff, faculty, provosts and bodies of governance to determine what is most "natural." Staffing reductions will be focused on attrition by eliminating a percentage of vacant positions. Mone said faculty and staff will be included in decisions about staffing reductions. "There is going to be much to develop as we proceed," Mone said. Budget reductions Planned changes to administration, projected to produce a saving of $5 million by 2019, would include: Reducing the number of vice chancellor and assistant vice chancellor positions by 25% and the number of limited-term appointments by 10% in 2017 and 2018. Consolidating student services and resources in 2018. Eliminating certain, unspecified administrative operations in 2017 and 2018. Academic changes, projected to produce a saving of $3 million to $4 million by 2019, would include: Reorganizing and possibly merging schools and colleges in 2018 and 2019 after consulting students, staff, faculty and provosts. Enforcing an existing faculty workload policy that dictates how much time faculty spend on instruction vs. research or other activities. Streamlining course offerings to avoid duplication and extra sections. Staffing changes, projected to save $19 million, would include: Eliminating through attrition half of open positions over the next three years. Delaying hiring for three to six months after any position becomes vacant in 2017 or 2018. Forgoing filling 154 state sanctioned positions and seeking state approval to divert $3 million in fringe benefits attached to those positions toward deficit reduction. Appearing with Mone were Provost Johannes Britz and Vice Chancellor Robin Van Harpen, following a report issued by the Chancellor's Campus Organization and Effectiveness Team. The meeting was pushed back due to a significant amount of feedback the university received from students, staff and faculty regarding the report and the budget. Mone plans to release more details at a meeting April 18. "When we're talking about budgets, what we're talking about is people," Mone said, acknowledging the difficulty in making these decisions. Editor's note: An earlier posted version of this story totaled budget cuts at $28 million. Factoring in accumulated year over year savings the number reaches $41.25 million, the university projects. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in the atrium of the Old Post Office Pavilion, soon to be a Trump International Hotel in Washington. Credit: Associated Press By I was in Florida last week, attending Donald Trump rallies and talking with the voters who love him. My question was straightforward: What's the secret of the front-runner's appeal? Yes, Trump is attractive to voters who are angry angry about the economy, illegal immigration and "political correctness." And some of his supporters feel threatened by racial diversity, to put it mildly. But that's only part of the answer. What Trump's supporters also hear from their champion is a message of unbridled optimism a promise that he can repair the economy, bring jobs back and Make America Great Again. Trump is running as a candidate of Hope and Change. Just listen. "We're going to make our country rich again," Trump promised last week in Palm Beach, Fla. "If I win ...Apple and all of these great companies will be making their product in the United States, not in China." "We're going to bring back all our jobs," he told voters in Tampa, Fla. "We're going to end up having great, great health care ...for a fraction of the price." "Trust me," he added. "I know about health care." And his over-the-top, all-purpose promise: "We're going to win so much, you're going to get tired of winning." Trump knows exactly what he's doing. "Make America Great Again that's optimism," he said last month. "Some people say, 'Oh, such negativity.' It's just the opposite." The voters who put their faith in the real estate promoter seem to think Trump can fix almost anything, including the economy, health care, schools, veterans' benefits, military strength and U.S. relations with Israel. Trump, they believe, will sweep all obstacles out of the way and impose simple answers on complex problems. His supporters didn't all fit the stereotype of the angry blue-collar voter, either. Sure, some rally-goers scowled and muttered vulgarities when asked if they would talk with someone from the mainstream media. But others were talkative, cheerful and educated. "Trump's not a politician, he's a businessman, and that's what America needs," Norm Holt, a genial retired firefighter from Largo, Fla., told me. "He can get more done than a politician can." "He's whip-smart, he's a leader," said Tina Collier, a retiree from Arlington, Va. "He's going to do things other people haven't done." "I'm just ready for change," said Allison Polikoff, a middle school teacher from Plantation, Fla. "I think he can do a lot for education, too." Some of this sounds like simple frustration. If a generation's worth of politicians hasn't solved the country's problems, maybe it's simply time to give someone else a chance. Besides, as Ben Carson said last week, "We're only looking at four years." But there's also a dose of magical thinking born of the old American ideal of entrepreneur as all-purpose problem solver. Herbert Hoover campaigned for president in 1928 on his success as a mining engineer and executive. Data processing mogul H. Ross Perot ran as a third-party candidate in 1992 saying, "My strength is creating jobs and fixing things." And the Republicans' last presidential nominee, in 2012, was a former venture capitalist who argued that business experience was a "basic qualification" for the presidency. That was Mitt Romney, who's now trying to rally Republican opposition to Trump. His rivals in the GOP have been trying to dent his appeal by pointing out that he's not a real conservative, that he's needlessly divisive and that he has a record of demeaning women. All true but Trump supporters don't seem to care. Most of Trump's promises are an amalgam of nonsense and fantasy. His plan for reviving manufacturing jobs is a 35% tariff on automobile imports; he never mentions that the cost would be paid by American consumers, even before the trade war that would ensue. His skimpy plan for "great, great health care" doesn't add up either; nonpartisan analysts say it would insure fewer people and cost more money than Obamacare. And so on. If Trump wins the presidency, even his most well-meaning supporters will soon discover that he's a quack. As Trump might put it: Sad! Doyle McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Email doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com Twitter: @DoyleMcManus Senate President Mary Lazich (right) and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (left) applaud after Gov. Scott Walker delivered his budget address last year. Lazich announced Monday she wont seek re-election after 24 years in the Legislature. Credit: Journal Sentinel files SHARE By of the Madison Mary Lazich, the first woman to be chosen by her peers as state Senate president, announced Monday she would not seek re-election. Lazich (R-New Berlin), 64, was first elected to the Assembly in 1992 and to the Senate in an April 1998 special election, and in her tenure pushed for conservative priorities, including abortion opposition and the state's voter ID law. "During recent years Governor Walker and the Republican-led Legislature guided the state through turbulent times. While the work was hard, the reward is great. Wisconsin is much more fiscally secure and many government shackles have been opened," Lazich said in a statement. "Wisconsin residents and business are much better situated to pursue life with less government intrusion." Lazich presided over Senate sessions since 2015 and sat on the leadership committee that decided what bills get taken up on the floor. Recently, she used her position on that committee to block legislation to make it easier to get parents a treatment for epileptic children. Lazich replaced former Sen. Mike Ellis (R-Neenah), who did not seek re-election in 2014. The position of Senate president was created in 1979 after voters adopted a constitutional amendment that ended having the lieutenant governor preside over Senate proceedings. Lazich was the fifth president of the Senate. Her decision to step down will likely spark a lively primary election in the 28th Senate District, a strongly Republican area that includes parts of several Milwaukee suburbs, including Franklin, Greenfield, Waterford and Muskego. Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan The photographers who come to the sprawling Zaatari camp in Jordan all ask to take photos at sunset when the light will be best. But the camp closes to outsiders at 3 in the afternoon. Reporter's Notebook Previous Entry Next Entry Follow along with photos, videos and notes from reporter Mark Johnson and photojournalist Mark Hoffman on our Follow along with photos, videos and notes from reporter Mark Johnson and photojournalist Mark Hoffman on our Journey to Jordan page. Just this week another photographer asked the Jordanian police for permission to photograph at sunset. "In Zaatari camp," the officer answered, "there is no sunset." We learned this story from our translator, Ihab Muhtaseb, who was with the photographer, one of many who have asked and been refused. In Zaatari there is no sunset. The more refugees we spoke to the more that phrase became a metaphor for the camp itself. Opened in July 2012, the camp was supposed to be temporary. It began with one district. Muhtaseb visited the camp on its third day of existence. Zaatari is now a full-blown city of 80,000, though like no city most Americans have ever seen. There are now 12 districts, as well as a series of Children's Safe Zones, playgrounds of sorts. If it is temporary, no one can say when it will close. The camp will turn four years old in July. READ MORE International reporting for this project is supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. twitter.com/majohnso markjohnson@journalsentinel.com Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan Monday was Mother's Day in Jordan, and the mother inside the clinic at the Zaatari refugee camp was crying. Her daughter had blacked out several times, she explained to Tarif Bakdash, the pediatric neurologist leading a Wisconsin mission to the clinic run by the Syrian American Medical Society. The girl, 8 years old, appeared to be having vision problems, spells when she would call out, "Mother, I can't see you." The mom's eyes reddened as she told the story. The eyes of a worried mother look the same in any land. Reporter's Notebook Previous Entry Next Entry Follow along with photos, videos and notes from reporter Mark Johnson and photojournalist Mark Hoffman on our Follow along with photos, videos and notes from reporter Mark Johnson and photojournalist Mark Hoffman on our Journey to Jordan page. But in Zaatari, they often reveal something in addition to the universal, wide-eyed alarm. There is a look of weariness, almost resignation. Too often a child's condition defies solution. Urgent or complicated surgeries cannot be done inside the camp. MRIs must be done outside the camp, but the cost is too great for many families. In this case, though, the problem was not money or a lack of equipment. The little girl named Mayse (pronounced like the English word 'mice') never got used to the steady sound of bombs exploding in her village outside Daraa. She would cover her ears and run for the basement. Now, the family had fled to Zaatari, and it was the camp itself she could not get used to. She hates the camp, her mother explains, weeping. The heat in summer caused her to throw up and darkened her skin. "Are you kidding?" Bakdash told her gently. "In the states they pay good money to make their skin look like it was in the sun." "God gave you a lot of gifts," the doctor said, smiling at the girl. "God gave you beautiful eye lashes. He gave you beautiful eyes. He gave you a beautiful nose. "Would you trade with me? I'm white and I'm ugly. Would you trade with me?" The child's tests looked good, the doctor told the mother. It was post-traumatic stress disorder. "When there is bombing, we adults are afraid, too," Bakdash explained to the girl, bending to talk at her level. He sent the mother and daughter to see a nurse and social worker who came with him on the mission from Wisconsin. This was a smart girl, another doctor said. The worrisome symptoms were her way of trying to get the family to leave the camp. So here it was: No pill could help the child. She would have to make do with the words of a social worker from a distant land. Stacey Volkman, a social worker from Froedtert Hospital and mother of two, addressed the child: "It's OK to cry. It's OK to be angry. It's OK to be scared. Sometimes bad things happen," she said. "It's important that you play with your friends, and hopefully things will get better and you will be able to go home. But right now you need to stay here until we can get you home safely." Volkman leaned forward to hug Mayse's mother. She spoke to her as one mother to another. "As a mother, I know that we want to protect our children," she said. "You are doing the best that you can." READ MORE International reporting for this project is supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. twitter.com/majohnso markjohnson@journalsentinel.com 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. Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan Its the most challenging and unique environment I have ever worked in. A good still photograph is one that captures a moment that would otherwise slip between the cracks. Youre looking for images that accurately reflect what is going on, images that are metaphor. You need rapport with your subjects, in order to slip into the background. Thats a difficult proposition in a place where you dont speak the language and its easy to have cultural misunderstandings. I have business cards printed in English on one side and Arabic on the other to help explain what I am doing and where I am from. Mark Hoffman Mahmood Al Mekdad gets on his bike to take his 8-year-old daughter, Sandy, back to their home at the Zaatari refuge camp in Jordan about 15 miles from the Syrian border. The girl has a congenital defect known as tethered spinal cord that limits the movement of the spinal cord within the spinal column. But I find myself relying more on our interpreter, Ihab Muhtaseb, who lived in the United States for 20 years before moving to Jordan. Beyond the language barrier, he can pick up social cues I would otherwise miss. Reporter's Notebook Previous Entry Next Entry Follow along with photos, videos and notes from reporter Mark Johnson and photojournalist Mark Hoffman on our Follow along with photos, videos and notes from reporter Mark Johnson and photojournalist Mark Hoffman on our Journey to Jordan page. There are many images I am unable to make that would benefit the story. Many women do not want to be photographed. Some refugees are reluctant to give their names because their fear reprisals against family members still in Syria. The best light to make a photograph is during the so-called the golden hours, an hour before or after sunrise and sunset. But the United Nations High Commission on Refugees only allows journalists in the camp from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The only way to capture the sprawl of this dusty, but organized, city of 85,000 people living in metal containers is from the air. But the Jordanian Air Force will not grant permission though last month the BBC was able to get a ride in a helicopter over the camp after interviewing the king. Its easy to make photos of children, but more important to make photos families. None of these challenges are insurmountable. I just have to be patient. READ MORE International reporting for this project is supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. twitter.com/MJSphotog mhoffman@journalsentinel.com Reddit Email 0 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | Thirteen years after the illegal US invasion of Iraq, it is worth considering its full impact on this country and on the region. Bush-Cheneyism had a number of key pillars, among which these were prominent: 1. Aggressive unilateral warfare, with the domestic advantage of making the public rally around the flag. 2. Conspiracy-theory amalgamation of various threats into one (Saddam supports al-Qaeda) 3. A vague, endless war on terrorism used as a means of scaring the electorate and creating a market for the securitization of politics (replete with color-coded terrorism alerts) 4. An insistence on a black and white you are with us or against us 5. Smearing regime critics as terrorist sympathizers 6. Broadly hinting around that one ethnic or religious group is the enemy 7. Explicit policy of using torture in counter-terrorism 8. Making a sort of coup on behalf of key principals in the executive branch, and ignoring or lying to other branches of government and even less-favored units within the executive. 9. Steep tax cuts and provision of government resources like no-bid contracts to wealthy regime supporters but offloading of expenses and costs of government services and higher education onto working and middle classes 10. Deregulation and removal of oversight from powerful financial and other backers of the regime. While some of these techniques of governannce have a long genealogy in the annals of American criminality oops, I mean politics to gather them all together and practice them all at high intensity was probably unprecedented in any presidential regime in US history. For all their differences, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are in large part campaigning on the full restoration of Bush-Cheneyism (and on moving to its right in many instances). I warned at the time that quite aside from the disasters these policies brought upon the United States the Iraq War, the 2008 financial collapse, the increase in US inequality, the illegal surveillance and targeting of regime critics one central harm of Bush-Cheneyism is that it would inevitably legitimate these behaviors abroad. For better or worse, in the post-WW II era, the US has been an opinion leader and model for many other countries. For the US essentially to abrogate elements of the first, fourth and eighth amendments, when so many reforms and policies around the world have been modeled on our Bill of Rights, was extremely dangerous. Bush-Cheneyism also gave the US much less leverage abroad. Imagine having to go from the US embassy in Tashkent to meet with the Uzbekistan government in 2006 and complain about its use of torture. Wouldnt that government just throw Guantanamo back in your face? In todays Middle East, Bush-Cheneyism has been embraced by the major countries of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt. (Though, to be fair, Egypt has so far avoided plank number 1, aggressive war beyond the countrys borders). Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan lost the parliamentary elections last June, in part because of the rise of a leftist pro-Kurdish party, the HDP, which stole away votes from rural Kurds who had tended to favor Erdogans center-right, Islam-friendly Justice and Development Party (AKP). In response, Erdogan declined to let the AKP go into coalition and provoked new snap elections on November 1. But at the same time, from last summer, he annulled the peace process with the PKK terrorist organization consisting of a minority of separatist Kurds who had taken up arms. The PKK was guilty of provocations, but Erdogans response seems to have been calculated and vastly disproportionate. He cleverly finally acquiesced in US pressure to bomb Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) in al-Raqqa in Syria, which he had declined to get involved with earlier. But once the US gave him the identify friend or foe codes that would allow Turkish planes to fly over Syria and Iraq in US-controlled skies, he instead subjected the PKK to massive bombing runs, which largely ignoring Daesh. Having polarized Turkish society on the Kurdish issue and having predictably increased the tensions and violence in the Kurdish-majority parts of Turkey in the east and southeast, Erdogan made substantial inroads in the November 1 election into HDP strength and got 50% of the seats. It is enough to form a government without a partner, but not quite enough to amend the constitution unilaterally, which Erdogan would like to do so as to switch to a French-style presidential system and make himself powerful president for life. Erdogan said last week, according to DPA: Erdogan slammed those who criticize Turkey over values like democracy, freedom and rule of law, in a speech in Ankara to local district leaders. For us, these phrases have absolutely no value any longer, he said in the televised address. Those who stand on our side in the fight against terrorism are our friend. Those on the opposite side, are our enemy. His government has acted on these threats, arresting numerous journalists and academics who dare raise a peep against his authoritarianism at home and his dangerous policies in the Middle East, which have allegedly involved support for radical Muslim groups in Syria and attacks on PKK and YPD units in Iraq and Syria. He has also pursued counter-insurgency policies in Anatolia that have allegedly involved heavy abuse of civilian civil rights among Turkish Kurds. The crushing of the press and the universities, the with us or against us stridency, the militarism, all of this also coincides with substantial allegations of corruption in high places. It is Bush-Cheneyism. Likewise, consider Saudi Arabia under King Salman. The kingdom never provided many human rights domestically and has relentlessly punished dissidents, including with the death penalty. Little has changed in that regard, though the new king from 2014 has taken Saudi Arabia in an unprecedented direction with regard to foreign adventurism. Saudi Arabia used to act behind the scenes, greasing palms with money and influencing its neighbors with foreign aid. King Salman and his crew, however, have adopted a stance of aggressive military adventurism, on the grounds that they want to block Iranian influence. Iran is to Riyadh what Saddams Iraq had been to Bush, authorizing everything lies, war, torture, surveillance and repression to protect the lies. Saudi Arabia launched a brutal air war on Yemen last year this time, which has continued ever since. On Wednesday, a Saudi bombing of a market that left over a hundred innocents dead was termed a possible war crime by a United Nations official. King Salman maintains that in fall of 2014 the Houthi rebels took over Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, in conjunction with forces loyal to deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh, as part of an Iranian plot. Their only evidence for this allegation is that the Houthis derive from the Zaydi branch of Shiite Islam, and Iranians are also Shiites (but are Twelvers). Iran maybe sent over $3 mn. and some minor equipment to the Houthis, but Tehrans role in Yemen doesnt seem very important and the struggles are mostly domestic. Saudi Arabia also justifies sending troops into Bahrain, and funding hard line Salafi jihadi groups in Syria, on the grounds of a struggle against Iran, terming Irans allies terrorists. So it is a war on terror. Bush-Cheneyism. Saudi Arabia even persuaded the Arab League to designate Lebanons Shiite party-militia, Hizbullah, a terrorist organization recenlty. This organization had been lionized by Arab League members for standing up to the aggressive Israeli invasion of south Lebanon in 2006, but now it is all of a sudden just terrorists (the same diction as used by the Israeli media). Why? Because Hizbullah is allied with Iran and it interfered with Saudi plans to turn Syria into a Taliban-like state with its Salafi proxies. Egypts government has also pursued Bush-Cheneyism. General-President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made a coup more openly than did Cheney-Bush, deposed and menaced President Muhammad Morsi, and then declared the former elected ruling party, the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization. This absurd political move then of course pushed some elements on the Muslim religious right into violence, providing al-Sisi with the terrorist he had said he was fighting. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy, just like Erdogans. And, al-Sisi has jailed dozens of journalists, along with youth activists such as Ahmad Maher, Alaa Abdel Fattah, and Mahinour al-Masri among many others, and is now attempting to shut down NGOs across the board. His secret police appear to have detained and tortured to death a Cambridge Ph.D. researcher working on labor activiesm, in a brazen act of repression targeting a European national that is unprecedented to my knowledge in modern Egyptian history. As with Bush-Cheneyism, none of these regimes has invented a threat out of whole cloth, but they have hyped or connived at polarization. And all have taken their governments in dark semi-fascist directions. One of the most momentous consequences of the Obama administrations refusal to prosecute the crimes committed in the course of the Bush-Cheney regime was to allow it to retain legitimacy, both among sections of the US electorate and among crony regimes abroad. That Trump and Cruz are actually campaigning on a return to Bush-Cheneyism should alarm everyone and not only Americans. Reddit Email 0 Shares By Jonah Mandel | ( Your Middle East ) | The almost unbearable stench of the dump fades for a moment when Musa Tarabin puts freshly ground coffee into a pot of water boiling over open coals. Tarabin lives in a tiny Bedouin village in Israels south located right next to a landfill, its mountain of rubbish and scavenging birds looming behind. The stench wakes us up in the middle of the night, said Tarabin, a 52-year-old father of seven. The grim conditions are a stark example of the land disputes between Israel and Bedouins, Arab citizens of the country who usually live in the Negev desert. Tarabin tribal members say they were moved by Israel in 1956 to their current location, a patch of land in the Negev flanked on one side by fences of the Dudaim dump, created in the early 1990s. Israel insists their presence there is illegal, and efforts to relocate the Tarabins have so far failed. It used to be fun to live here, said Tarabin. The Israeli authorities need to figure things out. The predicament highlights controversy over Israels attempts to regulate and finalise arrangements for the historically nomadic Bedouins. A spokeswoman for the Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouin in the Negev confirmed the Tarabins had been living at the Dudaim site prior to the dump. But she stressed the presence of the 40 families there was illegal and the Tarabins were considered trespassers on state land, pointing to a number of court rulings to that effect. The authority is tasked with forming new Bedouin communities and expanding existing ones for inhabitants of unrecognised and hence illegal villages. They receive compensation in return for moving. The spokeswoman noted the Tarabins had over the years received a variety of offers to relocate, but unfortunately not all of the Tarabins are cooperating with the authorities in talks on permanent residency. Now theres a mountain To Juma Qadi, a member of the Tarabin tribe living a few hundred metres (yards) from the Dudaim fence, feuds among his Bedouin brethren are the reason they have not relocated. We need to work things out amongst ourselves first, he said, relaying his efforts to coordinate a deal between his Tarabin relatives and Israel that he said were ultimately torpedoed due to internal conflicts and jealousy. Around 230,000 Bedouins live in Israels south, including 90,000 in unrecognised areas, according to official data. Those in such areas normally have no infrastructure and supply their own water and electricity, but those difficulties are less of an issue for the Tarabins near Dudaim. Musa Tarabin and other men who gathered in his shack alleged there was a high mortality rate among their families from lung cancer, which they attribute to the asbestos treated in the dump. The Environmental Protection Ministry said: The asbestos received at the site is received and treated in such a way that its fibres cannot be spread to the surroundings, and therefore there were no regulations regarding the distances between the asbestos in the site and settlements. Dudaims CEO Ido Rubinstein said there was no risk from dangerous materials of any kind in the dump, but agreed no one should be exposed to the stench. We believe decent solutions should be found. Theres no reason for people to live so close to a dump, he said. On a small hill near the Dudaim fence, Salem Tarabin, in his mid-twenties, has been building a new home with the help of a cousin, Ouda. Ouda Tarabin is something of a local celebrity. He was arrested while visiting his sisters in Egypt in 2000 and spent 15 years in prison on charges of spying for Israel. He was released in December and welcomed upon his return by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When I left, there was nothing, Ouda said, gesturing towards the dump. Now theres a mountain. Via Your Middle East Related video added by Juan Cole: AJ+: Israeli Forces Demolish Palestinian School Reddit Email 0 Shares Mark Leonard | ( Project Syndicate ) | In the 1990s, after genocides in Rwanda and the Balkans, Western countries developed a doctrine of so-called humanitarian intervention. The Responsibility to Protect (colloquially known as R2P) held countries accountable for their peoples welfare and compelled the international community to intervene when governments failed to protect civilians from mass atrocities or were themselves threatening civilians. The doctrine upended the traditional concept of national sovereignty, and in countries like Russia and China, it quickly came to be viewed as little more than a fig leaf for Western-sponsored regime change. So it is ironic, to say the least, that Russia is using a concept similar to R2P to justify its intervention, only in this case it is defending the government from its citizens, rather than the other way around. Russias efforts are, in effect, an argument for a return to the era of absolute sovereignty, in which governments are uniquely responsible for what happens within their countrys borders. Russias stance also reflects its preference for stability over justice and its acceptance of the legitimacy of authoritarian rule. With the proliferation of color revolutions in places like Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan, Russia and China have become increasingly wary of popular uprisings. The threat of Western intervention, in their view, only compounds the potential for instability. Indeed, the Chinese have coined their own stiff foreign-policy jargon for this sentiment: fanxifang xin ganshe zhuyi (loosely translated, countering Western neo-interventionism). But Russias respect for sovereignty has notable limits. In Crimea in 2014, the Kremlin embraced a very different doctrine of intervention, justifying its actions in Ukraine on the grounds that it was defending the rights of ethnic Russians. This marks a return to a pre-Westphalian world of linguistic, religious, and sectarian solidarity, of the sort Czarist Russia practiced when it regarded itself as the protector of all Slavs. Not surprisingly, this justification for intervention is rapidly finding adherents in other parts of the world. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has adopted a parallel argument for its support of Sunni forces in Yemen and Syria, as has Iran in backing its Shia allies in both countries. Even China is increasingly being pushed to take responsibility for its citizens and companies overseas. At the beginning of the Libyan civil war, China airlifted tens of thousands of its citizens out of the country. All of this has come at a time when the West is losing its military preeminence. Improvements in the Russian and Chinese militaries and the increasingly common use of asymmetric strategies by state and non-state actors are leveling the battlefield. Indeed, the proliferation of state-sponsored non-state actors in places like Libya, Syria, Crimea, and Donbas is blurring the distinction between state and non-state violence. After the Cold War, the West imposed an international order that defined geopolitics worldwide. When that order was threatened, Western leaders felt authorized to intervene in the affairs of whatever rogue state was causing the problem. But now that order is being challenged on several fronts simultaneously globally by Russia and China, and at the regional level by increasingly assertive players in the Middle East, Latin America, and even Europe. As a new order takes shape, the roles countries have played for the last 25 years are likely to be reversed. In the West, the concept of sovereignty and the limited use of power is likely to make a comeback, while national leaders who have traditionally called for restraint will become increasingly bold in unleashing their troops. Mark Leonard is Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Licensed from Project Syndicate - Related video added by Juan Cole: CCTV: UN condemns Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen VANCOUVER, March 21, 2016 /CNW/ - Mirasol Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: MRZ, Frankfurt: M8R) ("Mirasol") Mirasol's Joint Venture partner at the Atlas gold project Yamana Gold Inc. has completed 2,677 m of reverse circulation (RC) with diamond core (DD) tails in 6 drill holes (Tables 1 and 2) to December 2015. Also, an additional 59.4 line-km of deep-penetrating pole - dipole IP geophysics was completed at the project, bringing the total IP since inception of the Joint Venture to 124.4 line-km (see news release July 28th 2015). The drill holes provide a first pass test of the Atlas Gold and Silver Zones, and at Pampa & Oculto prospects (Figure 1) and have returned some encouraging low-level Au and Ag assays. Anomalous intervals are associated with high sulphidation epithermal (HSE) styles of alteration, including vuggy silica and silica - alunite developed in volcanic & brecciated host rocks. These intervals also show strong trace element association (As, Hg, Te, Sb, Bi and Pb) typical of the target style of mineralization. The more anomalous intervals of mineralization include: CLATRD0001 38 m at 0.11 g/t Au, 0.5 g/t Ag 4 m at 1.12 g/t Au, 0.7 g/t Ag CLATRD0004 14m at 0.06 g/t Au, 154.3 g/t Ag. The intervals reported are down-hole intersections in angled reverse circulation drilling; all are in oxidized material. The depth of oxidation in the holes drilled to date ranges between 88 & 248 m down hole & is typically greater than 200 meters down hole suggesting relativity deep oxidation at the project. RC drilling is less expensive that DD, and is used at early stages of an exploration program to probe for subsurface mineralization in a large mineral system such as Atlas. These results encourage further drilling to determine the geometries of these anomalous intersections, and if they are spatially associated with (halos to) higher-grade mineralization. The IP geophysical surveys completed to date by Yamana have tested 46.5 sq. km of the Atlas alteration system. Processing of the growing geophysical database has provided a new perspective of the Atlas mineralizing system, outlining an aerially extensive, 4 to 5 km diameter resistivity feature which has a series of discrete, kilometre-scale, resistivity bodies within it (figure 1). Visualisation of these discrete bodies with 3D imaging software in the context of previous geological mapping, surface rock chip sampling, has highlighted a series of large as-yet untested targets (Figure 2). Some of these new targets have geometries suggestive of concealed breccia pipes (Figure 3), which are important host rocks to precious metal mineralisation in many HSE deposits. The IP survey used 400 m line spacing with 150 m dipoles, parameters designed to detect large-scale geophysical features that may represent mineralized bodies concealed by post mineral cover, or hydrothermally altered cap rocks that are typically depleted of precious metals in HSE deposits, but which conceal underlying precious metal mineralization. In addition to the targets mentioned above, the survey has yielded a number of larger-scale features worthy of drill testing. Yamana plans to drill an additional 2,500 m during the January to March 2016 quarter at Atlas. This campaign will be directed to test some of the newly recognized geophysical targets and to extend drill hole CLATRD0004 testing for higher grade mineralization associated with the anomalous Au-Ag intersected in this hole to date. Further updates will be reported as assay results are received by Mirasol. Stephen Nano, President and CEO of Mirasol, has approved the technical content of this news release and is the Qualified Person under NI 43 -101. Quality Assurance/Quality Control of the Gorbea exploration program: Under the terms of the Gorbea Agreement, all exploration is managed by Yamana. All previous exploration on the projects was supervised by Mirasol CEO Stephen C. Nano, who is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101. All information generated from the Gorbea Joint Venture program is reviewed by Mirasol prior to release. The technical interpretations presented here are those of Mirasol Resources Ltd. Yamana applies industry standard exploration methodologies and techniques. All geochemical rock and drill samples are collected under the supervision of the Yamana's geologists in accordance with industry practice. Geochemical assays are obtained and reported under a quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. Samples are dispatched to an ISO 9001:2000-accredited laboratory in Chile for analysis. Assay results from drill core samples may be higher, lower or similar to results obtained from surface samples due to surficial oxidation and enrichment processes or due to natural geological grade variations in the primary mineralization. Forward Looking Statements: The information in this news release contains forward looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding future exploration programs, operation plans, geological interpretations, mineral tenure issues and mineral recovery processes. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Mirasol disclaims any obligations to update or revise any forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. 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. Table 1: Atlas Project Drill Hole Positions and Details Prospect Drill Hole ID Collar Easting (m) Collar Northing (m) Azimuth () Dip () From (m) To (m) Drilling Type Atlas Gold Zone CLATRD0001 502,047 7,193,244 045 -45 0 346 RC Atlas Gold Zone CLATRD0002 502,270 7,193,456 225 -50 0 254 RC 254 377 DD Atlas Silver Zone CLATRD0003 502,170 7,191,363 045 -55 0 256 RC 256 808.4 DD Oculto/BX Norte CLATRD0004 502,825 7,192,321 045 -55 0 300 RC Pampa Zone CLATRD0005 501,138 7,190,364 045 -50 0 522 RC Oculto CLATRD0006 503,987 7,191,167 045 -61 0 66 RC Oculto CLATRD0006B 503,966 7,191,199 045 -61 0 258 RC Collar coordinates are in datum and projection PSAD56 / UTM zone 19S Drilling types are Diamond Core (DD) and Reverse Circulation (RC) Table 2: Atlas Down Hole Intersections - Holes 1-6b Drill Hole ID From (m) To (m) Down Hole Intersections (m) Gold * (g/t) Silver * (g/t) CLATRD0001 108.0 112.0 4 1.12 0.7 CLATRD0001 148.0 186.0 38 0.11 0.5 CLATRD0002 22.0 46.0 24 0.18 13.1 CLATRD0002 190.0 210.0 20 0.20 0.7 CLATRD0003 36.0 42.0 6 0.14 0.3 CLATRD0003 377.5 382.2 5 0.17 0.3 CLATRD0004 230.0 244.0 14 0.06 152.3 Manually selected intervals typically > 0.1 g/t gold and/or > 40 g/t silver * Grades reported are length weighted average intersections calculated as Sum product of grade & Length / Sum of Length Reverse circulation sampling interval were every 2 m and diamond samples collected on geological basis (approximately 0.5-2 m intervals) SOURCE Mirasol Resources Ltd. RED CLOUD Jerry Jerome McDole, 72, of Red Cloud died Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at Webster County Community Hospital in Red Cloud. Services will be at 2 p.m. today at First United Methodist Church in Red Cloud with the Rev. Warren Schoming officiating. Burial will be at Red Cloud Cemetery. Williams Funeral Home in Red Cloud is in charge of arrangements. Jerry Jerome McDole, the son of Dale C. Sr. and Jessie (Haley) McDole, was born on Nov. 12, 1943, in Fairbury. He departed this life at the age of 72 years, 4 months and 4 days. Jerry was the second of four children who would be born in this family. In 1946, following the end of Dale Sr.s military service in World War II, the family moved to Red Cloud. Jerry received his formal education at Red Cloud Public Schools and graduated with honors as the president of the class of 1961. Upon graduating from high school, Jerry enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He studied engineering for two years and pledged to Acacia Fraternity. He then returned to Red Cloud and worked for his father as a heavy-equipment operator from 1963 to 1967. In June 1964, he married Ruth Marget in Red Cloud. To this union, five children were born, Georgia, Jessica, Celia May, Eileen and J.J. The couple later divorced. Jerry moved back to Lincoln with his family in summer 1967 to resume his studies at the University of Nebraska. He graduated in May 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business. Upon graduation, he entered law school and went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska on Dec. 23, 1971. He was admitted to the Nebraska State Bar Association on Feb. 28, 1972. Jerry and his family then returned to Red Cloud where he began practicing law with Bernard Sprague. He later established his own law office and continued practicing in Red Cloud until his death. During that time he also served as the Webster County attorney from 1973 to 1983 and again from 2001 to 2012, making him the longest-serving county attorney in the history of Webster County. Jerry married Estela L. Chan, MD, on Nov. 26, 1983, in Red Cloud. To this union one son, Joseph, was born. Jerry was a member of First United Methodist Church in Red Cloud, the Nebraska State Bar Association, the 10th Judicial District Bar Association and the Nebraska County Attorneys Association and had served as president of the Red Cloud Chamber of Commerce. In his younger years, Jerry enjoyed buying, selling, collecting and tinkering with automobiles as the owner of Quality Used Cars. He was especially fond of Corvettes and other General Motors vehicles. Later in life, Jerry loved to spend time operating heavy equipment to make various improvements to his land. He enjoyed watching Clint Eastwood movies and NASCAR races, and he truly delighted in spending time with his grandchildren. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Dale C. McDole Jr.; and an infant daughter, Celia May. He is survived by his wife, Estela Chan of Red Cloud; two siblings and their spouses sister, Irene and husband Carl Andersen of Superior and brother, Hayes and wife Lolita of Red Cloud; five children and their spouses daughter, Georgia Fear of Sutherland, daughter, Jessica and husband Darren Thompson of Guide Rock, daughter, Eileen and husband Mick Jahn of Kearney, son, J.J. and wife Dianne of Kearney and son Joseph and wife Amy of Red Cloud; 17 grandchildren, Landan and Larren Fear, Anya (Thompson) Waters and husband Matthew, Aaron, Amanda and Allison Thompson, Courtney (Jahn) Templeton and husband Michial, Sarah, Matthew, Emma and Heath Jahn, Thomas and Pyper Ewing, and Celia Marie, Mariah, Taylor and Dale G. McDole; three great-grandchildren; plus a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Jerry will be remembered for his sense of humor, his distinctive laugh, his sharp intellect, his love for his family, and his desire to apply the law with common sense and to temper justice with mercy. Memorials are suggested to the Red Cloud Volunteer Fire Department or the Red Cloud Emergency Medical Technicians. Lash Leroux is shown in an undated police handout photo. Police are asking for the public's help to locate a woman they allege has been kidnapped from a hospital in northern British Columbia. Prince George RCMP say witnesses outside the University Hospital of Northern B.C. saw a man pushing a woman in a wheelchair out of the building and forcing her into a vehicle against her will. Police have identified the suspect as 44-year-old Prince George resident Lash Leroux. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - RCMP 328 Shares Share 1. I applied to medical school so that I could become a doctor and provide care for patients. I care about people. I am eager to be part of the health care community. I believe that most, if not all, physicians feel the same way. Physicians are also human and flawed and fallible. Everyone, including physicians, have off days and make mistakes and run late. What you may not know is that your physician is running late because a patient before you with a life-threatening emergency that required immediate intervention. A patient scheduled before you may have arrived late creating a delay to the rest of the schedule. If you regularly see a physician who seems to never run on time, it may be a sign that they care they care about you, about their other patients, about patient education. They most likely take time to explain and listen. They probably squeeze in patients who need to be seen that day. 2. As much as we care, you are actually your best advocate. If you have a long or complicated medical history, keeping some kind of log or diary may help you with remembering details that your doctor may ask about during your visit. 3. Stay updated with your family. You may have very complicated relationships with some of your family members, but there are many diseases, conditions, treatment responses that can run in families and could help your doctor help you. 4. Ask questions. There may not be time to answer every question, but it is important to understand medical conditions, treatments, ways to prevent disease, methods to cope with problems, screening guidelines. Even if your doctor is pressed on time, they may recommend a return visit to go over your questions, they may have handouts that you can read, they may have recommended websites to visit, or they may refer you to a different doctor who is better equipped to answer your questions. 5. Be cautious and judicious with your Google searches. I encourage patients to learn about themselves. However, not every patient will benefit from reading about every single detail of what may or may not happen. There are some people who actually get more anxious with that information and for those patients, I would recommend a sit-down conversation with a doctor as opposed to an Internet search. Alternatively, if it would benefit the patient to read more about a medical problem or treatment, then I would recommend websites that are vetted by physicians. Blogs and other postings on the Internet may not be accurate, may stir up unnecessary concern, may create confusion. As a patient, one of the questions you could ask your doctor is which website(s) they recommend for more information. All that said, if you pre-Dr. Google your symptoms prior to a visit with your doctor, please keep an open mind with what diagnosis and treatment plan your doctor recommends. The educational path to become a doctor includes K-12 education, 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, 3 or more years of residency (depends on the type of medicine), and possibly 1 or more years of post-graduate fellowships (again, depends on the type of medicine). It is not an insult to your education or knowledge base if your doctor suggests something you did not find yourself: your doctor has simply spent a decade studying and training in medicine, and that is not something easily replicated in an Internet search. 6. Please see and follow-up with your doctor. I find it absolutely tragic when someone has gone years without seeing a doctor, and then we identify a metastatic cancer with a very poor prognosis. What makes these moments so disheartening is that if the patient had come sooner or more regularly, it may have been caught sooner and may have resulted in a better outcome. I know some patients are afraid to go to the doctor, fearful they may get bad news, and detest some of the procedures involved in their care. However, technology is improving, more screening tests are being developed, and diseases are being detected earlier than before. 7. Mental illness/psychiatric disease affects 1 in 4 people that we know of. Everyone needs help with something at some point. People develop differently, process life events differently, and it makes every patient different even if they share a diagnosis. Nobody judges a diabetic for taking their insulin, so nobody should be scrutinizing a patient for seeking help with managing their psychiatric health. In fact, it should be encouraged. Access to health care can be limited, but please be honest and speak up when you or your loved one is depressed, anxious, panicked, manic, hallucinating. And should you be the other 3 in 4 people not affected, check your biases and try being supportive. 8. Medical students are future doctors. After conferring with many of my friends and family members who are nurses, not one of them ever introduced themselves as a medical student while in nursing school. I appreciate that the nursing profession has largely been an occupation held by women and that physicians are disproportionately male. However, I am a little over a year from earning my doctorate, which will officially make me a female physician. I have been asked so many times if medical student means nursing student that I have started to say that I am in doctor school instead of medical school. Many patients will then ask what kind of doctor? Medical school teaches the basics on how to be any kind of doctor, while residency trains you to be a specific kind of doctor. Ashley Griswold is a medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 231 Shares Share An excerpt from Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction. It was a frigid winter day in February 2005, when two officers one from the state police, one from the Drug Enforcement Agency arrived at my office and sat waiting amid the spellbinding view of the neighboring arboretum and the friendly clutter of charts, papers, stethoscopes, medical books, discarded coffee cups, and pharmaceutical samples. At the time, I was scurrying back from a noon lecture on cholesterol management, in order to resume office hours. My attention was focused on the first patients I was soon to examine, an elderly Jewish couple plagued with anxiety and hemorrhoids, when, stethoscope in pocket and monogrammed white coat fluttering, I stopped dead still in the center of my office. My momentum was arrested by the concentrated accusatory gaze of the law enforcement authorities. Unlike the patients in the packed waiting room, these officers didnt have the uncomfortable and deferential Im waiting for my prostate exam look. Rather, their demeanor more resembled that of famished carnivores. Far from famished, Rufus, the police officer, was morbidly obese, pasty, and spoke with a thick Boston accent. Bruno, the DEA agent, was thin, sarcastic, and fake friendly. He seemed as if he wanted to put his feet on my desk. (Why, certainly, your Federalness. Go right ahead.) Reflexively, I started hedging, stalling for time, trying to create some understandable context for their presence in my office. My wife, H., gave me your business card yesterday, and Ive been meaning to call you. Im really glad that you are here, and that Bruno waved his hands dismissively and interrupted me with, Doc, cut the crap already. We know youve been writing bad scripts. Bruno and Rufus werent here to arrest me and drag me outside in front of my staff or, worse, my patients, bumping my head against the top of their cruiser as they stuffed me into the backseat. They didnt read me my Miranda rights or pull out guns. They didnt yell, Freeze, and put your hands up! They didnt handcuff me, shock me with Tasers, club me with riot sticks, or detonate any canisters of tear gas in my office. They didnt hunker down behind my desk and radio in for reinforcements, bawling into their handsets, All units, weve got a doctor here who is taking drugs! Instead, seemingly with relish, they informed me that I was to be charged with three felony counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance. They had evidence that I had written prescriptions for the powerful narcotic Vicodin in the name of a former nanny, who had long since returned home to New Zealand, and that I had been picking them up from the pharmacy for my own use. They were tipped off by an astute pharmacist at CVS. They say the universe is still gradually expanding, but at that moment, my universe started collapsing, even imploding, like a balloon stuck with a pin. Just minutes earlier, I was blithely sipping on gourmet coffee and chomping down donuts that some drug rep had dropped off (trying to push, no doubt, a cholesterol-lowering drug) while daydreaming through some lunchtime lecture. I had the expectation of a moderately hectic but lucrative afternoon examining grateful patients, and then returning home to see my kids. Suddenly I was facing serious legal and career uncertainty, and was feeling awash in guilt and confusion. I had dealt with handcuffs during the tumultuous years I worked for Greenpeace, and knew that they were childs play compared to what my wife, H., was going to do to me when she learned of these charges. Id take a Taser any day. And what about my kids? Were they going to be allowed to visit me in the penitentiary, waving at me through dirty plastic and speaking to me through a buzzing telephone connection? At that point, I decided that I had had enough drama for one day, so I tried to politely signal to Bruno and Rufus that office hours were over. Doctors are excellent at dismissing people. We stand up, indicate toward the door with body language, ruffle some papers, and say something pithy about how we hope their fungus, or whatever is ailing them, feels better soon. Unfortunately, Bruno and Rufus were just warming up. They pressured me with not-so-veiled threats. Doc, were here just trying to get you the help you need. If you tell us what we need to know, we dont have to blab to the other docs here and to your patients. They were threatening to expose me if I didnt sing, and to leave no stone unturned. Who else has been writing scrips for you? What other docs? Give us names. How else do you get pills? Buy them on the streets? Do you shoot up? Snort? Sell pills on the side? What other drugs do you use? Weed? Coke? Heroin? Angel dust? Under duress, my mind started wandering. I couldnt help thinking, Since when do doctors do angel dust? Get with the times. Once this line of questioning dried up, they tried a different tactic. Doc, if your wife is popping these pills, you will never get out of this. They had the pleasure of meeting her the day before. According to the police report, On 2/16/2005 at approximately 3:30 p.m. S/A XXXXX and TFO XXXXX went to Street, , MA and were met by H. who later identified herself as the wife of Peter Grinspoon, M.D. H. appeared nervous and agitated and refused to speak to S/A XXXXX and TFO XXXXX and further asked that they return with a uniformed officer if they wanted to speak to her. At approximately 5:00 p.m. S/A XXXXX and TFO XXXXX returned to the previously stated address accompanied by Boston Police Patrolman Andrew XXXXX. At this time, H. had a normal demeanor and agreed to speak with the officers. H. was asked if she knew R S and she responded that she has employed Ms. S as an au pair through International Au Pair. H. further said Ms. S left the U.S. in January 2004 and returned to New Zealand. At this time the interview was terminated. Oh yeah. H. mentioned that the police came by. Really bizarre pillow talk. Honey, the police stopped by today to ask about our former nanny. I should have made a run for it. Possibly, just possibly, I could have made it over the Canadian border and spared myself the misery of the next few years. Good-bye, wife. Good-bye, children. Good-bye, career as primary care doctor. I answered that no, thanks for your concern, but unfortunately, my wife doesnt take prescription painkillers, and I was the one who had a problem. Peter Grinspoon is a physician and author of Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Arizona Mining Inc. (TSX: AZ) says it has entered into a term sheet with Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd. (TSX: OR) for $15.6 million for drilling on the Taylor deposit. This includes a 1% net smelter royalty on any lead-zinc-silver sulfide ores mined from its Hermosa project for proceeds of $10 million. In addition, Osisko and certain insiders will subscribe for a total of 9.99 million units at a price of 56 cents each, calculated using the five-day volume weighted average share price, for gross proceeds of $5.59 million. Each unit consists of one common share and one-half share purchase warrant, Arizona Mining reports. Proceeds from the financings, when combined with the company's recent private placement for $2.8 million, will be primarily used for an aggressive drill campaign on the Taylor deposit and for general working capital purposes, says Arizona Mining, a Canadian mineral exploration and development company. The Taylor deposit is the down-dip sulfide extension of the companys silver-manganese Hermosa Central Manto oxide project. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Newmarket Announces Increase In Reserves, Grade At Fosterville Mine Newmarket Gold Inc. (TSX: NMI; OTCQX: NMKTF) reports that mineral reserves at its flagship Fosterville gold mine increased 34% to 244,000 ounces of gold, after depletion, as a result of the discovery of the high-grade, visible gold-bearing Eagle fault zone which comprises approximately 18% of total Fosterville underground mineral reserves. The reserve grade increased 25% to 6.95 grams per tonne from 5.55 g/t. Measured and indicated mineral resources at the mine increased 5% to 2.12 million ounces of gold. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Barrick Announces Finalizes $750 Million Debt Tender Offer Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE, TSX: ABX) has announced final results and settlement of its $750 million cash tender offer for outstanding notes, all as a part of an ongoing effort to reduce debt. The world's largest gold producer previously reported that it cut debt by $3.1 billion last year , slightly exceeding a $3 billion target. Then on Feb. 17, Barrick announced a goal of reducing its debt by at least $2 billion by the end of 2016, with this tender offer a part of the debt-reduction target. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com One of the new, modern rooms in the renovated wing of the Bremerton Salvation Army. (ANDREW BINION / KITSAP SUN) SHARE Maj. Scott Ramsey (left) and retired Maj. Jim Baker wait in the chapel at the Bremerton Salvation Army on Sunday. The social service center dedicated it's new renovated wing, which joins a brand new wing opened in September. (ANDREW BINION / KITSAP SUN) By Andrew Binion of the Kitsap Sun BREMERTON When the Bremerton Salvation Army opened its new wing in September, Maj. Scott Ramsey heard from a few clients that nobody cared for them. On Sunday the social service center dedicated its older, newly renovated wing, and in a sparkling chapel, Ramsey said there was evidence all around that proved that wasn't true. "This building is testament that there are people who care about you, this community cares," he said. With the new addition, the Salvation Army is now just under 30,000 square feet triple the size it was before. The new addition and renovation cost about $5.5 million and will increase the services available to those in need. On a rainy Sunday, the need for the services was apparent, as several people huddled in a nearby alley to stay dry. The Salvation Army served 6,000 people in 2015, which includes 53,000 meals and $177,000 worth of groceries handed out at its food bank. The building with modern kitchens, offices and restrooms serves the organization's mission of bringing dignity and hope to those in need, but it also serves as a powerful symbol, said Maj. Bill Dickinson, divisional commander for the Salvation Army's Northwest Division. "It represents hope for the future, and hope for people who are in despair," he said. The new wing has facilities for a food and clothing bank with the clothing focusing on sturdy items for those who live outdoors as well as a hygiene center, which offers laundry facilities and showers. Breakfast and lunch are served in the new wing, which has also doubled as a winter shelter, averaging nearly 40 men, women and children a night, not counting their pets, which are welcome as well. The older wing now has a chapel, meeting and storage space. Sheryl Piercy, social services director, shared stories of a homeless couple who had been living in their El Camino until they stayed in the shelter. The man had been wounded fighting in the Vietnam War and had metal plates and screws that made sleeping in the cold painful. The couple now has a home, where they can take off their shoes when they get in the door and cook in their own kitchen. "When you are not hungry, when you are clean, when you have a place to sleep at night, more is possible," Piercy said. "Hope is possible." Stuff has a short-list of what they say are front-runners to be the next Governor-General. It is a silly short-list with only one out of five being likely. They claim the front-runners are: Starting off with our more serious picks, Dame Jenny Shipley ticks all the right boxes. Shes a former prime minister which would be a point of difference to previous appointments. And in the same vein, Jim Bolger would be a contender, being the countrys two-term leader in the 90s. Fresh off her spy agency review, we have Dame Patsy Reddy: a lawyer, chief Crown negotiator for Treaty settlements, and state review expert. Former deputy Prime Minister Sir Don McKinnon was speculated to be in the running last time, could this be his chance? And because there seems to be a historical legal appetite, Chief Justice Sian Elias may be able to put away her wooden gavel. Stuff seems to be going on name recognition, rather than any idea of the role of Governor-General. Former Prime Ministers are very bad choices to be the non partisan effective Head of State. It will not be Shipley or Bolger. Plus Bolger is 81 years old. McKinnon would be an excellent choice for Governor-General based on his work as Commonwealth Secretary-General etc. However he was a National Party Deputy PM, and it is a bad look to appoint a former politician. The thought that Sian Elias would give up the incredibly powerful job of Chief Justice to be Governor-General is fanciful. Dame Patsy Reddy is indeed possible the only one on the list that makes sense. UPDATE: John Key has explicitly said it wont be a former politician. UPDATE 2: The Herald says it will be Dame Patsy Reddy. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Like most of the world, Ive been wrong at almost every stage about Trump in terms of public support. He has broken all the rules and is on track to win a clear plurality of Republican delegates, maybe even a majority. He has attacked pretty much every senior figure in the Republican Party, is campaigning against free trade, and says appalling things, yet his support continues, and even grows. Why? This post is an attempt to answer that question. There is no one answer, but multiple factors. First, and maybe the most important. Americans are very unhappy with the direction of their country When I say Americans, I dont just mean Republicans and I dont mean angry (that is a subset). Americans have been unhappy with the direction of America for around 12 years, and in fact for most of the last 35 years. This shows the percentage of Americans who say they are happy with the way things are going in the US. If it is over 50% then most Americans are happy. At present it is just over one quarter. Under Carter satisfaction dropped to 12%. In Reagans first term it improved to 20s, then 30s and in 1984 it hit 50%. Reagan was re-elected and in his second term it got to a high of 69%. Under Bush 41 it was in the 40s and 50s. It his 66% after the first Gulf War but dropped to 14% by mid 1992 as the economic recession hit. Clintons first term saw it in the 20s and 30s only but in 1996 got up to 45%. Clinton was re-elected and it kept increasing to a high of 71% in Feb 1999. Remained in the 60s for the rest of his term. Bush 43 was in the 50s and high 40s until 9/11. Just after that rose to 70%. 2002 to 2004 saw it in the 50s and 40s. Around 2005 it went back into the 30s and 40s. Then in 2007 it went into the 20s and in 2008 hit a lot of 7%. Obamas election saw it hit a high 36% in August 2009 and then a low of 11% in 2011. Obamas reelection saw it go up to just 33% and at the end of last year was just 20%. The last time satisfaction hit 40% was in 2005 and 50% in 2004. This malaise is not shared in other countries. This graph compares the net (positive less negative) direction in the US and New Zealand. NZ has never had negative net approval since 2008 and the US has never had positive net approval since 2004. So for well over a decade Americans think their country is heading in the wrong direction. In that time there has been a Republican and a Democratic President, a Republican and a Democratic Senate, and a Republican and a Democratic House. So Americans are disillusioned with the country, politicians and the parties. Up to three quarters of Americans think their country is heading in the wrong direction, and they are looking for a way to change that. This explains some of the appeal of Trump (and Sanders). 2. Make America Great Again Trumps slogan of Make American Great Again is very appealing to many Americans. They want to be proud of their country. They think the US is an exceptional country. They feel let down. Trump is no Reagan but he is tapping into the same vein. Key even tapped into this somewhat in 2008. He never did an Angry Andy and said NZ is an awful place due to the Government. Key said NZ is a great country but can be even better. Trumps tactics are different (he blames stupid politicians) but he is appealing to peoples pride in the country (even if unhappy with the direction). Politicians on the left struggle with this. How does Obama make people think America is a great country, when he hand wrings about Guantanamo Bay, racism and the like. This isnt saying Obama is wrong, just that getting the tone right is a challenge. 3, A backlash against political correctness Trumps statements banning all Muslims from migrating to, or even visiting, the United States are deplorable. But they have struck a chord, Why? Because people feel they cant even discuss the problems of Islam and extreme Islam. When there is a terrorist attack, the President cant even call it Islamic terrorism. They laughable Islam is a religion of peace line is trotted out in all the media. People feel they cant have an honest and open debate about the serious problems within Islam (such as over 30% of Muslims worldwide support executing people for apostasy). So when Trump comes out and says Ban all Muslims, people feel that it liberates them to at least be able to say what they think. You saw this in a different way with Brashs Orewa speech. Brashs speech was nothing like what Trump has said, but it struck a chord as the political elite had ruled such conversations off topic for so long. So at one extreme you have Obama unwilling to even use the term Islamic terrorism and at the other Trump saying Ban Muslims from crossing the border. It is one extreme that creates the other. This is not to say anyone but Trump is to blame for what Trump says he is. But the reason he has found such support, has been the politically correct climate where politicians and others have to measure every word they say. 4. Blaming someone for all the problems Winston is the master at this. For decades he has done well in saying that everything would be like it used to be (he thinks the 70s were a golden age). if it were not for some group to blame. That group for Winston has ranged from Asian immigrants to Big businesses. Trump has made it simpler. He blames stupid politicians. Everyone but him is stupid, and all will be well if he is President. He will negotiate better deals, scare all the enemies, and get Mexico to pay for a wall because he is super smart and everyone else is dumb. Politicians are a good target for blaming everything on. Their approval rating (generically) is normally below 20%. 5. Non-politicians appeal Tied to the above, there is a long history of non-politicians appealing. In NZ both Brash and Key did very well because they were not seen as career politicians, but people who have succeeded outside of politics. 6. People dont expect Trump to do exactly what he says Many of us have gone wrong thinking that people wont support Trump because his so called policies are impossible to achieve and implement. Take these three: Build a wall with Mexcio and get them to pay for it of course they wont Ban Muslims from travelling to the US every court in America would strike it down as unconstitutional even if it passed Congress Impose huge tariffs on imports(against WTO rules) I will target and kill families of terrorists US military would refuse to do But Americans may be smarter than we give them credit. I suspect few of his supporters expect him to do exactly what he says. But what they like is what he is effectively saying, which is: I will be much much tougher on illegal immigration I will battle radical Islam I will get better deals for the US from other countries I will be hard arse in batting terrorism So they are responding to his direction rather than his specific policies. 7. Trump doesnt have to worry about relationships Trump is the insulter in chief. It gets him great air time, and his supporters love it. He can do it, because he is not a politician. He is not even that interested in whether the Republican Party does well. He just wants to be President. Other candidates have political careers and need to work with others. They have to be restrained in what they say. 8. There is no effective Republican establishment leadership Us parties are very different to NZ parties. The US parties are more brands than unified parties. This is why Trump and Sanders can come in and be viable. Unless you hold the Oval Office, then your party has no clear leadership. The RNC Chair is not very powerful. So when people say the establishment is failing to stop Trump, that is partly because there is no single establishment figure who can bring everyone together and say This is what we are doing 9. Trump never backs down Trump has said more false things than any other candidate in recent history. But he never ever admits he was wrong. While this is off putting to some voters, he has shown that you can brazen things out. This may probe to set a very bad incentive for future candidates. 10. Free media Trump doesnt need to spend money for publicity. One tweet from him generates 200 stories. This has helped him dominate the media. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Tracy Watkins writes: National has a nickname for Labour leader Andrew Little. Angry Andy. They taunt him with it in Parliament. They reckon its Littles achilles heel, that he can come across to the punters as perpetually angry. No wonder Labour was happy the day Littles cat Buddy photo-bombed him. No man with a cat called Buddy .can be angry all the time, right? But maybe the Nats angry Andymeme is just a cunning case of reverse psychology. Because angry politics seems to be working just fine for Americas Donald Trump, and its angry septuagenarian Bernie Sanders. Thats because most Americans are unhappy with the direction of their country. For more than a decade only around 30% of Americans say their country is heading in the right direction. By contrast, in NZ, around 60% of NZers say they think the country is heading in the right direction. So why isnt angry working for Little? Labour is stuck in the poll doldrums and looking increasingly adrift as a frustrated Little clutches at a grab bag of soundbites and tries to give them a unifying theme. They have no discipline and strategy. After years of bagging dairy farmers, they seize on low milk prices and demand the Government force banks to write off loans to diary farmers. They need to choose three issues and focus on them relentlessly. However almost every day they chase the issue of the week. Because its all looking increasingly desperate and on the hoof. In the same week that Little opined against importing ethnic chefs, he and his finance spokesman laid out the case for bailing out battling dairy farmers, not a group thats traditionally sparked sympathy for being trapped on the wrong side of the inequality divide. Square pegs and nothing but round holes for as far as the eye can see. Desperate is a good word for it. Its not just the punters who are confused. Littles MPs are less and less inclined to hide their bafflement at whats coming out of the third floor leaders office or more to the point whats coming out of the leaders mouth. This is a dangerous time for Little. The success of his leadership so far has been in unifying a fractious and divided caucus. But the traditional fault lines are starting to reassert themselves. This is significant. Little had no internal criticism for the first 15 months, but his MPs are getting sick of the lack of direction. Likewise the unease over targeting Asian house purchasers. Labour used to have a stranglehold on the ethnic vote. No more. National Party rallies once the the domain of the blue rinse set and farmers are now glitzy affairs where Asian faces clearly outnumber the blue-rinse brigade. They like a party that doesnt target people on their surnames. If Littles foray into the immigration debate had been a populist attempt to muscle in on traditional NZ First territory it might have been excused as part of a broader if cynical plan. But Littles desperate attempts to hose down the ethnic chefs debacle make a nonsense even of that idea. The Labour base went into meltdown. Twitter exploded, the activists were in a fury and Little was left defending himself with the usual figleaf that his quotes were taken out of context. Having to do a secret blog post to your own members is never a good look. Unlike the US, meanwhile, we are blessed with a political system that works. Which is not to say middle New Zealand is not capable of getting angry again. But Little wont find that anger by floundering around looking for opportunist itches to scratch. Its desperate politics. Again they need to choose three issues and stick with them for not one day, one week or even one month, but three years. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Despite the fact that two-thirds of Iowa's family caregivers assist loved ones with such complex medical tasks as IVs, only half have ever had training to provide that care. The fate of the Technology 2020 building is uncertain after the board of directors ordered a wind-down of operations, but the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will play a key role in that decision. (BOB FOWLER/NEWS SENTINEL) SHARE By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel OAK RIDGE The wind-down of a public-private partnership to assist high-tech startup companies poses an intriguing dilemma what to do with Tech 2020's current assets, which include a building and land valued at $1.56 million. Tech 2020, spun out from the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce in the mid-1990s, is located in the city's Commerce Park. The 17,510 square-foot building houses both the Tech 2020 staff and employees of the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee. CROET is also an economic development entity, with the mission of finding new uses for underutilized properties on the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge reservation. The building also is used for weekly meetings of the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. When it was created, Tech 2020 was a division of the chamber, and the chamber invested its resources in its spin off. "The chamber has an interest in that building," said David Bradshaw, chairman of Tech 2020's board of directors. "They have a right to realize a return on that interest." Tech 2020 was a victim of its own success, he said. Its initial achievements led to the creation of similar groups in the region, all promoting and supporting startups, with all of them looking for revenue. "It's bittersweet, clearly," Bradshaw said of the pending demise of the organization. "A lot of my life is in Tech 2020, but it's the right time to do this." Bradshaw said that if the building is sold to a private organization, it would go on the property tax rolls. Proceeds of the sale could be used to help keep some programs launched by Tech 2020 going. Both Tech 2020 and the Oak Ridge Chamber are considered not-for-profit organizations, and neither entity has to pay local property taxes on its buildings. Should the Tech 2020 building retain in some form its mission as an economic development entity, it would likely also retain its nonprofit, tax-exempt status. Whatever is decided, the Chamber of Commerce will have a say-so, chamber President Parker Hardy said. "If they (Tech 2020) want to sell the building, we have a say in matters associated with that sale." Hardy said the chamber has a "reversionary interest" in the building because it was involved in Tech 2020's creation and would have to give permission for any sale to proceed. "We're interested in it (the building) being used in a fashion consistent with the chamber's mission," Hardy said. Hardy said there are many unanswered questions about the wind-down of Tech 2020 and the disposition of its assets, but thus far, conversations have been amicable as officials begin to wade through the myriad details. SHARE DAFFODIL SHOW The East Tennessee Daffodil Society will have a Daffodil Show from 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 26 and 27, in the Ellington Plant Science Building's Hollingsworth Auditorium on the UT Agricultural campus. There are thousands of daffodils that differ in form, color and some are fragrant. A show is a great place to see a daffodil in bloom instead of pictures in a catalog. The event is free and open to the public. For more information call 865-984-6688. SHOPPING OPPS Statemint Consignment Sale is holding its spring shopping event at Jubilee Banquet Facility March 24-26. Shop for clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories for women and men. Doors will be open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, March 24-25, and the half-price sale runs from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 26. Jubilee Banquet Facility is located at 6700 Jubilee Center Way off Callahan Drive. Info: www.statemintconsignment.com/ Shop for children's wear, toys, books and everything baby at the Duck Duck Goose Consignment Sale at the Knoxville Expo Center, 5441 Clinton Highway. This seasonal consignment sale will be open daily 10 a.m.-8 p.m. March 30-April 2. Half-price day is April 2. Info: http://dkdkgoose.com/knoxville/ RUN FOR HEROES Register before Friday, March 25, to be guaranteed a T-shirt for the fifth annual Fit for Duty Firefighter's 5K and 10K Run/Walk on Saturday, April 9. The 9 a.m. race, sponsored by the Gatlinburg Firefighter's Association, begins at the Gatlinburg Fire Department at 1230 East Parkway, rain or shine. It's open to men, women and children of all ages. Proceeds go to fund the Gatlinburg Firefighter's Association community education programs. For race registration and information, call 865-661-0685 or visit www.gatlinburgfire.org. TOOT YOUR HORN Car, truck and motorcycles owners can support the band program at Halls High School by taking part in the 15th annual Halls Crossroads Car Show on Saturday, March 26, in the Halls Food City parking lot, 7202 Maynardville Highway. Open registration will take place from 9 a.m. until noon, and judging from noon to 4 p.m. The event is open to all vehicles. Registration is $25. To register, visit hallsband.org/carshow. For more information, visit hallsband.org/carshow or email organizers Valerie and Jeff Bronson at vtbronson@comcast.net. JAZZ AND BLUEGRASS Pellissippi State Community College will host a Jazz and Bluegrass Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 24, at the Clayton Performing Arts Center at the school's Hardin Valley campus. It features the Pellissippi State Jazz Band and Hardin Valley Thunder, the College's bluegrass ensemble. The concert is free. Info: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts. SHARE Where better to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service than at a national park that specializes in celebrating history? This year marks the centennial of the park service's creation, and at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, the staff is organizing a three-day extravaganza the likes of which has never been seen at the Gap. The "An American Memoir" event runs 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 9-11 at the park's visitor center in Middlesboro, Ky., with almost 100 living historians on site. During the weekend event, visitors and students will interact with the diverse people slaves, indentured servants, bankers, farmers, merchants and blacksmiths who journeyed through the nation's first doorway to the West seeking freedom, land and wild game Students and visitors will be able to connect with staff from other national parks a mountain-climbing ranger from Yosemite National Park, a river rafting ranger from the Obed Wild and Scenic River, a musician ranger from New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, architectural preservationists from the National Mall and Memorial Park, and archeologists and scuba divers from the Submerged Resources Center. On April 11 the U.S. Mint will be on hand for the event's grand finale the official launch ceremony for the America the Beautiful Quarters Program coin honoring Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. More than 2,000 third- through sixth-graders from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia will participate. For more information, call the park visitor center at 606-246-1075, or visit the park's website at: www.nps.gov/cuga. Information on the quarter launch ceremony can be found at: www.usmint.gove/events. SHARE Alexander Whitaker IV was named the 23rd president of King University on Monday. By News Sentinel Staff King University has named Alexander W. Whitaker IV as its 23rd president after a special-called meeting of the school's board of trustees on Monday. Whitaker, who currently serves as chief of staff and secretary to the board of trustees at Berry College in Rome, Ga., will begin his term on Aug. 1. He succeeds Richard Ray, who has served as the university's interim president since 2014. "We are pleased to welcome Mr. Whitaker to the King University family," said Warren Payne, the board's chairman in a news release. "He was the top candidate in an unbelievably qualified pool of applicants, and he brings with him a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing institutions like King University. His skills and experience will be a tremendous asset, and we are excited about the future of King University under his leadership as president." Whitaker graduated from Berry College and received his masters in religion from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Penn., where he serves as a trustee. He earned his law degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., and a master of laws in international and comparative law from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Whitaker is a member of the Georgia and Virginia state bars. Whitaker is also completing further doctoral work at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C. He is currently in his 10th year at Berry College, where he returned after a 25-year career in the United States Navy, retiring as a captain. At Berry, Whitaker works closed with the institution's governing and advisory boards and oversees the college's public relations, religious life and historic assets. In the news release, Whitaker said he was honored to be selected to lead the university. King University has seen a great deal of growth and many successes in recent years," he said. "I am excited at the prospect of working with the trustees, faculty, staff, students and alumni to continue the rich academic history that is the foundation of this well-respected University. Maria and I look forward to making the Bristol area our home and enjoying the many wonderful attributes that make this region so special." Todd Shelton and Polly Murphy, who volunteered during ACA enrollment helped pay for a billboard as part of a statewide campaign to urge the passage of Insure Tennessee. They are pictured at the digital billboard in the 6600 block of Chapman Highway on Monday, March 21, 2016. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL) SHARE By Kristi L. Nelson of the Knoxville News Sentinel The digital billboard spells it out: Some aren't ready to give up on Insure Tennessee. Knoxville activist and retired carpenter Todd Shelton and his wife, Polly Murphy, were willing to pay to get that message out. The couple is among 70 "Citizens for Insure Tennessee" in a grassroots coalition to pay for 20 billboards across the state, advocating that Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell push Gov. Bill Haslam's Medicaid waiver plan to a vote. The billboards went live Monday. Knoxville's, sponsored by Shelton and Murphy, is on a Lamar digital billboard in the 6600 block of Chapman Highway. Some 30,000 daily travel the highway, where the billboard is visible from vehicles traveling north. Shelton hopes some will heed its plea for action. "Help us, Speaker Harwell, bring Insure TN to a full vote," it reads. "Call 615-741-0709 and ask her to lead." Besides six in Nashville and the one in Knoxville, billboards are in Memphis, Chattanooga, Jackson, Clarksville, Cooke- ville, Murfreesboro, Tullahoma, Elizabethton, Johnson City, Bristol and Kingsport. The coalition, which announced itself Monday, is focusing its efforts on Harwell because members believe Harwell can push the House to vote on the legislation. "There are plenty of Republican legislators who support Insure Tennessee because it's good for their communities, but they don't want to stick their necks out," said Sally Smallwood, one of two Nashville residents who purchased three-month billboards there with a similar message earlier this year. Those billboards, Smallwood said, attracted the attention of more than 70 residents around the state, who offered to purchase billboards in their own communities. The billboards, which depict a construction worker, waitress and veteran, will run through mid-April. Cost varied by market, ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, Smallwood said. Sponsors did not have to donate the entire cost of a billboard to get one in their community, she said. "As speaker, I cannot unilaterally bring it to a vote," Harwell said in a statement released by her office Monday evening. "All bills go through the committee process, and this has failed to receive the support needed to advance." Last week, a House subcommittee sent an Insure Tennessee-related bill to summer study. Haslam has said he will wait until after the 2016 presidential election to decide how to progress. But Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, said he will sponsor a bill to force lawmakers to continue discussing the plan. SHARE By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel Christopher Newsom was either forced to walk barefoot or partially dragged with his ankles bound to the scene of his death, Knox County's acting medical examiner testified late this afternoon. Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan testified that Newsom, 23, was shot and would have been dead when his body was set on fire. She described the fatal wound as reminiscent of an execution. "It appeared to be contact, which means the muzzle of the gun had touched the head," she said. The forensic expert began her testimony this afternoon in the trial of Eric Dewayne "E" Boyd, who's charged with being an accessory to carjacking for hiding out suspect Lemaricus "Slim" Davidson, the alleged ringleader in the carjacking, torture and slaying of Newsom and his girlfriend, Channon Christian, 21, in January 2007. In her testimony this afternoon, Milieusnic-Polchan described the path of the bullet as having a downward trajectory, which would mean that either Newsom was forced to kneel or the gunman was significantly taller than Newsom, who was more than 6 feet tall himself. She also testified that Newsom had bruising and swelling around the anus. "Sexual trauma was present," she testified. Mileusnic-Polchan, began testifying about the injuries sustained by Channon Christian, but U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan delayed that testimony until tomorrow after defense attorney Phil Lomonaco tried to block the testimony entirely, citing its graphic nature. However, before Lomonaco objected, Mileusnic-Polchan testified that Christian was found in "a forced fetal position" inside a trash can. Her thighs were bound to her chest with a pink curtain. Her ankles were bound with strips of bedding. Her head was forced down onto her knees. Her entire body was then placed inside five large garbage bags. A small white plastic bag was pulled over head. There was a blood stain on her shirt and a camisole underneath the shirt. She was nude from the waist down, as was Newsom. The medical examiner had just begun to describe were the most significant injuries located in the vaginal region when Varlan delayed her testimony. Boyd claims he has no personal knowledge of the slayings of the young couple, but he offered up details of the crime anyway in a videotaped statement to police played in court today. In the interview with Knoxville Police Department Investigators Patty Tipton and Greg McKnight, Boyd insisted everything he knew about the fatal carjacking came from Davidson. According to Boyd, Davidson, his brother and a friend needed a vehicle because they were being pursued by drug dealers to whom they owed money. He described the Jan. 7, 2007, encounter between the carjacking suspects and slain couple as entirely random. "They weren't able to carjack them, so they ordered them to drive," Boyd said in the statement. "They just, I guess, a car was coming ... pushed them in right in the car because dude (Newsom) was giving girl (Christian) a kiss." He denied being involved in the carjacking or being at the Chipman Street house following it. Prior testimony has suggested Boyd was at the house while the couple was being held captive. He is not charged, however, in either the carjacking or the killings. He admitted being at the Chipman Street house on Sunday when Christian was still alive. He denied seeing her or knowing she was there. He said Davidson later explained, "They had her tied up in the back room." He said that Davidson told him that his brother, Letalvis "Rome" Cobbins, and buddy, George "G" Thomas, gang-raped Christian. Davidson, he said, denied raping Christian but admitted choking her. Boyd said Davidson pinned the killings on Thomas. McKnight was skeptical. "They had sex with her, but he choked and killed her. Does that make sense to you?" he asked Boyd in the videotaped interview. "No, no it don't," Boyd responded. Later in the interview, Boyd said Davidson admitted dousing Newsom with gasoline and setting his body on fire, which contradicted his earlier account that Thomas had led Newsom out of the house and shot him. Boyd's account of his visit to the house on Sunday also proved replete with contradictions. At one point, he said he went into the living room where he could see Davidson's girlfriend in the kitchen. He later tried to distance himself from the house, however, saying Davidson actually met him on the front porch. Based on crime-scene photos, he would not have been able to see the kitchen from the front porch doorway. Tipton and McKnight pressed him for an alibi. He initially insisted he could provide one with no problem. But when the investigators would seek specific information, including phone numbers or addresses for people he listed as alibi witnesses, he backed off his assertion that he could provide a specific alibi. "Walking up and down main street of Ridgebrook (Apartments), just drinking, smoking and drinking and smoking weed, that's all I do every day," he said. "I may go to Labor Ready occasionally so I can get a little more buzz money." In testimony this afternoon, Danielle Lightfoot said that Boyd and Davidson showed up on her Ridgebrook Apartments doorstep late on Jan. 9, a Tuesday. "(Boyd) was not his normal self," she testified. "Something was bothering him. Because we were good friends I knew something wasn't right." She said she did not know Davidson as well as she knew Boyd. "I asked him (Davidson) if he had anything on him as far as a weapon," she said. "He said he didn't." Davidson asked if he and Boyd could stay the night at her apartment. She agreed. She admitted they all smoked marijuana. She recalled crime-scene footage on an 11 p.m. newscast but insisted she paid it no mind. However, a noon broadcast the following day commanded her full attention. "Slim's brother and then Slim's pictures came up (on the screen) that they were wanted for questioning, so I asked what the hell was going on," she said. "He just acted like he didn't know what was going on. 'I don't know what's going on. My brother did something.' That's all he'd say." Boyd said nothing, she recalled. Despite that she allowed the two to stay in her apartment while she went to Atlanta. "I told them when I left they were welcome to have whatever food I had," she said. She returned from Atlanta later that night. "I had decided they were gonna leave because I was scared the police would come to my house," she testified. Boyd and Davidson did not put up a fuss, she said. "They told me thank you, gave me a hug and left," she testified. Boyd's cousin, Kevin Armstrong, who is the brother of another cousin whose testimony implicated Boyd in the slayings, reluctantly testified that Boyd called him to come to Lightfoot's apartment on the night of Jan. 9. He did not know Davidson would be there. "I was shocked (to see Davidson) because (Davidson's) house was on the news," Armstrong said. "Lemaricus Davidson decided to run a story off me about something his brother did that he was in a jam. I told him to go to the police. He said he was scared. "I asked him if he had a gun on him and he said yeah. That changed how I acted." Armstrong reluctantly acknowledged that he feared he might become a carjacking victim. "I had a car," he said. "That really had me worried." He said Boyd kept quiet during the 20- to 30-minute conversation. He also admitted that Boyd later called him, asking Armstrong to give the pair a ride "down west." Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Stone showed Armstrong phone records, detailing more than two dozen calls to Armstrong from Boyd's cellular phone from Jan. 9 until the arrest of Boyd and Davidson on Jan. 11. Armstrong insisted he could not remember what they talked about if anything. "The guy was wantin a ride," Armstrong said. "He wanted a ride. I stayed away." Neither Lightfoot nor Armstrong voluntarily reported any of their contacts with Boyd and Davidson to police. In testimony Friday, Davidson's former girlfriend, Daphne Sutton, said she suspected the man was a killer but slept with him anyway. On the witness stand, she chalked it up to denial. "I did not know for sure he killed somebody," Sutton testified. "It was kind of like I lied to myself about it. I didn't want to believe it." It would take the discovery of two bodies - one inside the Chipman Street house where she and Davidson had lived - and Davidson's tales of the killings to finally prompt Sutton to rid herself of him, she told jurors. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Jennings and Stone allege Boyd knew about the fatal carjacking when he allegedly took steps to help Davidson avoid arrest. On Thursday, the pair presented surprise evidence suggesting that Boyd knew about the slayings because he was there at the Chipman Street house when the couple were being held captive and brutalized. Boyd's defense attorney, Phil Lomonaco, demanded a mistrial, arguing that the prosecutors had unfairly prejudiced jurors by trying to implicate Boyd in the fatal carjacking even though he is not charged with it. "Clearly this is evidence of uncharged crimes that is only intended to inflame the jury and to suggest to the jury Mr. Boyd was involved in this carjacking," he argued. Stone countered that he and Jennings must prove Boyd knew about Davidson's crimes in order to prove he was an accessory to carjacking. "What I hear is (Lomonaco) doesn't like what's coming in (as evidence)," Stone said. "The United States did not create the facts in this case. They are what they are. I have not heard Mr. Lomonaco argue these facts are not relevant." U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan shot down Lomonaco's request. Lomonaco next turned his attention to Sutton, who he contends is just as guilty as Boyd is alleged to be in hiding a killer. He insists, however, that she escaped prosecution because she, unlike Boyd, Davidson and three others implicated in the slayings, is white and the niece of Knoxville Police Department Officer Dennis R. Bible. A single mother, Sutton, 22, testified Friday that she left Davidson the day before Christian and Newsom were kidnapped because he had abused her. She went to stay with a co-worker and her girlfriend. She did not mourn the broken relationship long. On the same day she left Davidson, she went out with a man she only identified as "Black" to "eat and hang out." The following night, she had another date, this one ending in sex, she testified. On Sunday, she talked to Davidson, who asked her to come back to their Chipman Street house so he could give her some clothing he had bought for her, she said. She agreed because she wanted to retrieve make-up and perfume she said she'd left behind. Davidson met her at the door and followed her inside. Cobbins was sitting on a couch with "his head down." Another slaying suspect, George "G" Thomas, "was rolling a blunt," which is slang for a cigar-style marijuana cigarette, she said. The fourth slaying suspect, Cobbins' girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman, was nowhere in sight, she testified. Sutton said she headed toward the bathroom. "As soon as I reached the bathroom door, (Davidson) grabbed me and said, 'What are you doing?'" Sutton testified. "I said, 'Is Vanessa in there?' He said yes. It sounded like water was on, and something fell into the sink." When Sutton tried to approach the bathroom from another door, Davidson again blocked her, she said. "He started telling me it was his house," she said. She left, but not before he gave her a bag of clothing and a ring. Turns out, the clothing and the ring belonged to Christian, who authorities believe was being held captive at that moment by Coleman in the bathroom. Sutton testified that she suspected Davidson when she learned that Newsom's body had been discovered beside railroad tracks within sight of the Chipman Street house. But she allowed Davidson to stay at her friend's apartment and had sex with him. The next day, her mother phoned with news that Christian's body had been found inside a trash can in the Chipman Street house. "She said, 'Oh, my God, Daphne, they found a body in your house.' She was worried it was me. She didn't know (Davidson) was laying beside me," Sutton testified. "His eyes were really big, like he knew what she was telling me." Sutton said Davidson first blamed the killings on Cobbins, and also claimed that Cobbins had forced Christian to shoot Newsom. She said she and her friends convinced Davidson to leave by agreeing to drop him off at Ridgebrook Apartments off Western Avenue, where Boyd lived with his mother. Sutton admitted she never told police and repeatedly lied to them in an effort to impede their manhunt for Davidson. KPD Officer Ed Kingsbury testified Boyd was nabbed two days later and eventually admitted to helping Davidson hide by breaking into a vacant house on Reynolds Street. The trial continues Monday. More details as they develop online and in Tuesday's News Sentinel. SHARE Ryan Lemons works with the equipment Wednesday at the Anderson County Career and Technical Center's Innovation Academy that he used to edit video sequences in his YouTube production about the academy. (BOB FOWLER/NEWS SENTINEL) Ryan Lemons checks out the camera Wednesday he used to produce a video about the Anderson County School System's Innovation Academy. (BOB FOWLER/NEWS SENTINEL) By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel CLINTON Someday, he says, his name may scroll by in the credits at the end of Hollywood movies. That's 17-year-old Ryan Lemons' long-term goal, and he's already polishing his directing and producing skills. Lemons, with the help of five classmates, was the screenwriter, editor and special-effects designer for a six-minute YouTube video that gives an overview of the Anderson County School System's Innovation Academy. The web address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWjk_wG2K4o. Lemons, a high school senior and a Clinton resident, said he was under a tight deadline to create the video, with only one week for production and a second week for editing. It was that second portion chopping and piecing together the various shots, creating the voice-over, designing production credits that he found fascinating. "I've always been a fan of editing and what you can do to make the audience enjoy the video," he said. "This is a college-level assignment," said Tricia Jones, curriculum coordinator for the academy, part of the county system's Career and Technical Center. The center and its curriculum itself have dramatically changed, said instructor Daphne Douglas. In the last dozen years, she said, there's been a huge increase in a variety of information technology classes, while instruction in such things as phone etiquette and stenography has disappeared. The academy encompasses online high school programs geared for students who take classes at home, as well as those at risk for not graduating and others getting a second chance at classes they first failed. For Lemons, it's also been a godsend and a gateway to an academic life where he's expanding his horizons and boosting his confidence. Lemons has a genius-level IQ coupled with a mild form of Asperger's syndrome a disorder often marked by some difficulties in social interaction. It's classified as high-functioning autism. So Lemons was at first educated through the Innovation Academy's online learning program at home because he was a bit uncomfortable in a school setting. He said the online learning was "a really good bridge in getting into a normal school program," and things began to dramatically change when he started going to the center. Now, he's the president of the center's Technology Student Association for the second year. He also won the county's Information Technology Student of the Year award last year when he was a junior. He says he's managed to "grow past" much of his social awkwardness "and learn the social abilities I need to function properly." "We're so proud of Ryan," Jones said as she displayed his latest honor, a plaque made by the center's machining students recognizing him as the media class' "Student of the Semester." For Lemons, Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City is next on his agenda, and he's already landed a scholarship to attend. Even though his ACT scores are high, he's planning to take those college readiness exams again in a bid to boost that collegiate stipend. "I'm very proud of my son," said the teen's mother, Deanna Lemons. "He has overcome a lot of obstacles in his life that people will never face. Whatever he seeks to go after, he accomplishes it." SHARE Stacy Myers, an active volunteer in Oak Ridge and president and CEO of Advanced Management, Inc., holds the Eugene L. Joyce Lifetime Achievement Award he received Monday, March 21, 2016, during the annual Program of Work kickoff for the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. (BOB FOWLER/NEWS SENTINEL) By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel OAK RIDGE It's the strangest campaign season in memory and a great time to be a journalist covering politics, Fox News' digital politics editor Chris Stirewalt told some 130 Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce members Monday. Stirewalt, brother-in law of past Chamber Chairman Mike Belbeck, was the keynote speaker for the organization's annual Program of Work kickoff luncheon. The candidacy of Donald Trump has triggered a "populist revolt" among citizens in areas "where people have the least to lose," Stirewalt said. "Their system isn't working, and they're frustrated and they're frightened." Overall, he said, the country is now at a low ebb when it comes to trust of politicians, government and institutions, and that's also fueled the Trump bandwagon. "We have weakened institutions that are facing generational challenges," he said. The technological revolution, where "everything and everyone" is connected online, is also playing a key role in the current fractured society, with many online participants on "closed loop circuits" where differing opinions and viewpoints are screened out. Stirewalt painted scenarios for the campaign end games. In one, buoyed by the downtrodden and discontent, Trump wins the Republican nomination and faces presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. That would pit two widely disliked candidates in the White House race, Stirewalt said. In the other outcome, with 40 percent of the delegates yet to be picked, Trump falls just short of the requisite delegate count, paving the way for a contested convention. There have been 10 such GOP Conventions since 1856, and seven times, the front-runner didn't emerge as the nominee, Stirewalt said. In such an event, the nominee probably won't be Ohio Governor John Kasich, now running third in the three-man GOP race for the nomination, or Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Stirewalt said. He called GOP candidate Ted Cruz the most conservative contender by far. Monday's event, which gives an overview of Chamber goals for the year, also saw active Chamber member and community volunteer Stacy Myers awarded the organization's most prestigious honor, the Eugene L. Joyce Lifetime Achievement Award. The late Joyce, an attorney, was active in numerous civic organizations. SHARE Lamar Alexander. By Michael Collins of the Knoxville News Sentinel WASHINGTON Dennis Freeman has believed for a long time the best way to help someone with a physical illness and mental health problems is to treat the body and the mind together. "For a long time, we've separated those two, and it hasn't worked out very well," said Freeman, CEO of the Knoxville-based Cherokee Health Systems. Freeman is encouraged by what he sees in Congress, where lawmakers are looking not only to improve and expand mental health services but also to make them more readily available to patients as part of their primary health care. "It doesn't matter where you live, access to behavioral health is a challenge," Freeman said. "Blending behavioral and primary health together is going to really address that.'' In the next few weeks, the U.S. Senate will vote on comprehensive legislation to deal with what U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are calling the nation's mental health "crisis." The legislation, known as the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, would increase access to mental health care for women, children, veterans, the homeless and others and calls for improved training for those who provide those services. The bill requires federal agencies and programs involved in mental health policy to incorporate the most up-to-date approaches, such as integrated care, in treating mental illness. It also seeks to improve coordination between federal agencies and departments that provide mental health services and help states provide better care by updating block grant programs. Leading the push for mental health reform are Alexander, the Tennessee Republican who is chairman of the Senate committee that oversees health care policy, and the committee's top Democrat, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. It's not the first time the two lawmakers have teamed up on comprehensive legislation. Last summer, they successfully pushed through Congress major legislation that reworked the No Child Left Behind school-reform law that had been in effect for 13 years. Their latest effort takes aim at a problem that affects a large segment of society. One in five adults reportedly had a mental health condition over the past year, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, but 60 percent of them went untreated. Only half of adolescents receive treatment for their condition, often causing them to drop out of school and putting them at risk of substance abuse disorders, incarceration, homelessness and even suicide. "This bill will help address this crisis by ensuring our federal programs and policies incorporate proven, scientific approaches to improve care for patients," Alexander said. "States like Tennessee and local governments are on the forefront in treating mental illness and substance abuse, and this legislation will support their efforts so people can get the help they need." The legislation, if enacted, would represent progress in the delivery of mental health services, said Freeman, whose company operates primary care, behavioral health clinics and other facilities in 13 counties. "In many, many ways, this is a step forward," he said. Freeman said he's especially gratified to see wide bipartisan support for the bill, given that Congress is so often divided along party lines. Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, who in January launched a special court to provide adjudication for people with mental illness and direct them toward mental health services, also lauded the approach outlined in the bill. "I think it really pulls the study of metal health out of dark corners and puts it out on the main street, as far as resources to deal more effectively with it," he said. "It takes away the stigma (of mental illness). The more sunshine we can bring to this problem, the less stigmatized it becomes." Luttrell said he is glad to see the bill promoting the use of evidence-based practices, such as early intervention programs for people with serious mental illness. "As we can collect that data, we can get that data out," he said. "It helps educate the public to really watch for symptoms. "I've often said the best doctor is the doctor within us. As we self-evaluate, as we look at ourselves and our particular habits, it's the individual that can be the very first one that recognizes (symptoms). When we talk about evidence-based, we're talking about really educating the public on what to look for and how to react to those symptoms when they are identified." The federal legislation is in line with similar efforts underway in Tennessee to expand mental health services, said Houston Smelcer of the Helen Ross McNabb Center, which is based in Knoxville and offers mental health, substance abuse and social services in 20 counties. The state is looking to allocate millions of dollars for alcohol and rehabilitation services for people who are uninsured or underinsured. TennCare, the state's version of Medicaid, also is launching a new program to deliver primary care and behavioral health services to more than 50,000 TennCare enrollees across the state. The program is expected to go live Oct. 1. "You're seeing that mirrored at the federal level now as well," said Smelcer, the Helen Ross McNabb Center's vice president of development and government relations. "I think that's a very good thing." SHARE Jim Weaver (WADE PAYNE/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL) Gov. Bill Haslam John Whitehead, candidate for Property Assessor, speaks during a debate hosted by the Knoxville/Knox County League of Women Voters at the LMU Duncan School of Law Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, in Knoxville, Tenn.} (WADE PAYNE/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL) By Megan Boehnke of the Knoxville News Sentinel The Knox County Election Commission on Monday certified the results of the March 1 election and rolled the approval of two marijuana referendum questions to another meeting next week. The commissioners asked local advocate Steve Cooper to reword his question to voters on whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use to make it less confusing and resubmit the new question. The commission also asked him to increase the type size on his petition to make it easier to read. Commissioners also held off on taking up the second question regarding medical marijuana use until the April 1 meeting. Cooper will then have 75 days to collect enough signatures he estimates 20,000 to place the questions on the November ballot. Getting a charter amendment on the ballot requires signatures from 15 percent of the total number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election. Even if the questions make the November ballot and they are approved by voters, the measure would not supersede state law. "I'd be remiss if I did not state that clearly this if it passes, it will have no effect. It's illegal," David Buuck, Knox Count's chief deputy law director, said of the marijuana measures. "The Legislature has not given the counties any authority to do anything with regard to drugs of any kind." Cooper said after Monday's meeting that he understands the measure would not be binding, but he's mostly "trying to make a lot noise." After becoming disillusioned with lawmakers in Nashville and Washington, D.C., Cooper said he wants to prove Knoxville voters are open to the idea of medical marijuana. Election commissioners on Monday also certified the results of the election earlier this month, starting the clock on a five-day window for any candidates to contest the results. Jim Weaver, who lost the county property assessor race to John Whitehead by 73 votes, said two weeks ago he was still considering whether he will challenge the results. He has not returned calls for comment in recent days. Unofficial results on election night had Whitehead edging out Weaver 20,388 votes to 20,318 votes. Third-place candidate Andrew Graybeal had 5,313 votes. After provisional ballots were counted, Whitehead netted an additional three votes over Weaver, said Cliff Rodgers, Knox County's election administrator. If Weaver wants to challenge the results, he has five days to file a written notice of contest with the State Executive Board of the Republican Party, according to state statutes. SHARE By Megan Boehnke of the Knoxville News Sentinel If Jim Weaver was to contest the results in the Knox County property assessor race that he lost, he has five days to do so. The Knox County Election Commission today is scheduled to certify the results of the March 1 election, including John Whitehead's 73-vote victory over Weaver in the property assessor race. Weaver has five days after results are certified to file a complaint with the State Executive Committee of the Tennessee Republican Party, said Cliff Rodgers, Knox County's administrator of elections. "There's no right to an automated recount," Rodgers said. Weaver said two weeks ago that he was still undecided on whether he would challenge the results. He did not return multiple calls for comment in recent days. Unofficial results on election night had Whitehead edging out Weaver 20,388 votes to 20,318 votes. Third-place candidate Andrew Graybeal had 5,3131 votes. After provisional ballots were counted, Whitehead netted an additional three votes over Weaver, Rodgers said. In the meantime, the county's voting machines have been under lock and key, which is standard procedure in case there is a complaint filed, Rodgers said. Also on the agenda for today's 8:30 a.m. Election Commission meeting will be two marijuana referendum questions one asking whether to legalize the drug for medical use and another for recreational use by people 21 years and older. The role of the commission in these specific matters is only to look at the wording of the question, Rodgers said. If approved, proponents would have to circulate a petition and gain enough signatures to put the referendums on the ballot. "It doesn't have anything to do with whether the commission agrees with it that's not their purview," Rodgers said Saturday. "It's just to approve the form, and then you have to go out to see if enough people agree with it or not to get it on the ballot." Local accountant Steve Cooper said he has pushed for the issue on the local level after being ignored by state and federal lawmakers. So he's trying the petition route to send a signal to legislators he knows that local votes can't supersede state rules. "When it comes to marijuana, the legislators tend to close their ears and close their eyes," Cooper told the News Sentinel last month. Cooper estimates he needs 20,000 signatures to put the issue on the local ballot. Getting a charter amendment on ballots requires signatures from 15 percent of the total number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election, Rodgers said. SHARE State Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey State Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville By Richard Locker of the Knoxville News Sentinel NASHVILLE Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris said Monday he's trying to put together an agreement among Senate Republicans in which Sen. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge will succeed Sen. Ron Ramsey as Senate speaker and lieutenant governor, at least for the next two years. Under Norris's scenario, the Senate Republican Caucus would agree soon for a McNally "transitional" speakership of two to four years 2017 to 2019 or 2021 rather than waiting until after the November elections to select a successor to Ramsey. The traditional timetable would be to settle the issue in the caucus after the November election but Norris said an agreement soon would avoid a divisive "distraction" in this year's legislative elections. McNally, R-Oak Ridge, told the Knoxville News Sentinel Friday he's running for the speakership. Ramsey, R-Blountville, announced Wednesday that he won't run for re-election to the Senate this year. He remains speaker until the full Senate selects his replacement when the 110th General Assembly convenes next January although the de-facto vote will occur within the Senate Republican Caucus, which has a 28-5 "supermajority" over Democrats. If McNally is selected, it would be the first time a Knoxville area lawmaker has been speaker of either chamber in modern Tennessee political history. He isn't up for re-election to the Senate until 2018. McNally represents Anderson and Loudon counties and part of Knox County, including a large wedge of North Knoxville extending south to the Mechanicsville neighborhood. First elected in 1978, he's the longest-serving current member of the entire Legislature. Norris's remarks today mean that two of the five senators considered likely to succeed Ramsey are now backing McNally. Sen. Bo Watson, R-Chattanooga, said last week that if McNally is running, he will support him. Norris agreed: "Sen. McNally has a storied career and reputation here, he's the dean of our senate in terms of time served and steady at the helm. "I want to make sure that the caucus is comfortable with this and I think everybody respects Randy and understands why he wants to serve in a transitional role," Norris said. "As processes go, I think that's a pretty logical one." Norris, R-Collierville, said he's "made a lot of calls" on behalf of a McNally speakership. Asked if he believes the idea will come to fruition, with his Republican colleagues uniting behind McNally, Norris said: "I'm hopeful that it does, really. I know this may be counterintuitive for some folks but I think it's a solid, sound, safe approach. We have elections in the caucus coming up this fall. Our members of the caucus are up for re-election and it's a distraction we don't need. We've been very effective at fundraising and for the good of the order I think we just need to get on with it." Question: "It seems like you're saying an agreement should be done before this fall?" Norris: "I don't think it would be fair to the other members of the caucus I'm the leader but they haven't authorized me to speak on this but I'm just being candid with you that that is the drift I have cast and it seems to have been received fairly well. Could things change? Sure. Randy could change his mind too but it seems like a very measured sort of responsible way to go forward and I'm comfortable with it." Question: "What have you been saying in these calls to other members?" Norris: "Just what I've said to you that in terms of the continuity of consistent leadership and a smooth, seamless transition, and to avoid why not? It's a rare opportunity when you have somebody with Sen. McNally's years of service." Ramsey, who has been speaker for 10 years, seemed to support at least the idea behind Norris's plan for McNally as a consensus candidate, without saying so explicitly. "I want to stay out of this. I don't get a vote. But Randy McNally has been here for 38 years and he won't be here much longer. I've had several members talk to me about that and I can see why people might think that Randy should be the one," Ramsey said. He said he doesn't know whether the effort will succeed. "I really don't know. I haven't counted votes. I know he seems to have some momentum now, just talking to my fellow members. There's one thing I don't want and that's a bloodbath as soon as I leave. So hopefully there could be some kind of consensus candidate." Ramsey said several senators called him over the weekend, after his surprise announcement last week that he won't run for another Senate term, and from those conversation, "I could see where that (McNally as speaker) could happen. "To say our 28 members are cohesive would be an understatement right now. And I'd like to think I've had a little bit of something to do with that and I don't want to leave here and the next year there's 15 on one side and 13 on the other side of an issue. I'd like to keep what we've got going right now, to keep that going. And there wouldn't be anything long-term about Randy so I can see why people would think that." SHARE Phil Roe, U.S. House 1st District representative and a 2012 candidate for re-election. Chuck Fleischmann, U.S. third congressional district representative from Ooltewah. John J. Duncan Jr. Lamar Alexander. By Michael Collins of the Knoxville News Sentinel WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Phil Roe can understand why the FBI might want to access the data stored on an iPhone used by one of the perpetrators of the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorist attacks that killed 14 people and seriously wounded another 22. But forcing the phone's developer, the tech giant Apple, to unlock the phone for investigators troubles the Johnson City Republican. "I have concerns that requiring a private company in this case Apple to hack into their products and turn information over to the government sets a dangerous precedent and could threaten the privacy of American citizens if this ability was abused in the future," Roe said. U.S. Sen. Bob Corker also is torn between the privacy vs. national security issues raised by the debate. "Given the ways in which Americans use and store digital information, it is important consumers receive a strong level of security from the products they purchase," the Chattanooga Republican said. "However, law enforcement has an obligation to protect the American people, and it is important that they have access to the evidence they need when they have obtained a warrant that complies with our Constitution. It's critical that we get this right, both from a public safety and a security perspective, and it is something our courts and Congress must balance." On Tuesday, lawyers for Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice will face off again in a federal court in California over whether the company should be forced to help unlock an iPhone for law enforcement officers investigating the San Bernardino shooting. Apple is challenging a federal magistrate judge's order that the company develop software to bypass the security measure on the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook. Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire last December at a training event and holiday party for the county health department where he worked as a health inspector. Both were later killed in a shootout with police. Apple has refused to comply with the court order, arguing that forcing the company to develop software to unlock the phone is an illegal and unprecedented move that could jeopardize the privacy of millions of iPhone users around the world. The Justice Department counters that its request is limited to just to Farook's phone, which the agency says may contain evidence in the shooting. Investigators say they believe the phone may shed light on the pair motivations and could help determine whether anyone else was involved by giving them access to Farook's contacts. Apple has said Congress should settle the issue. But members of Tennessee's congressional delegation appear conflicted over how it should be resolved. "This is a complicated issue, and a vitally important one," said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat. "My hope is, working together, we can figure out a middle ground that would serve both our need for security as well as privacy." U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Maryville Republican, also expressed hope that some middle ground could be found. "We must find a solution that allows law enforcement to find out what is on a terrorist's phone without setting a precedent that threatens the privacy of law-abiding Americans," he said. U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., a Knoxville Republican, said the government has always had the authority to compel companies and citizens to turn over information relevant to a criminal investigation. "We should not do anything to aid or protect any terrorist," he said, "but we certainly should not sacrifice the privacy rights of every law-abiding citizen in the process." U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, an Ooltewah Republican, said while he's concerned about individual privacy, "law enforcement must have the necessary tools to stop radical Islamic terrorists." "Due to the complexity of the issue, I will continue to study it further," he said. Michael Collins is the News Sentinel's Washington correspondent. His weekly Tennessee in D.C. column highlights Volunteer State lawmakers, causes and connections. Contact him at 202-408-2711 or michael.collins@jmg.com. SHARE The sheer audacity of Charter Communications' offer of free airtime to legislators following the defeat of a broadband access bill is breathtaking. The spectacle of lawmakers accepting the offer would be revolting. The House Business and Utilities Subcommittee last Tuesday killed a bill that would allow public utilities to expand broadband services outside their utilities service areas. Presently, municipal utilities cannot provide Internet access to customers beyond their service area boundaries. Internet service providers lobbied intensely and successfully against the bill. On Wednesday, Charter expressed its appreciation to lawmakers by offering to tape them in "public service announcements" to reach cable television subscribers. PSAs are not campaign ads, but in an election year they might as well be. Nick Pavlis, Charter's top lobbyist in Tennessee and a member of the Knoxville City Council, sent the invitation to House Speaker Beth Harwell, who forwarded it to House members. The Chattanooga Times Free press obtained a copy of the invitation. "We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to speak directly to your constituents," Pavlis wrote. "Taping times are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to schedule yours as soon as possible." Charter has reserved a little-used office assigned to Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey for this week's taping sessions. According to the Times Free Press, arrangements apparently were made before the subcommittee vote. The subcommittee voted down a compromise offered by Rep. Kevin Brooks, R-Cleveland, that would have reduced the scope of the bill to a pilot program in which Chattanooga's city-owned Electric Power Board could expand its nationally acclaimed high-speed broadband service outside its Hamilton County service area and into adjoining Bradley County. The Knoxville Utilities Board does not offer Internet service and would not be affected by the legislation one way or the other. Republican Reps. Kent Calfee of Kingston and Martin Daniel of Knoxville were local lawmakers on the subcommittee voting no on the bill. Rep. Art Swann, R-Maryville, voted yes. Swann, who chairs the subcommittee, said the bill likely would go to summer study and probably will reappear when the next General Assembly convenes in January. Meanwhile, several lawmakers from the Chattanooga area at the very least seemed suspicious of Charter's motives. "Right now it would appear to those watching from the outside that big business won and big business is now reciprocating," Brooks said. Actually, the stench emanating from the Capitol would indicate something worse than just bad appearances. Tempting lawmakers with free airtime during an election year even if the commercial technically would not be a campaign ad is like waving a treat above the snout of an obedient dog. Charter has not commented on the matter, but its offer certainly gives at least the appearance of trading airtime for votes; surely legislators know better than to take him up on the offer. Tennesseans must hold lawmakers accountable if they do. SHARE Commentators have increasingly compared the mayhem that characterizes many Donald Trump rallies with the violence that took place at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It is striking to compare the responses of the respective political leaders Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey in 1968 and Trump in 2016. Trump usually starts by growling, "Get 'em outta here get 'em out." Then he often talks about punching people in the face, recalls when protestors used to be carried out on a stretcher, and simply refuses to take any action to calm the troubled waters. In 1968, when Humphrey ascended the podium in Chicago to deliver his acceptance speech, he and the nation had just witnessed far more serious violence. Dozens of demonstrators and many police had been injured in the melee inside and outside the convention hall. What words did Humphrey choose? Let me quote him precisely: "I know that every delegate to this Convention shares tonight my sorrow and my distress for these incidents. And may we, for just one moment, in sober reflection, in serious purpose, may we just quietly and silently each in our own way pray for our country. And may we just share for a moment a few of those immortal words of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi words which I think may help heal the wounds and lift our hearts. Listen to this immortal saint: 'Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light.' " And while we are praying, let us petition for a new generation of leaders with the values, compassion and wisdom Humphrey so eloquently portrayed in 1968. John G. Stewart, Knoxville By Choi Sung-jin Korea's duty-free sales industry is facing a crisis experienced by many other local industries being sandwiched between the nation's two giant neighbors. Managers at major duty-free stores say responses from shoppers in China and other Asian countries to their new marketing strategies, which they developed with foreign tour agencies, are not as positive as before. More foreign tourists are demanding content other than shopping, especially because alternative destinations, including Japan, have emerged since the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome here last summer. "Previously, we could easily attract Asian tourists by just including lots of shopping in tour schedules, but things have changed now," said a duty-free store marketing manager. "Korea's tourism industry is losing out to regional competitors because the nation does not have many tourist attractions except for some hallyu places and theme parks. Moreover, the recent appearance of new duty-free stores at home will erode the business of existing stores." While Korea's duty-free sales sector was mired in an internal feud over licenses last year, foreign competitors, including China, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan, drastically replenished their industrial infrastructure with their governments' support to threaten Korea's status as market leader, experts said Monday. Particularly, Japan is benchmarking Korea's "downtown duty-free shops," which are more common in emerging countries or tourism-oriented nations but are hard to find in developed countries that have advanced and diverse distribution systems. Tokyo, which will hold the 2020 Olympic Games, plans to open dozens of duty-free stores in downtown area, beginning with one in Ginza, within the first half of this year. To attract foreign tourists, Japan has also drastically increased the number of tax refund shops, from 5,800 to 18,000, in just a year. China has opened the largest duty-free store on Hainan Island recently, and sharply lowered import duties for handbags and other luxury items, in a move aimed at reducing Chinese tourists' shopping at foreign stores and inducing tourists to spend more at home. The Beijing government also plans to expand duty-free shops for locals and to open tax-free shops at points of entry, to protect its industry. Domestic industry officials are concerned about stiffer challenges from foreign competitors, which will erode Korea's competitiveness. Unlike domestic department stores, which receive rental commissions from tenants, duty-free stores buy and sell products directly. Therefore, the larger the stores' sales, the lower their selling prices could fall, in an economy of scale of sorts. The experts said this is why cosmetics prices are 2-3 percent lower and liquor and tobacco prices 5-10 percent lower here than in foreign countries, and why Korea was the only Asian country that had downtown duty-free stores with stocked luxury brands from the "big three " -- Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Chanel -- in one shop. Because Asian competitors have established shopping infrastructure and are attracting more foreign tourists, their influence on this industry is increasing. Taiwan's Ever Rich and Thailand's King Power have emerged as the ninth- and 10th-largest duty-free store brands in the world, respectively, chasing Lotte (third) and Silla (seventh). Korea lags far behind Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong in competitiveness of the tourism industry, but has been ahead of them in duty-free sales, thanks to the competitiveness of its shopping-oriented tour programs. More than half of Chinese tourists cite shopping, especially at downtown duty-free stores, as their foremost reason for visiting Korea. Now the gap is rapidly narrowing, as Asian competitors armed with far superior natural landscapes, convenient facilities and other tour resources are adding duty-free shopping to their tour schedules, the industry officials said. "The domestic duty-free sales industry is facing a new phase with Asian rivals' participation in the business and a multiple-licensing system at home," said Korea Distribution Association chairman Ahn Seung-ho. "Unless the government and the industry approach these challenges from the aspect of reinvigorating tourism and domestic consumption, the industry could go to the wall." By Jhoo Dong-chan Hyundai Motor Group will not take over Hyundai's troubled shipping affiliate Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), whose creditors recently rejected a debt rescheduling. According to industry sources, Monday, the government recently suggested that Hyundai Glovis, a logistics affiliate of Hyundai Motor, should manage the nearly bankrupt shipping company. The government reportedly considers both Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo and Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun as part of the Hyundai family oners and thus responsible for HMM. Once under the same roof, Hyundai Motor Group and Hyundai Group separated in 1998 after Chung took on the automaker while his late brother and Hyun's husband Chung Mong-hun led the latter. The auto giant rejected the government's proposal, as its main agenda is boosting the group's production capability to become one of the world's top three automakers in sales volume, according to a Hyundai Motor Group official. "HMM's operations have nothing to do with the group's agenda," an official said. "Hyundai Glovis focuses only on shipping vehicles produced by the group's two auto brands _ Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors. Its operation is distant from HMM's." Hyun visited Chung's house Sunday for an ancestral ceremony in honor of late Chung Ju-yung, the group founder and former honorary chairman. Reporters asked Hyun about HMM's recovery plan and whether she would discuss Hyundai Motor's possible acquisition but she refused to comment. The liquidity-stressed shipping company had discussed with its creditors extending payment on a maturing unsecured bond worth 120 billion won ($103.3 million) by three months, but they rejected the proposal last week. The company has a total of 360 billion won in debt coming due this year. It plans to continue discussions on deferring payments after the April debt matures. A company official said the roll-over idea was rejected but it is difficult to repay the debt because the company is low on cash. Separate from the company's efforts to delay the due payment, HMM announced it will carry out a series of self-recovery measures to restore liquidity, including asset sales. Shareholders approved the plan in an effort to prevent the company's delisting from the stock market. By Choi Sung-jin Korea's baby-boomer, those born between 1955 and 1963, have contributed much to industrializing and democratizing the nation. Now the 6.8 million baby boomers are retiring in droves, giving headaches to policymakers about how to make the most of the aging but experienced workforce. Central and local governments are racking their brains about how best to use the baby-boomers' knowledge, experience - and passion - while ensuring a stable livelihood for them, but the situation is far from resolved. "Most of these projects are too improvised and superficial to give any substantive help for baby-boomers, most of whom have failed to prepare for post-retirement life," a demographic specialist said. "Such a lack of carefully arranged plans leads to failure to secure a required budget." The Park Geun-hye administration, for example, is encouraging retiring baby boomers to form communities of 20 or 30 households in farming and fishing villages, a policy aimed mainly at solving retirees' housing problems and helping them earn some income from engaging in primary industries by providing low-cost or cost-free financing. Gyeonggi Province is providing training for those who want to start second careers, also offering low-interest loans for self-employed startups. South Chungcheong Province and Incheon city classify retirees wanting to continue working into four sections, based on retirees' needs -- making money, hobby, social contribution and challenge to a new life -- and will set up centers to help each type. Other provinces and cities are offering more or less similar programs. The would-be beneficiaries' responses are far from satisfactory, however, because most of these projects are not concrete, substantive or direct. The central government, while recognizing baby boomers' contribution to economic growth, is finding it difficult to come up with a policy to provide sufficient benefits. "Most of them are still too young to qualify for basic benefits for the elderly, either," a government budget specialist said. The biggest problem is that most baby boomers do not have enough money to retire comfortably. According to KB Kookmin Bank's research institute, a baby boomer needs at least 360 million won ($300,000) to lead a comfortable life, but only 24.3 percent have that much, meaning three-quarters do not have enough. "Unlike older people, baby boomers are a highly educated generation," said Professor Kang Wook-mo of Gyeongsang National University. "Policymakers ought to work out a policy package to make the most of their knowledge and experience for the good of national economy while helping them lead more stable lives financially." By Kim Jae-won The financial regulator is pushing to implement individual savings accounts (ISAs) here, advertising them as "innovative" way to make workers rich, but bank employees complain that they are under pressure to sell the accounts to customers. A manager at a local lender's branch in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, said he is stressed out by having to meet the bank's ISA sales quota. He did not disclose how many accounts he should sell. "I am frustrated with the ISA sales," said the manager on the condition of anonymity. Another manager at a KB Kookmin Bank outlet in Seoul also said that he had difficulties selling customers on the account. "The bank is pressing us hard to open more ISAs, but it is hard to attract customers because they have to come to the branch to open it," said the KB manager, asking not to be named. According to regulations by the Financial Services Commission (FSC), customers must come to the bank location so they can be briefed on ISAs and sign an agreement acknowledging they understand the risks involved. Market watchers said that some bank officials have been opening ISAs for their acquaintances with their own money to reach targets set by their employers. Some lenders set the goal as high as 100 per employee, pushing bank officials to sell the account to merchants in the neighborhood. According to data from the Korea Federation of Banks, 617,000 people opened ISA at lenders last week for a combined balance reaching 200 billion won. The ISAs were introduced on March 14 as part of the regulator's project to help working families accumulate wealth as well as boost the financial investment industry. Employees, business owners, farmers and fishers who earned less than 20 million won in financial income the previous year can open an account. Financial income means interest from deposits, yields from bonds and dividends from stocks. Customers can design their own investment portfolio from a wide range of financial products or let financial institutions do so on their behalf. Pyongyang fires five projectiles into East Sea By Jun Ji-hye The government said Monday that North Korea is apparently ready to conduct a fifth nuclear test. Defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told a regular briefing that the North is "capable of carrying out an additional nuclear test at any time once its leadership decides to do so." He said the militaries in South Korea and the United States were keeping a close watch on activities at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the northeast of the isolated country, where it conducted its fourth nuclear test, Jan. 6. Unification ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee also said that the North was able to conduct a fifth nuclear test "immediately," adding the government was preparing for "all possibilities." The comments from the ministries come after 38 North, a website operated by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, stated Saturday that there has been "continued activity" at the Punggye-ri site. The website specializing in North Korea news said it was highly likely that the site is capable of "supporting additional tests at any time." Later on Monday, the North fired five short-range projectiles into the East Sea from 3:19 p.m. the latest in a series of provocations following the imposition of international sanctions. By Kim Bo-eun Despite growing racial diversity in Korea, discrimination against migrants remains widespread, hindering their integration into Korean society. A coalition of civic groups supporting the rights of migrant workers and foreign spouses stated during a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square, downtown Seoul, Monday, that racial discrimination here is getting worse. The conference was held to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Discrimination continues to haunt migrant workers, foreign spouses and foreign residents, the coalition stated. According to a survey by the Gyeonggi Institute of Research and Policy Development for Migrants' Human Rights of 560 foreign residents last year, 43.7 percent said they felt discriminated against at their workplaces. Jang Hui-guk, third from left, superintendent of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and president of the National Council of Governors of Education, announces a statement to call for the government to stop suppressing regional educational offices and to respect their autonomy during a press conference at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Seoul, Monday. From left are Cho Hee-yeon, head of the Seoul office; Min Byeong-hee, head of the Gangwon Provincial Office of Education; Jang; and Lee Cheong-yeon, head of the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education. / Yonhap By Chung Ah-young Superintendents of educational offices from 14 cities and provinces nationwide have called for the government to stop "suppressing them" and respect the autonomy of regional education authorities. The National Council of Governors of Education (NCGE) released a statement Monday to protest the government's legal action against them and its growing pressure on them to cover a free preschool program. The Ministry of Education recently filed a complaint with the prosecution against 14 heads of regional educational offices who have not punished members of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU) for issuing a statement against state-authored textbooks last year. The ministry is pressuring the offices to impose disciplinary action against them, citing the violation of civil service neutrality required for teachers. The superintendents allege the ministry's complaint is politically motivated, because of the precedent of a superintendent being found innocent for delaying punishment of a teacher until the Supreme Court handed down a final ruling on the case. They claim that the government's punishment order on teachers and pressure to subsidize the free preschool program breach education autonomy. To settle the dispute, the superintendents requested Education Minister Lee Joon-sik to hold a meeting with them on March 30. "Although the nation's free preschool program is in jeopardy, the ministry has pressured education offices to take responsibility for the issue rather than seeking consultation with us, compromising regional education autonomy," Jang Hui-guk, superintendent of Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and president of the NCGE, said. The superintendents said that the government's request for the Board of Audit and Inspection to conduct an investigation into some education offices that failed to set aside a budget for the preschool program was also a measure to pressure them. The government and education offices have been at odds over the free preschool program since 2013 when the government expanded the curriculum to include all children aged three to five from the bottom 70 percent of income groups. This was one of President Park Geun-hye's election pledges to strengthen the nation's responsibility for early childhood education and care. But due to the snowballing burden on state coffers, the government ordered regional education offices to take responsibility for funding the program from 2015. Suffering from a lack of finances, the offices have refused to do this, claiming they are not responsible, especially for daycare centers which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. As a result, 14 out of 17 education offices nationwide have yet to allot a budget for the program this year. The NCGE said that the ministry even ordered the education offices not to cover travel expenses for superintendents who waged a one-man rally in front of Cheong Wa Dae to call for government funding for the program. President Park Geun-hye holds a meeting with her secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. / Joint press corps By Kang Seung-woo Some confidants of President Park Geun-hye have been ruled out of the ruling Saenuri Party's nominations for the upcoming April 13 general election as public sentiment is worsening toward her alleged meddling. The nomination results reflect growing worries inside the ruling party about a possible negative impact Park's increasing political activities may have on voter sentiment. Earlier this month, President Park visited Daegu and Busan, creating a controversy over alleged interference in the election; but Cheong Wa Dae said her trips were related to economic issues, not politics. According to the party Sunday, Cho Yoon-sun, a former senior presidential secretary for political affairs who was the Park administration's first gender minister, and Rep. Kim Jae-won, a close aide to President Park, lost their respective primaries. In addition, Yoon Doo-hyun, a former chief presidential secretary for public affairs, had his bid for a parliamentary seat dashed after being defeated in an intra-party primary in Daegu President Park's political stronghold. Their defeats are viewed as quite serious within the party because they were high-profile pro-Park candidates, highly expected to survive the primaries. Along with them, two former chiefs of the presidential press center, and a few candidates loyal to the President did not win candidacies in North and South Gyeongsang provinces as well as Busan, where Park's influence is high. "It seems that negative reaction to those only promoting their ties with President Park, and Cheong Wa Dae's alleged intervention in the nominations, is increasing even on our home turf," said a party official. The Saenuri Party's nomination process was lopsided on nominating pro-Park candidates for the general election from the beginning, while seeking to exclude former floor leader Yoo Seong-min and other mainstreamers from becoming candidates in the election. In June last year, Yoo and Park locked horns over a revision to the National Assembly Law, designed to empower parliament to challenge government ordinances. At that time, Park bashed Yoo, openly calling him a "traitor," leading him to step down after a standoff. Yoo was Park's former chief of staff, when she was a lawmaker. The ruling party is worried that the negative sentiment toward the nominations may stretch to voters in the capital area and adversely affect the election results there. According to a public survey by local pollster Realmeter, Monday, the Saenuri Party's approval rating in the capital area dropped by 12.6 percentage points from a week ago _ 49.6 percent to 37 percent. The combined rating of the opposition bloc _ the Minjoo Party of Korea, the People's Party and the Justice Party _ was 52 percent, a 2.2 percentage gain. "While the brouhaha about the nomination was taking place last week, we had trouble in appealing to voters for support in the elections," said Rep. Kim Yong-tae, whose constituency is in Yangcheon, Seoul. "The pro-Park faction-led nominations are stimulating public disgust." Rep. Chung Doo-un, pursuing his fourth parliamentary term in Seoul's Seodaemun district, also said, "The party is on its way to securing less than the 17 seats in Seoul won in the 2012 general election." Political analysts said the losses of the pro-Park candidates in primaries were expected outcomes. "The defeats show the public's disgust at the ruling party's nomination process because they were less competitive, but just focused on promoting their relationship with President Park without any effort to appeal to the public," said Hangil Research Director Hong Hyeong-sik. "The nomination committee had put up former Home Affairs Minister Chong Jong-sup in a district in Daegu without a primary and selected another constituency of the city, in which it will put up a female candidate, dropping three-term non-Park faction lawmaker Joo Ho-young, based on its estimations that pro-Park candidates would have been defeated if primaries had been held." By Kim Hyo-jin Kim Chong-in, interim leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, speaks to reporters as he leaves his home early Monday. He vented his anger at party officials who criticized his choice of candidates for proportional representation seats. / Yonhap Kim Chong-in, interim leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), indicated Monday that he may step down amid conflict over the selection of proportional representation candidates for the April 13 general election. "I don't have the slightest intention to work for a party that insults a person like this," Kim told reporters. "Now I've lost interest in keeping my leadership post." Kim took flak from party members, Sunday, after placing himself as the second candidate on the list of possible proportional representatives. Additional controversy arose when others selected through Kim's recommendation turned out to have ethical or ideological issues. Amid a barrage of criticism on alleged "abuse of power," Kim dismissed the reaction as a flare-up of discontent with his leadership and political ideology. "I refuse to accept the accusation that I'm doing the job for my own personal interest. I'm here to act as a doctor for an emergency patient; but if the patient has no will to beat the disease, there's nothing I can do," Kim said. "It's just an excuse. In fact, they are attacking me for my political ideology." The remarks came a day after the party's central committee rearranged the list of proportional representatives created by the Kim-led emergency planning committee. In protest, Kim boycotted party affairs. With his absence, the emergency planning committee held a meeting to seek arbitration between Kim and his detractors. It pushed Kim back to 14th on the list and cancelled the controversial selection of Park Jong-hun, a former Air Force chief of staff who had made harsh comments about former MPK leader Moon Jae-in. During the 2012 presidential election, Park publicly supported then ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye, and allegedly called Moon a "North Korea follower." In addition his son works for a defense industry firm that was involved in irregularities. The Board of Audit and Inspection found that the firm overcharged the Air Force for management fees through fake tax receipts. The provisional list of 43 proportional representation candidates brought a severe backlash from lawmakers and party members. They raised questions over the qualifications of some figures ranked high on the list. Park Kyung-mi, a professor at Hongik University who was placed first on the list, was involved in plagiarism in the past. Park was accused of having plagiarized the dissertation of her student in 2004. However, she was left unchanged in the list order after the committee meeting. The list also drew criticism for under-representing women and the disabled. Experts including seven professors were prioritized, ranked in the upper part of the list. "We need reconsideration of those controversial figures who wouldn't help the party with victory in the election," veteran lawmakers Reps. Choo Mi-ae and Chung Sye-kyun said in a press release. "We should give priority to societal minorities as the party platform stated." About 10 party members protested strongly on a visit to the National Assembly, kicking the door of the leader's office. They urged Kim to step down, saying "the list should be remade from the start." South Korea and the United States are set to hold their first high-level talks Monday dealing exclusively with implementing new sanctions on North Korea, officials said. The meeting brings together senior officials from both sides to exchange views on ways to enforce a recent string of sanctions imposed on the North over its nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch last month. Kim Hong-kyun, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will meet with Ambassador Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, and Daniel Fried, the State Department's coordinator for sanctions policy, at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul later in the day. "We will review and discuss ways to maximize pressure on North Korea by effectively applying the three axes of the Security Council resolution, unilateral sanctions imposed by South Korea and the U.S., and pressure by the international community," said a senior ministry official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. In early March, the U.N. Security Council adopted tough sanctions against Pyongyang, including a ban on the country's exports of coal and other mineral resources that serve as a key source of hard currency for the cash-strapped regime. Seoul and Washington also took separate measures to squeeze Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear and missile programs. "Both sides will explain the details of the unilateral sanctions and exchange views on any questions we might have about each other's sanctions," the official said. Monday's talks aren't expected to lead to the announcement of any new sanctions from either side, the official added. As their countries' chief envoys to the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program, Kim Hong-kyun and Sung Kim will hold separate talks ahead of the high-level session. Kim Hong-kyun is expected to also share the results of his talks with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei held in Beijing last week. The South Korean and American envoys will be meeting for the second time in less than two weeks. Kim Hong-kyun visited Washington earlier this month, shortly after taking office. (Yonhap) North Korea's Cabinet Premier Pak Pong-ju conducted a field inspection of a crude oil refinery after the U.N. Security Council's recent sanction banning jet fuel to be shipped to the communist country, the North's state news agency reported Sunday. The premier encouraged workers, scientists and technicians during his field survey of the production situation and manufacturing facilities at Ponghwa Chemical Factory and the Rakwon Mechanical Factory, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The premier "encouraged the workers there in their drive to improve the management of equipment and technical control," the KCNA said. At his onsite visits to Ponghwa Chemical Factory, Pak convened meetings to consult with managers and officials for the solution of improving the manufacturing process, the report said. Located at Pihyon County in North Pyongan Province, Ponghwa Chemical Factory is known to be a leading petroleum supply facility in the northwestern region of the country. The factory was built with Chinese support in 1980 and reportedly uses imported crude to produce refined oil products for North Korea's government, military, transportation, agricultural and fishing sectors. Sources said, however, that North Korea presently runs only one of its two primary oil refineries, giving the single operational refinery a critical role in the nation's economy and defense. The new U.N. sanction prohibits all small arms and other conventional weapons from being sold to the North. It also bans jet and rocket fuel from being supplied to the country, grounds North Korean flights suspected of carrying contraband, and denies vessels carrying illicit items access to ports. The sanctions, moreover, require mandatory inspection of all cargo going into and out of the North, and bar the country from exporting coal, iron and other mineral resources. Such resources are a key source of hard currency and account for nearly half of the country's total exports. (Yonhap) North Korea is capable of conducting a fifth nuclear test at any time, Seoul's Unification Ministry said Monday, amid signs of continued activities in the communist state's nuclear experiment site. "We believe that (the North) is able to carry out a fifth nuclear test immediately," ministry spokesperson Jeong Joon-hee said during a regular briefing, stressing that the government is preparing for "all possibilities." Seoul officials have said that Pyongyang remains "technically ready" to conduct another underground atomic experiment, and that it would push ahead with another test based upon a "political" decision. Last week, Pyongyang threatened to conduct another test of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles, further heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The threat is seen as an angry response to the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills and the recent adoption of fresh U.N. Security Council sanctions on the communist regime for its nuclear test in January and long-range rocket test in February. 38 North, a U.S.-based website specializing in North Korea news, has said that there has been "continued activity" at the North's main nuclear experiment site in Punggye-ri in the northeastern part of the country. It said that it is highly likely that the site is capable of "supporting additional tests at any time." (Yonhap) President Park Geun-hye called on officials on Monday to maintain thorough preparations to cope with any possible provocations from North Korea, saying Pyongyang is trying to stage reckless provocations. "Now is a very crucial time for the future of the Korean Peninsula," Park said in a meeting with her top aides at Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said his country will conduct "a nuclear warhead explosion test and test-fire several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads" soon. Still, he did not elaborate on a specific time frame. Kim's comment is the latest sign of his defiance against tougher U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea for carrying out its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and long-range rocket launch on Feb. 7. The sanctions call for, among other things, the mandatory inspection of all cargo going into and out of the North and a ban on the country's exports of coal and other mineral resources to cut off North Korea's access to hard currency. Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama imposed fresh unilateral sanctions on North Korea to put further pressure on Pyongyang. Obama has said the new measures block movement of assets controlled by the government in Pyongyang, its ruling Workers' Party and "any person" helping the regime with its nuclear and missile programs. The U.S. move also targets cyberattacks, human rights abuses and other illicit activities. (Yonhap) Female North Korean soldiers / Yonhap By Ko Dong-hwan North Korea's physical aptitude test for military recruits puts females through a sexually humiliating process that includes a "virginity test," defectors say. Ahn Hye-kyung, a former army officer in North Korea, revealed on TV Chosun's talk show "Moranbong Club" this month that male officers examined females to check if they have had sexual intercourse. "The examination is to see whether recruits aged from 17 have had sexual experience," Ahn said. "If their hymen is no longer there, the state doesn't accept them in the military." Host Kim Sung-joo asked Ahn how keeping one's virginity could possibly matter in serving the military. The former officer answered that the state interpreted lost virginity as a sign of not being ready to fight for the country. The guest defectors also said that before the test, female recruits had to wait in line with only their panties on. When male examiners saw a recruit trying to cover herself with her arms, the examiners instantly shouted at her to leave and failed her. As of 2016, a female recruit must be 17 years or older, a high school graduate, 142 centimeters or taller, 42 kilograms or heavier and must not wear glasses, according to the defectors. In the military state, women consider joining the military as the only way to improve their social status. Women who finished serving in the military can enjoy various social perks. By Park Si-soo, Lee Han-soo North Korea fired several short-range missiles into the East Sea at 3:19 p.m. on Monday in the latest in a series of provocations in reaction to new U.S. sanctions and the ongoing Seoul-Washington joint military drills. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missiles were launched from the northeastern city of Hamhung at around 3:19 p.m., and flew some 200 kilometers. "Our military is keeping close tabs on the situation and standing by with a heightened defense posture," the JCS said. This provocation came three days after the North fired two mid-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, one of which blew up in mid-air. By Yi Whan-woo Senior government officials of South Korea and the United States met in Seoul, Monday, to discuss ways of enforcing sanctions on North Korea, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was the first round of high-level talks between the two allies focused on implementing sanctions on Pyongyang following a series of multilateral and unilateral resolutions imposed recently to end the nuclear ambitions of the Kim Jong-un regime. Kim Hong-kyun, the foreign ministry's special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, met Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy. They were joined by Daniel Fried, the U.S. Department of State's coordinator for sanctions policy. "The delegates shared their thoughts on capitalizing on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution in addition to independent sanctions imposed by South Korea, the U.S. and other countries to maximize pressure on North Korea," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity. "The two sides gave briefings about their respective sanctions and asked each other questions to find the best way to successfully carry out punitive measure against Pyongyang." Diplomatic sources said that South Korea is also considering holding high-level talks soon with Japan regarding penalties against North Korea. Meanwhile, Kim Hong-kyun and Sung Kim will hold separate talks in Seoul today on resuming the dormant six-party talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization. They previously met in Washington D.C. on March 11 during Kim Hong-kyun's first trip to the U.S. after he took up his post in February. They then agreed that denuclearization was the top priority in any talks with North Korea. Their dialogue came after the UNSC unanimously adopted fresh new sanctions Resolution 2270 March 2. These are aimed at blocking international trade with North Korea in response to its fourth nuclear test and long-range rocket launch using ballistic missile technology on Jan. 6, and Feb. 7, respectively. The U.S. and its allies, South Korea, Japan, and the European Union, have issued their own sanctions in addition to the UNSC resolution. Some 30 entities and 40 individuals blacklisted by Seoul on March 8 were not on the UNSC's blacklist. China called for North Korea not to do "anything that violates U.N. resolutions," shortly after the North fired several short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast. The Monday launch of five short-range projectiles came just days after North Korea fired two mid-range ballistic missiles in the latest defiance of U.N. sanctions. "We hope that North Korea will not do anything that violates U.N. resolutions," China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters during a regular press briefing. "All relevant parties should react with calm and restraint so as not to aggravate tensions," Hua said. By Casey Lartigue, Jr. Back in 2007 when I launched a radio talk show, I predicted that I wouldn't get major media coverage until there was a problem. After I got fired from the show in a dispute with management, I was proven correct. I got a long article published in the Washington Post, several national media invitations, mentioned in a book about conspiracy theories, and later became a regular commentator on a National Public Radio show. While it might have seemed great to get that attention, I didn't enjoy being known for getting fired from a talk show. Friends who remembered my prediction thought it was amazing that I had guessed in advance what would happen, but like a broken clock, I make that kind of prediction all of the time. Do something to slightly improve the world, and a reporter may stumble upon you every once in a while. Get caught in a scandal or crime, and you can have reporters surrounding your home, taking photos as you walk from your front door to check the mail or do sit-ups in your garage. Whether you are the shooter or the target, a reporter will want to talk to you. I have been engaged in activism on North Korean issues for a few years. At the beginning, I predicted that I wouldn't get major news coverage until I got caught up in a scandal. No scandals yet, although I have had some reporters snooping around when they thought some of my colleagues had done something wrong. Every time a reporter stumbles upon my activities helping North Korean refugees, I thank them. Certainly there were scandals, murders, earthquakes, K-pop and other stories that would have generated more clicks. Then I pretty much say goodbye, recognizing that they will never write about my activities again. It might be a cynical point of view, but in order to understand reporters, think about a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat at a birthday party for kids. Imagine the magician demonstrating to the kids how he did it. Then imagine the magician asking the kids, "Do you want me to pull the rabbit out of the hat again?" The kids, like reporters, want to see something different, something "new." That's why I say the best way to get a reporter curious about a document is to label it "Top Secret." Perhaps that was my mistake, yet again. You probably won't hear about it in many places, but this past Sunday I was one of the main organizers of the International Volunteers Workshop: Opportunities to Help North Koreans, co-hosted by the Teach North Korean Refugees Education Center at AOU, Justice for North Korea, and Transitional Justice Working Group. Our goal is to connect English-speaking volunteers with organizations helping North Koreans who have escaped or are still being held hostage in Kim Jong-Il's country. According to our voluntary registration team, we had almost 200 people from about 40 countries join the event held at Memorial Hall of South Korea's National Assembly. A few of the attendees looking around at the diverse crowd trying to do something helpful for North Koreans were openly asking why there wasn't more media there. After we left, I mentioned to one that it wasn't too late, one of us, preferably an American, could still return to the National Assembly and steal something, thereby guaranteeing us 72 point headlines in the Korean press for weeks. There would be reunification of the Koreas, in the press, as both sides of the peninsula denounced us. As if two decades of dealing with media had not already made me cynical, I recently received an email from a reporter who often asks me about stories dealing with North Korea. I mentioned to him that one of the speakers at our upcoming workshop would be Hwang Inchol, the leader of the Association for Family Members of the KAL Kidnapping Victims. The group is pressing for North Korea to return the people on a South Korean airplane (KAL YS-11) hijacked by North Korean agents in 1969. Hwang's father was on the plane, abducted to North Korea. Even as I was writing the email about the case, I knew it would fail the reporter's test: "Is it new/news?" Predictably, the reporter wanted to know about a "new" North Korean museum being built somewhere. "New" trumps "important" in journalism. As I listened to Hwang Inchol, still in pain after 47 years, I became a broken clock, making a note to myself that he wouldn't get news coverage until he got caught up in a scandal or did something crazy like trying to escape to the DMZ to find his father. It would be pointless, but he might even get as much coverage as the American recently sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly trying to steal a banner in North Korea. Kuwaiti Ambassador Jasem Albudaiwi, right, speaks during the Middle East Healthcare Roundtable organized by The Korea Times at Plaza Hotel Seoul on March 11. Experts on the region and board members from JW Pharmaceutical presented diverse ideas to strengthen Korea's healthcare cooperation with Kuwait. / Korea Times By Kang Hyun-kyung In a tough economy, consumers search for alternative goods and services that can give them as much satisfaction as the ones they are using, but at lower prices. Sooner or later, this will be the case for Kuwait's health care industry, as the oil-rich country was hit hard by the 70 percent decline in oil prices that began in June 2014. Kuwaiti Ambassador to Korea Jasem Albudaiwi said the low oil prices would inevitably affect hospitals around the world relying on revenues from wealthy foreign patients, such as Kuwaitis, because of the oil-rich nations' decrease of spending following the plunge in oil prices. However, he said, with successful marketing, the low prices could create opportunities for Korean hospitals, which offer world-class health care services at much lower prices than hospitals in Europe or the United States do. "The cost of a liver transplant at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, for example, is only a twentieth of its cost at the UCLA Medical Center." he said. "Low oil prices will pose a challenge to Korean hospitals seeking to attract Middle Eastern patients. But I think they could turn such a challenging environment into an opportunity if they launch an effective marketing strategy that promotes their strengths. Health care services in Korea are superb, and medical costs are reasonable, but few Middle Eastern patients know about these advantages." From left are Shin Jae-hyun, president of West Asia Economic Forum in Seoul; Kim Su-wan, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; Lee Kwon-hyung, the head of the Middle East and Africa Team at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy; and Eum Ik-ran, a professor at Dankook University's GCC Institute. / Korea Times Albudaiwi made these remarks during a speech at the health care roundtable organized by The Korea Times at the Plaza Hotel Seoul on March 11. The event was attended by executives and board members from JW Pharmaceutical, including Senior Vice President and Chief of Global Business Division Lee Sang-jun, and four Middle East experts, namely Shin Jae-hyun, president of the West Asia Economic Forum; Kim Su-wan, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; Lee Kwon-hyung, head of the Middle East and Africa Team at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy; and Eum Ik-ran, a professor at Dankook University's GCC Institute. The Kuwaiti government pays for its citizens' medical bills, including those for treatments at overseas hospitals. London is a popular destination for the so-called Kuwaiti "medical tourists." According to a report by health care research company LaingBuisson, the private hospital market in London has grown almost 9 percent annually since 2006 because of the growing number of wealthy foreign patients, including Kuwaitis. Following the sharp drop in oil revenues, however, the Kuwaiti government has slashed health care subsidies for medical tourists and has encouraged citizens to make the most of local hospitals. The policy change has directly affected the country's outflow of medical tourists. The number of Kuwaiti patients who went to London, for example, was approximately 1,100 in 2013 but that number more than halved in 2014 to only about 500. According to the Kuwaiti health authorities, the government decided to cut its health care spending, as 70 percent of the diseases referred to overseas hospitals can be treated at local hospitals. To handle the soaring demand for health care services and the shortages in medical staff, Kuwait plans to establish several world-class medical centers and employ foreign doctors. In January, Afrah Al-Sarraf, director of Capital Health Region in Kuwait, promised the policy change will continue to be implemented and the number of Kuwaiti patients sent overseas for treatment will continue to decrease. She also said the health ministry will sign contracts with foreign hospitals and medical schools to operate the country's new world-class hospitals. Her remarks indicate that Kuwait could follow in the footsteps of its neighboring country, the United Arab Emirates, regarding the operation of the new hospitals. In 2014, the UAE government chose Seoul National University Hospital to be the consignment manager, or operator, of the Royal Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital. Ambassador Albudaiwi cautiously raised the possibility for Korean hospitals to win such contracts in Kuwait. He said the country's Health Minister Ali Al-Obaidi was amazed by the Korean hospitals' high-quality services and reasonable costs, after meeting with Asan Medical Center's management last April. Al-Obaidi and his then Korean counterpart, Moon Hyung-pyo, had discussed ways to send state-sponsored patients from Kuwait to Korea. Their negotiations, however, have stalled since the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome last year. "MERS set back the health care services cooperation between the two countries," he said. The respiratory disease killed several Koreans last year and hurt the nation's tourism industry. The virus was successfully contained, and the Korean government confirmed later last year that there were no more MERS cases here. HUFS Professor Kim said Kuwait is an emerging market for Korean hospitals. According to her, per capita health care spending in Kuwait reached $1,507 in 2013, nearly 50 percent higher than the average of Gulf Cooperation Council countries. "Kuwait has one of the fastest-growing, as well as fastest-aging, populations. As a result, its demand for health care and medical services will soar in the near future," she said. "Diabetes and obesity are the two most serious diseases facing Kuwaiti people .... Health care spending in Kuwait is expected to reach $60 billion in 2025." Despite the positive outlook, Albudaiwi said there are several obstacles discouraging Kuwaiti patients from going to Korea for treatment. He said it will take time for Kuwaitis to gain confidence in Korean hospitals. He said Korean cars, smartphones and home appliances are popular in Kuwait, and the Kuwaitis are well aware of the strong reputation of Korean construction companies. However, he said they are relatively unfamiliar with the quality of health care services in Korea. "Strong construction companies and Korea being Kuwait's number one oil market are the two main images Kuwaitis have of the country," he said. The lack of direct flights between Korea and Kuwait is another obstacle to a closer collaboration between Korea and Kuwait in health care services. Professor Eum also identified culture shock as an obstacle. According to her, some Korean health workers sent to Middle Eastern countries have a hard time adjusting to the local culture, as some local patients treat foreign medical staff like maids. Mutual efforts to promote understanding of cultural and lifestyle differences may help alleviate the lack of understanding, she said. KIEP's Lee said Kuwait is an emerging market with significant opportunities for the Korean pharmaceutical industry, which has strong infrastructure. The Korean government considers health care cooperation with foreign countries as a new growth engine and has taken measures to promote local hospitals' high-quality health care services overseas and strengthen cooperation in health care services with Gulf countries. In 2014, 79 Kuwaiti patients came to Korea for treatment. There is no signed agreement between the Kuwaiti government and the local hospitals with regard to state-sponsored patients, and thus those Kuwaiti patients paid for their trips here out of their own pockets. Patients from Saudi Arabia and Qatar come to Korea for treatment, but the Gulf country sending the most patients to Korea is the UAE with 1,000 patients annually. Saudi Arabia also finances their doctors' clinical training in Korea. Currently, 40 Saudi doctors are undergoing medical training in five Korean hospitals. Over 200,000 medical tourists visit Korea annually. By Nam Sang-so When the United States notified South Korea of its plan to withdraw U.S. Forces in July 1970, President Park Chung-hee ordered a study be undertaken on the feasibility of establishing a domestic nuclear weapons program. The nation attempted to obtain plutonium reprocessing facilities following the pullout of some 26,000 American soldiers in 1971. Pressured by the United States, France decided not to deliver a reprocessing facility to Korea. South Korea's nuclear weapons research program effectively ended in April 1974 with its ratification of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In the summer of 1972, a man who said his name was "Bogart", working for Westinghouse Electric Corporation asked me to investigate the water purification system for the housing complex of the company's employees at Gori, north of Busan. Some 15 percent of the Westinghouse technicians were suffering from an unknown stomach disorder and a skin disease. The company was furnishing the nuclear reactor and was responsible for the construction of Korea's first nuclear power plant. A doctor at the infirmary of the Westinghouse compound explained that she had airmailed water samples to the home office in Pennsylvania for analysis. She was dismayed when the reply said the water supplied by Korea Electric Company (KECO, now KEPCO) at the Gori site was potable. If it was not temporary diarrhea, usually coming from changing the drinking water, then what was it? All the foods consumed there were products of the U.S. I sampled the water from different outlets and analyzed it at a laboratory in Seoul. The results were the same as the Pennsylvania tests: it was safe for drinking. Then, Bogart told me that he suspected that KECO was doing something to disturb Westinghouse and trying to steal the confidential data of the nuclear reactor. He asked me to find out if there was any conspiracy hidden in the case of the loose stomachs of the American employees. I was dumbfounded by Bogart's distrust of Westinghouse's Korean partner in the nuclear power plant project and I thought it was a joke. I found the task exciting, so I accepted. First I checked thoroughly every system of the water plant from the underground well to each water outlet and took samples again at the spring, at the raw water reservoir, at the treatment facilities, and along the distribution lines. A section of the raw water supply line was buried under a wet rice field and excavation revealed that an iron pipe was rusting by corrosion by cathode of an electrochemical cell. When a raw water pump was running, water pressure in the pipe could keep out the rice field's irrigation water, but when the pump stopped the irrigation water contaminated the water in the pipe as millions of bacteria, fertilizers and farm chemicals seeped into the supply pipe by gravity. When the doctor from the clinic and I first bottled the water, KECO's pump was running. Turning off the pump I sampled the water again. The result: the water was chemically and biologically contaminated and the Westinghouse employees with weak stomachs had been suffering not by KECO's conspiracy in an effort to steal the reactor secrets. Now I wish Bogart had joked that it was a real scheme and South Korea was able to develop nuclear bombs 40 years earlier. Then we would not have see such pathetic pictures showing the debris of the North's long range missile picked up today in the West Sea and displayed as if they are war trophies. It should have been the other way around. Before Bogart died of old age at a nursing home named Sunshine in North Carolina in 2013, I visited him. Holding my hand he apologized from his sick bed that he couldn't tell me at the time but that he was an agent for a Federal Office and thanked me for my friendship. MPK uproar raises questions about interim leader As expected, Kim Chong-in, caretaker chief of the main opposition Minjioo Party of Korea (MPK), got himself in trouble for his arbitrary style of running the party. Party officials boycotted a meeting, which was supposed to endorse a list of candidates for proportional representation, non-elected seats to be assigned by a party's aggregated votes. Monday afternoon, they were asking Kim to accept a demotion to No. 14 in the list. It all started when Kim nominated himself as No. 2 on the list of 43, virtually assuring himself of a seat after the April 13 parliamentary general elections irrespective of the result. The economist, 77, recently said in public that he was not interested in the proportional seat, having served in such a capacity four times before. His detractors criticized Kim for trying to promote his interests ahead of the party's, claiming that something had to be done about his arbitrary style. President Park Geun-hye volunteered to be placed outside the top 10 when she was a party leader in a previous general election. Former late President Kim Dae-jung also relinquished the plum numbers to others. These gestures were seen as humbleness toward voters and a determination to win the elections. But this was not the case for the MPK interim leader, who was brought in to bring unity to the party. The party was in disarray over hegemonic "sectarian" fighting between backers of the late President Roh Moo-hyun, represented by his friend and former presidential candidate Moon Jae-in, and remnants of those who owed allegiance to the late former President Kim. Kim himself shrugged it off, asking, "What's wrong with it?" in response to criticism. Also adding to the problem were allegations that he had set aside several candidacies for his "share" of supporters. Among his supposed nominees were a professor who faced allegations of plagiarism and a retired professor who worked with Kim at Sogang University. Now, Kim threatened to boycott some of his duties, if the party continues to stand in his way. Kim is credited with bringing a hint of normalcy to the opposition to gain a healthy result in the election to counter-balance the ruling Saenuri Party and President Park. The public tolerated his "my-way-or-highway" style to a degree because he habitually said he was no longer acting in his own interest. Now he ate his words, giving enough grounds to suspect that he had ulterior motives when he accepted an invitation from beleaguered former MPK leader Moon to come on board. Also under renewed scrutiny is how Kim switched sides. He worked as Park's economic adviser when she was campaigning but left her, arguing that Park had given up on his proposed "economic democracy" that stressed distribution over development. However, some believe Kim fell from Park's grace because of his abrasive style and then stumbled in a subsequent power struggle. Others claim that Kim was interested in forming his own faction after the election, perhaps to act as a "kingmaker" in selecting the next presidential candidate. Kim's latest act left a bitter taste because he turned out to be a damp squib an opportunistic politician blindly pursuing whatever his interest is at any given moment the only difference being that he is older than most of the others. We are ready to give him the b enefit of the doubt for the time being to see what his real intentions are, but he should be aware that he may be remembered as one of two things just another deplorable politician or as a statesman who can rise above partisan politics. So far the odds are on the first. From left, Biopharma Division general manager Uloff Muenster, Merck Korea managing director Michael Grund, Korea University Hospital professor Kim Yeul-hong, Seoul Medical Science Institute Vice President Han Sung-hee and Biopharma Division oncology head Roger Elia get together at a cancer awareness event at Merck's headquarters in southern Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of Merck Korea By Kim Yoo-chul Merck Korea said Monday that it will increase spending to boost its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and related programs. In a statement, the company said it hosted an event on March 18 celebrating colorectal cancer awareness month as designated by the Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA). This event took place as part of the global Germany-based chemical titan's Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Campaign, improving awareness of the disease, said the statement. "Through the campaign, Merck is making an effort to improve awareness of colorectal cancer," Michael Grund, managing director of the local affiliate, said in the statement. "And the patients, their families, medical experts and the general public need proper information and awareness about colorectal cancer. We also plan to alert people to the dangers of the disease." At Merck's Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Campaign, which is held worldwide, a "Dress in Blue" day on March 7 was also held in which employees dressed or carried belongings in blue to symbolize the campaign. Merck also hosted a trivia game to spread the right information about colorectal cancer, said the statement. "A lecture to improve awareness of colorectal cancer was focused on improving the awareness and arousing people's attention regarding colorectal cancer, and delivering various information about prevention, diagnosis, and treatment," it added. "It is really meaningful to launch the campaign in South Korea where the country has ranked in the top third of colorectal cancer rates," Uloff Muenster, general manager of the company's biopharma division, said in a statement. Korea has the highest rate of colorectal cancer worldwide. "Apart from genetic factors, the causes of colorectal cancer are peoples' poor eating habits and lack of physical activity," said the statement. Top conglomerate aims to have more responsive structure By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics is aiming to change its decades-long hierarchical system to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment. "Samsung Electronics is considering simplifying position titles," an official said Monday. "Such changes won't come immediately, but the company has been consistent in pursuing speedy decisions to actively respond to market changes." The firm has five distinct ranks of employees, each of which comes with a prescribed title. A graduate employee receives a "sawon" title. After more than four years of experience, they are awarded the "daeri" title. "Kwajang" is the title usually given to workers in their late 30s and early 40s with seven or more years' experience. An employee with more than 10 years or less experience is entitled to the title, "chajang," which is a deputy team leader. "Bujang" is just below an executive position. Usually, "bujang" handle some key tasks and report daily to executives. A spokesman declined to comment on what type of position systems would be introduced. But according to sources, the company may introduce four distinct ranks _ sawon, seonim, checgim and suseok _ the ranks that are now being implemented in Samsung Electronics' engineering and research-based business divisions. "It's too early to say that Samsung will scrap the five-tier system, immediately," the official said. "The firm is reviewing lots of options to improve its corporate structure to match global standards." The company said it would hold an event at its technology compound in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, March 24, to discuss ways to improve to its structure. The "Startup Samsung Culture Innovation Announcement" is expected to include plans in accordance with the ongoing moves. Samsung declined to say more. Over the past few years, Samsung Electronics has been accelerating efforts to cut back-office functions, affecting staff in communications, labor, human resources and marketing. "Attention is divided about whether Samsung's moves will succeed," said another official. Officials at the company's management supporting groups moved to the Suwon compound, ending an eight-year stay in the Seocho Samsung Tower, southern Seoul. Research and design teams had already moved to a new research center in Umyeon, southern Seoul. But some say that even though the rigid structure has been cited as the biggest reason for numerous problems, such as stopping creativity and discouraging people, the old system is still efficient enough to help big Korean companies move quickly and succeed on given missions. Samsung Group is on track to streamline its business structures, led by Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. It recently exited the defense and chemical businesses and is reportedly restructuring other unprofitable businesses. Micah Berman, Asia Pacific regional head at Google Impact Challenge, speaks about its charity program at Google Campus Seoul, Monday. Google Korea launched the nonprofit-funding program during the event. / Courtesy of Google Korea By Lee Min-hyung Google Korea held a launch event of its charity program, Google Impact Challenge, Monday, seeking to draw some of the spotlight away from the much-hyped go matches between its artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo and world go champion Lee Se-dol. This came about a week after Google's AI subsidiary DeepMind enjoyed a heyday for clinching a 4-1 victory against the Korean professional go player, which many critics said helped the company win trillions of dollars from marketing impact. Google, however, said during the event that the nonprofit-funding campaign has nothing to do with purposes to divert the growing attention on the marketing side. "Google Korea has been preparing to launch the charity program since earlier last year," Lee Hye-jin, a manager at Google Korea's marketing division, said during a press conference at the Google Campus in Seoul. "It was almost impossible for us to launch the campaign in that short period of time (in a week after the final go match ended on Mar. 15.) AlphaGo and the Google Impact Challenge are two separate things." The event is part of the company's efforts to expand its corporate social responsibility (CSR) to give back to local communities, raising social awareness of nonprofit organizations with Google's technological expertise, she said. Google.org, the charitable arm of the U.S.-based Internet search engine, has managed the charity event across the world since 2014. Under the theme of "A better world, faster," the company plans to offer up to three billion won ($2.57 million) to four nonprofit organizations in Korea. The company will also provide mentoring programs for the selected teams for a year, helping them lay the groundwork before executing their own projects, according to the company. Google.org has been selecting three to five countries each year and helping nonprofits there offer financial support to fight their challenges. Micah Berman, Google Impact Challenge's Asia Pacific region head, said, "Korean startups and developer communities are strong as is in the nonprofit sector." He said the program is aimed at helping local technology communities and nonprofits to share their innovative ideas to tackle challenges facing Korea today. Google Korea will accept applications from local nonprofits for the next six weeks, and select 10 teams in July through four screening criteria community impact, technology and innovation, scale and reach and feasibility, according to the company. Twelve judges, including Google Korea CEO John Lee and former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, will take part in the process. The company will then unveil the list on its website for online poll. On Aug. 23, Google Korea plans to hold a final competition where the candidates will present their projects and the final winner will be announced. By Lee Han-soo U.S. President Barack Obama made a historic visit to Cuba, Sunday (local time), declaring the end of decades of acrimony between the two countries. "This is a historic visit and a historic opportunity," Obama said as he greeted staff of the new U.S. Embassy in Havana. He is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba in 88 years, after Calvin Coolidge visited the communist nation in 1928. Cuban citizens welcomed president Obama's visit as they chanted "USA" and "Obama" as the president approached Plaza de Armas in Havana. Keen on pushing away decades of hatred between one another, Obama is scheduled to speak with Cuban counterpart Raul Castro on Monday. This three-day trip marks a milestone for years of reconciliation efforts as the two nations after a year and a half of secret talks decided to restore relations in December 2014. Since, the U.S. has lifted series of sanctions from Cuba in May and restored full diplomatic relations in July. U.S. officials said the improvement in relations with Cuba, has shown that the U.S. is willing to engage with their adversaries. However, there are still some speed bumps left along the way as Republican led congress refuses to lift the 54 year old economic embargo against Cuba and the lukewarm attitude from the Cuban government on addressing human rights. Although, the Cuban government has launched various economic and social reforms that has allowed an increase in private sectors and high-tech gadgets the government is still stubborn on changing its one-party system and strict limitations on media, public speech and assembly. The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more OC Register building. *Monday morning update: Bankruptcy judge approves sale to Digital First Media The government's antitrust concerns about Tribune Publishing owning nearly all the big daily newspapers in Southern California looks like a fatal blow to Chicago's dream of a news goliath with the Los Angeles Times at the center. After federal judge Andre Birotte Jr. issued a temporary restraining order Friday blocking the sale of bankrupt Freedom Communications to Tribune, which bid $56 million, Freedom decided over the weekend to accept the lower $52 million bid from Digital First Media. If it goes through, this sale would put the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise in the same corporate hands as the Los Angeles Daily News, San Bernardino Sun and several smaller Los Angeles News Group papers. Which I guess preserves a semblance of competition in the SoCal newspaper market, but the Digital First Media papers locally aren't exactly models of fiscal health. On content, if you think the Los Angeles Times has been cut into the bone over the past decade-plus in Tribune hands (and it has), the Digital First Media papers locally are shadows of their former selves with reporters who do their best but very unsatisfying websites. On the business side, however, the Los Angeles News Group papers do give print advertisers another option. After Tribune Publishing made the high bid last week, the U.S. Justice Department made good on its threat and filed a civil lawsuit to stop Tribune from acquiring the Register and Press-Enterprise on antitrust grounds. Tribune argued the concerns of a monopoly were outdated in the digital news era, but the government won its temporary restraining order. That's when Freedom decided to move on a sale to the next higher bidder with a bankruptcy court hearing scheduled for Monday and a deadline of March 31 looming to close the deal and avoid a shutdown of the papers. It may be that Tribune will lose the opportunity to acquire the Register and Press-Enterprise in favor of the second place bidder, Birotte wrote. However, this private harm does not outweigh the public interest in the preservation of competition, especially given the governments likelihood of success on the merits. From Tribune Publishing spokeswoman Hillary Manning: We believe the Antitrust Division continues to overlook the commercial realities of modern media in which Internet-delivered services are aggressively competing with the newspaper industry. The practical effect of the order will be to force Freedoms newspapers into the hands of an alternative bidder that will be less able to reduce cost and achieve efficiencies, with the likely effect that the journalism serving the local communities will be diminished. The Register and the Riverside paper it had just recently acquired are in jeopardy because Freedom sunk into bankruptcy following the Aaron Kushner ownership and happy talk debacle. News industry analyst Ken Doctor says "all attention now turns to Mondays bankruptcy court hearing," and in a Nieman Lab piece over the weekend he marvels at how it all got to this point. Its hard to believe Ive been covering the Southern California newspaper meltdown for at least seven years now. Sam Zell, who had taken control of the Tribune Company in an investing coup (which curiously foreshadowed Michael Ferros similar seizure of Tribune control this January), took Tribune into bankruptcy in December 2008. It was to be the five-year bankruptcy from hell, a classic among the more than a dozen daily newspaper companies we saw post-recession. Given the current straits of newspaper financials, we may soon see that set of bankruptcies as a mere prologue. As Southern California, a region of more than 18 million people, moves toward one kind of newspaper consolidation or another, we can see it as a ground zero of the mess daily newspapering has become. Freedom Communications now emerges from bankruptcy for the second time; the Tribune and its L.A. Times have been through one round, as has Digital First Media. Everyone involved in this weeks circus can call itself bankruptcy-experienced. Further, weve witnessed a remarkable cascade of characters involved in the L.A. tragicomedies. Consider the larger-than-life characters traipsing through the newspaper landscape. One-time Freedom CEO Aaron Kushner reprised a Music Man role in his entertaining flameout. Tribune contributed not only Zell, but then, in rapid fire-order, CEO Jack Griffin, who just found himself executed in the Michael Ferro coup with Ferros swaggering tenure itself promising more larger-than-life drama ahead. And we cant forget what looked briefly like the dawning of a would-be golden age of newspaper re-engagement, led by L.A. Times publisher Austin Beutner, until he, too, succumbed to internal politics. Everyone is shell-shocked. Count among them the remaining newspaper staffers, the communities that have seen great whipsawing and greater reduction of coverage, and the individual readers. As in many cities, the civic-minded readers try to hold on, keeping their subscriptions up, much as they decry the constant decline in the kind, excellence and volume of the news they get, in print or on their phones. From AP via the Chicago Tribune: Freedom will ask a federal bankruptcy judge on Monday to confirm and approve the sale to Digital First, which owns the Los Angeles Daily News and eight other daily papers in the greater Los Angeles area. The deal will close by March 31, Freedom attorney William Lobel said in an email.... The prospective takeover of the Freedom properties is Digital First's second major move in California in the last three weeks. The Denver-based company earlier announced it would consolidate six daily newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area into two, one serving Oakland and the East Bay and the other Silicon Valley. In the East Bay, The Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, The Daily Review and The Argus will become the new East Bay Times. The San Jose Mercury News and the San Mateo County Times will become the Mercury News. How the Register covered it: Attorneys for The Orange County Registers owner filed a motion Saturday asking a bankruptcy judge to approve the companys sale to Digital First Media, the second-highest bidder in last weeks newspaper auction. The $56 million bid by Tribune Publishing, owner of the Los Angeles Times, cant be accepted because an eleventh-hour antitrust court order prevents the company from closing the deal on time, Freedom Communications lawyer William Lobel said. Were going to go in and ask the judge on Monday to approve (Digital First Media) as the successful bidder, Lobel said. Digital First Media is the nations second-largest newspaper company by circulation, with 65 daily and Sunday newspapers and at least 265 websites in 18 states. The company owns the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Los Angeles Daily News and seven other Southern California newspapers. Freedoms request will be considered at Mondays 9 a.m. hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Mark Wallace in Santa Ana. From the LA Times story: Clover POS systems are a great solution if you want to streamline your internal services and want to replace an old kit like cash registers, payment terminals and other equipment. Clovers point of sale solution allows you to get rid of all that and replace it with a more integrated system with state of the PRESS RELEASE UN Says Saudi-Led Forces May Have Committed International Crimes in Yemen March 20, 2016 (EIRNS)UN Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein declared on March 18 that the Saudi-led coalitions one year bombing of Yemen has caused the vast majority of civilian deaths in that war, and said that the Saudis may have committed "international crimes." Responding to efforts to divert blame to the rebel alliance, Zeid said that "Looking at the figures, it would seem that the [Saudi] coalition is responsible for twice as many civilian casualties as all other forces put together, virtually all as a result of airstrikes. We are possibly looking at the commission of international crimes by members of the coalition." "International crimes" could include war crimes, but an investigation would have to be conducted, yesterdays Manila Times reported. Zeids office counted just under 9,000 civilian casualties, including 3,218 killed, since the Saudi coalition intervened a year ago to support President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, after "Houthi" rebels seized large parts of Yemen, including its capital, Sanaa. On March 18, Zeid expressed alarm at two March 15 Saudi airstrikes on a market in Yemens rebel-held Hajja Governorate. The UN childrens agency said 119 were killed in those strikes, including 24 children. Zeids office condemned "The repeated failure of the coalition forces to take effective actions to prevent recurrence of such incidents, and to publish transparent, independent investigations into those that have already occurred." UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also demanded an investigation of the incident, one of the deadliest of the war. If it's true that a man can be judged by the company he keeps, what are we to make of the appointment of former Sen. Phil Gramm as economic advisor to the presidential campaign of Ted Cruz? The short answer is that they're cut very much from the same economic cloth, which makes sense if one is advising the other. Here's a longer answer. Cruz made the appointment Friday, when he collected Gramm's endorsement of his quest for the presidency. He cited Gramm's role as an opponent of the healthcare reform measures proposed in the 1990s by President Bill Clinton, as well as Gramm's record as a professor of economics at Texas A&M University before becoming a U.S. representative in 1979 and moving up to the Senate in 1985. He retired from Congress in 2002. This is a mental recession....We've become a nation of whiners. Ex-Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) in 2008, just before the crash of Lehman Bros. The distinguishing feature of Gramm's career in public service is hostility to regulation in almost every form. "Gramm, with his Southerner's mistrust of big government, believes that markets, left to their own devices, eventually will find the most efficient way of bringing together buyers and sellers," wrote former Securities and Exchange Chairman Arthur Levitt in his memoir, "Take on the Street." "'Unless the waters are crimson with the blood of investors,' he exclaimed in one meeting, with a finger in my chest, 'I don't want you embarking on any regulatory flights of fancy.'" Gramm left a long record as a dedicated financial deregulator on Capitol Hill, with much of his effort aimed at freeing up trading in derivatives. That's why he's often identified as one of the godfathers of the 2008 financial crisis, which was spurred in part by banks' imprudent trading and investing in these extremely complex financial instruments. Gramm's previous stint as a presidential campaign advisor ended inauspiciously. That was in 2008, when he served as co-chairman of John McCain's presidential run. Gramm's most notable moment in that position came on July 10, 2008, when he dismissed the developing economic crisis as "a mental recession" in an interview -- and video -- released by the conservative Washington Times. "We've never been more dominant," he said. "We've never had more natural advantages than we have today. We've sort of become a nation of whiners." McCain immediately disavowed the remarks, and a few days later Gramm stepped down as his campaign co-chairman. Phil Gramm puts foot in mouth in this video of a July 10, 2008, interview. Two months later, almost to the day, Lehman Bros. failed and nearly took the U.S. economy with it. Gramm's remarks bristle with irony. In the first place, his sunny outlook then contrasts sharply with the frighteningly gloomy depiction of America's condition today that is a core feature of the Cruz campaign. That's even more striking, given that Gramm's reassuring assessment came just as the economic crisis was heating up. The investment bank Bear Stearns had failed just three months before, and the collapse of Lehman Bros,. which set off the crisis in earnest, would occur two months almost to the day after the interview was published -- not a terrific testament to Gramm's economic perspicacity. Gramm played a key role in legislation that expanded the influence of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over the objections and at the expense of the Securities and Exchange Commission when his wife, Wendy Lee Gramm, was the CFTC chair, a position she held from 1988 to 1993. Toward the end of her tenure, the agency exempted Enron's energy-swap derivatives from regulation. According to the watchdog group Public Citizen, her husband was one of the leading recipients of Enron campaign contributions in Congress, having collected nearly $100,000 since 1989. Five weeks after leaving the CFTC, Public Citizen reported, she joined the board of Enron, which paid her between $915,000 and $1.85 million in compensation from 1993 to 2001, when the company collapsed. Enron was a beneficiary of measures Phil Gramm pushed at the Senate, where he served as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee in 1999-2001. The most important such measure was the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, which ensured that over-the-counter, or OTC, financial derivatives would remain almost entirely unregulated and which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in December 2000, just before he left the White House. The instruments' potential for disaster was well understood by some regulators, notably Brooksley Born, who had been appointed CFTC chair in 1996 by Clinton. Born produced a recommendation to bring the instruments under her agency's oversight, but it was shot down by SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Gramm, among others in Congress, was determined to make sure no regulation was possible. With Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Rep. Thomas Ewing (R-Ill.), he introduced the CFMA. It sailed through the House and then ran into a roadblock in the Senate: Phil Gramm, who demanded that its deregulatory provisions be strengthened. The bill stalled but resurfaced after the 2000 presidential election -- this time bearing what became known as the "Enron loophole," which effectively exempted Enron's energy trading from regulation. Thanks to the 2000 act, according to 2010 congressional testimony by Michael Greenberger of the University of Maryland law school, the "multi-trillion-dollar OTC derivatives market was removed from almost all pertinent federal and state enforcement to which trading markets had been subject since the New Deal.... In effect, almost no law applied to this market." What was the harvest? "It is now almost universally accepted," Greenberger said, that the unregulated derivatives market "helped foment a mortgage crisis, then a credit crisis, and finally a 'once-in-a-century' systemic financial crisis." In op-ed columns for the Wall Street Journal and other public statements, Gramm has condemned the Dodd-Frank Act for producing a "failed recovery" in banking and advocated giving every American "the right to decide not to participate in Obamacare," which of course would destroy the Affordable Care Act. These positions show Gramm's intellectual compatibility with Cruz, and there's nothing particularly wrong or illegal about them. Though it's hard to avoid thinking that many investors might hope that government would step in as their protector well before their blood is running in the waters. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltzik's blog. Nurses at Kaiser Permanentes Los Angeles Medical Center will go back to work Tuesday after a weeklong strike aimed at securing a contract with higher staffing levels and better pay. More than 1,000 registered nurses represented by the California Nurses Assn. have been on the picket line since March 15, said Jed Smith, the unions labor representative for the Los Angeles Medical Center. Negotiations began in September and the last session was on March 10, said Patti Clausen, chief nurse executive at Los Angeles Medical Center. She said there is not a set date for bargaining, but that Kaiser is open to bargain any time they ask us. Advertisement SIGN UP for the free California Inc. business newsletter >> The union represents about 75% of the nurses at the Kaiser hospital. The Kaiser nurses joined the California Nurses Assn. last year and they are seeking their first collective bargaining contract. Aisha Ealey, a registered nurse in the neo-natal intensive care unit at Los Angeles Medical Center and a union member, said the hospital is understaffed and that nurses have to float to other units where they are not as knowledgeable. She said staffing levels are especially critical at Los Angeles Medical Center because it is a tertiary hospital that treats some of the sickest Kaiser patients with specialized care. We need more staff, Ealey said. We need qualified nurses. In a statement, Kaiser said its nursing staff ratios meet or exceed California state guidelines. We do not float any nurse to any other department unless they have been given orientation to that department, and they must always have the clinical skills necessary for that department, Clausen said in an interview. The union is also calling for a restructured benefits package and higher wages. Smith said there has not been a pay increase since 2011. Kaiser said it has proposed wages for the nurses that would keep them among the best paid nurses in Southern California. Clausen said Kaiser gave nurses a very generous offer that would be at par with the rest of the Southern California Kaiser Permanente hospitals. She said the increase would put the nurses 20% higher than the rest of the Southern California market. Demand for healthcare staff services was expected to grow, on average, about 6.6% each year from 2014 through 2016, according to a 2015 report by investment bank Harris Williams & Co. on the healthcare staffing market. The report attributed the increase to the Affordable Care Act, aging Baby Boomers and ongoing nursing and health professional shortages. For more business news, follow @smasunaga. ALSO Travel and tourism added 7.2 million jobs worldwide in 2015 Apples events are getting as predictable as the company. Is it time for a refresh? If all restrictions were lifted, flights to Cuba could drop 50% in price, study says What was revealed at todays Apple announcement at the companys headquarters in Cupertino, Calif: The iPhone SE, a return to the 4-inch model, but one that is as powerful as the iPhone 6S A new, 9.7-inch iPad Pro a smaller version of the initial 12.9-inch iPad Pro The cheapest Apple Watch is now cheaper at $299 and there are new bands to go with it iOS9.3 is available as new update today Apples high-profile fight with the FBI over the iPhones encryption was addressed immediately and forcefully by CEO Tim Cook When Apple in 2014 released its largest-ever iPhones the 6 and 6 Plus it followed a trend set by Samsung and other Android phone-makers. Since then, big has become the new normal. But with the rumor mill buzzing about Apples supposed plans Monday to unveil a new, lower-cost iPhone measuring just 4 inches diagonally 0.7 inches smaller than the iPhone 6 and 1.5 inches smaller than the 6 Plus app developers and analysts suspect a change of course is underway. If the hype is accurate, Apples new direction will be one that almost any customer can grasp. Advertisement While people like the bigger phones, there are devotees of the smaller phones simply because of different-sized hands and pockets, said Frank Gillett, a Forrester Research analyst. With each new phone, Apple has abandoned support for an earlier model. And as iPhone screens grew to keep pace with Samsung which had won a younger crowd with phones so big they could be tablets the Cupertino, Calif., tech giant did away with the 3.5-inch screens from the iPhone 4 and earlier models. The increasingly outdated iPhone 5 line, which measures 4 inches and dates from 2012, is now Apples smallest phone. With the iPhone 7 expected to launch later this year, presumably with dimensions similar to the iPhone 6, the 4-inch iPhone could have gone the way of the Macintosh or PowerBook. But just because Apple added bigger phones doesnt mean everyone has chosen to upgrade. Mobile advertising agency AppLovin parsed through its user data in February and found that 37% of iPhone users still use smaller-screen devices. Thats a problem for Apple because it suggests customers arent buying new phones and are instead holding onto devices ancient by tech standards. By refreshing the iPhone 5 line with a new gadget Monday, Gillett from Forrester Research believes Apple is reaching out to customers it couldnt convince to go big. By taking the electronics from a newer phone and moving most of it into a smaller phone, they can update the look and preserve the choice for consumers, he said. The new phone is rumored to have the same dimensions as the iPhone 5 line, but with updated features akin to the iPhone 6 or 6S a better camera, faster processor, more power and probably improved battery life too. The release of a smaller device could help Apple retain customers who simply prefer smaller gadgets cyclists who want to tuck their phones into their jerseys, runners wary of extra size and weight, or those who simply dont have big hands. It could also appeal to customers who reluctantly transitioned to the iPhone 6 line but are unlikely to go any bigger. Ive gotten pretty used to the size of my iPhone 6, but I do have to stretch my hands pretty far sometimes, said Adam Rippon, 35, a software developer and Apple shareholder from Oakland. Despite having what he describes as normal-sized hands, he says he misses his old 3.5-inch iPhones because he never had that problem with those. Rippon isnt the only one who finds the iPhone 6 line unwieldy. Kristan Reed, 43, a video game development consultant in England, said he has had his iPhone 5 for nearly three and a half years because hes holding off until Apple makes normal-sized handsets again. He too describes his hands as normal-sized. Its much easier to use the iPhone 5 because you can reach the entire screen with just your thumb, he said. Now picture the iPhone 6 Plus who actually needs a phone that big? Godzilla? Reed also prefers to carry his phone in his front pants pocket; he has no problems with the iPhone 5, but the iPhone 6 doesnt fit. Ill just shove my iPad Mini down there while Im at it, he said. For Apple, the issue may have more to do with the size of customers pocketbooks than their pockets. If the company can offer a smaller iPhone at a lower price, it may win shoppers in emerging markets, for whom larger iPhones are too expensive. There are a lot of places around the world that dont enjoy what we have here in the U.S. in terms of economics and infrastructure, said Brian Blau, an analyst with research firm Gartner. Apple, he said, has built its reputation on premium devices with prices that are commensurate with that, but it doesnt meet everybodys needs globally. With iPhone sales in the U.S. and Europe flatlining, the company is now eyeing emerging markets. Of Apples $234 billion in sales in the last fiscal year, $60 billion came from China and only $1 billion came from India. In a recent meeting with shareholders, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook expressed optimism in overcoming economic problems in China and infrastructure issues in India. With these global ambitions, the company must offer products that enable it to adapt to different markets, Blau said. Unlike the iPhone 5c a small, lower-cost iPhone with a plastic case that was widely regarded as a flop the rumored new 4-inch iPhone could succeed if it retains the premium quality of Apples top-of-the-line products, he said. Big phones, however, arent going away anytime soon. Samsung launched its Galaxy S7 phone this month. It measures 5.1 inches. Then theres the upcoming iPhone 7. But those dont appeal to smartphone users like Angela Gou, 29, of Sydney, Australia, who would buy a 4-inch iPhone if Apple were to release a new one. No one considers the little people, said Gou, a petite woman who described her hands as small. They all think bigger is better. tracey.lien@latimes.com ALSO Apple turns to Google for help storing some iCloud accounts Santa Monica firm says it has found a way to salt away electricity, literally Obama administrations OK means Airbnb can open its Cuba bookings to all travelers Los Angeles is not the only city that has encased its river in concrete. The Tijuana River, like the Los Angeles River, is a once free-flowing body of water restrained by a cement canal. This bit of engineering has had the predictable effect of flushing water that might be repurposed straight out to the ocean. And as in Los Angeles, its also contributed to an urban heat island effect. Los Angeles has been examining the role its river can play in the citys greater ecology. Even architect Frank Gehry is involved in a makeover for the L.A. River. Advertisement In Tijuana, another architect is devising a plan to turn the Tijuana River channel into a solar farm that could provide power to as many as 30,000 homes. Rene Peralta, co-founder of the Tijuana firm Generica and director of an architecture masters program at San Diegos Woodbury University, thinks that his city can transform this unwieldy piece of infrastructure into a renewable energy plant and water-cleaning station. This is the first thing you see when you enter the country from the United States, says Peralta, standing on a bridge over the river on a sunny January morning. And sometimes its the first thing that you smell. On a warm day, the river can take on the aroma of hard-boiled eggs past their prime. So the architect teamed with urban planner Jim Bliesner of the Center for Urban Economics and Design at UC San Diego to developed the solar farm proposal that would involve straddling panels over the arroyo for the rivers nearly 11-mile course. The proposal also includes plans for an algae farm that would help filter contaminants out of river water so that it might be repurposed. The resulting algae could then be employed to create biofuels. There are 15 million gallons of water per day that flow through there, Peralta says. Its treated, but you cant drink it. But with one more layer of polish, we could recycle the water for industrial purposes. Dominick Mendola, a senior development engineer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, has been involved with the project as an advisor. A scientist who has practical experience working in aquaculture and algae, Mendola says the Tijuana River is perfectly positioned to support an algae farm. Youre at about 32 degrees north latitude and its facing the sun all day long, he says. The river runs from east to west, so its northern wall is facing south, exactly where the sun is running. You could turn that site into an energy producing factory. There are small-scale precursors for this. Architectural projects in countries such as Germany and Switzerland have employed algae to insulate buildings and generate energy. These plans could also have the effect of mitigating the heat island effect created by the rivers vast expanse of concrete, among other factors. The riverbed gets really hot, Peralta says. "[It] is not surrounded by its natural ecology anymore. ... Right now, the canal just sits there all year flushing dirty water into the ocean. Peraltas plan is still in its early stages. Right now everyone has been working on this pro bono, he explains. But the North American Development Bank has shown interest in providing development funding once the planners are able to line up collaborators from the government and commercial sectors to show that the project could be viable at both an economic and political level. Peralta says that will likely come after Tijuanas mayoral elections in June. The proposal, Peralta points out, is a very Tijuana solution to the problem of the river. Built in the 1970s, the channel protects the tony Zona Rio from floods, so its construction cant be undone without consequence. Moreover, ripping out the concrete channel would be prohibitively expensive for a city like Tijuana. This isnt the United States, he says. Tijuana doesnt have the money to bring back the river. We cant undo this. The Tijuana way is to improve by adding. But the Tijuana way could offer an interesting model for Los Angeles to consider. L.A. isnt likely to rip out all 51 miles of concrete currently channeling the river that would leave some neighborhoods vulnerable to floods. Peraltas proposal could offer a more efficient way to use space and resources around the metropolitan areas countless smaller channels. A view of the Tijuana River as it is today. Among the challenges: The concrete channel flushes water that is not fully treated into the ocean. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Mendola, in the meantime, says a project of this nature would have far-reaching effects on the U.S. side of the border too especially in the world of research and education. It could seed the idea of renewable energy, he says. I work for a university. The idea of having a green classroom of green algal walls turning waste into fuel so close by? That would be powerful. Find me on Twitter @cmonstah. ALSO: Architect Frank Gehry is helping L.A. with its Los Angeles River master plan, but secrecy troubles some El Nino rains get L.A. River roaring to life Making a Tijuana art scene built to last An architecture school rises in Tijuanas red light zone Funding for Los Angeles River cleanup in doubt as El Nino begins SPECIAL SERIES: Tijuanas Generation Art: A cultural flowering in this city of possibilities In her articles, books and screenplays, Nora Ephron wrote with wit and candor about the most intimate of topics her divorce, her parents alcoholism, her small breasts. In Everything Is Copy, a documentary premiering Monday night on HBO, Ephrons son Jacob Bernstein picks up the mantle of disclosure, providing a new window into the feisty, funny feminist who wrote Silkwood and When Harry Met Sally ... and directed Sleepless in Seattle and Julie & Julia. Taken from a credo of Ephrons mother, who was also a screenwriter, the documentarys title reflects the family philosophy that lifes worst moments ultimately yield the best stories. That message clearly has sunk in for Bernstein, a 37-year-old New York Times writer who, along with his younger brother, Max, is the child of Ephron and journalist Carl Bernstein. He began thinking about telling his version of Ephrons story as she was dying of leukemia in 2012. Advertisement If you have an experience thats a big experience and youre a writer, youd better take advantage of it in some way, Bernstein said. I said to her when she decided to do the chemo, Im gonna take some notes while youre in the hospital, because if this doesnt work out, I might want to write about it, and she was fine about that. Bernstein began the cathartic process of talking with Ephrons friends while she was sick for a New York Times Magazine story pegged to a play she wrote that premiered after her death called Lucky Guy. Instead of finding the conversations pained, I found it strangely lovely, Bernstein said. Theres a side to death thats unexpectedly beautiful, and so when she died, I didnt really want to stop having those conversations. Everything Is Copy draws on those interviews with Ephrons high-wattage friends, including Meryl Streep, Meg Ryan, Steven Spielberg, Gay Talese, Barry Diller and the late Mike Nichols as well as home movies, audio clips and scenes from her films. In an interview this month, it became clear that Bernstein shares some of his mothers signature qualities a tart sense of humor, for one, and a love of good gossip. Other peoples mothers planned their bar mitzvahs. Mine planned movies, Bernstein said, explaining what it was like to grow up on the Upper West Side as Ephron was forging her filmmaking career. He remembers an after-school visit to the bookstore Shakespeare & Co. during the filming of the scene in When Harry Met Sally where Ryan and Billy Crystals characters collide in the personal growth section. His first job was at Eeyores, the childrens bookstore that helped inspire Youve Got Mail. As a teen, he moped on the Toronto set of This Is My Life, Ephrons 1992 dramedy about a single mother, played by Julie Kavner, trying to become a comedian. At 14, youre looking to resent your mother, Bernstein said. So bam! We convicted her of leaving us alone to go make movies. And there she was doing this film about a woman whose two daughters were convicting their mother for leaving them alone. Bernstein was game to answer questions about what Ephron would make of the Hillary Clinton campaign (according to him, his mother never forgave her for sticking by Bill) or the current discussion about the lack of female directors in Hollywood. My mom felt that she was up against a lot of men who frequently said stupid things like, I dont understand what the movie is here, which really meant Whats this narrative thats solely not about a straight white guy? Bernstein said. But I do think there was a kind of getting-on-with-it thing she felt women needed to do. At various points, she felt slightly boxed in, both because of her gender and because of the success of her romantic comedies. Origins of documentary Three months after his mothers death, Bernstein took an assignment to write a profile of filmmaker Lisa Immordino Vreeland, who had just made a documentary about fashion editor Diana Vreeland and was weighing her next project, perhaps a film on Peggy Guggenheim, she said, or one on Ephron. I said, Well, there might be someone in line ahead of you, Bernstein said. I think it was the first time I said out loud that I wanted to do this. Bernstein quickly secured financing with the help of Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, who has an executive producer credit on the film, and he began looking at the cultural documentaries he loved, in particular 2008s Valentino: The Last Emperor, which tucks a tender love story into a profile of two larger-than-life characters. Bernstein ultimately hired that films editor, Bob Eisenhardt, to help guide him through the process, including figuring out how much of himself to include or not include. It was very easy to see from the footage of me that I wasnt as interesting as she was, Bernstein said. The documentarys most powerful interview is one it took the director two years to get with his own father, Carl Bernstein, whose infidelity and 1980 divorce from Ephron inspired her to write the autobiographical novel and ultimately the screenplay for Heartburn, the 1986 Nichols-directed movie starring Streep and Jack Nicholson. I went to see Mike Nichols, Jacob Bernstein said. His advice was, Youd better be prepared to deal with this, because if you dont, you dont have a movie. But Carl Bernstein, who had always resented the public spectacle of his divorce, wasnt eager to re-live that phase of life. My father was not thrilled with the idea of my doing this, Jacob Bernstein said. Hes in a happy marriage. He didnt enjoy being a symbol of caddism in the late 70s, early 80s. It was complicated. The resulting tender scene, however, shows father and son discussing the effect of Ephrons decision to mine the era in her work. Bernstein said there was an element of saying goodbye to his mother that didnt begin until the credits rolled on Everything Is Copy. When this was done, it was like, Now what? he said. It was a little bit please have a sense of humor when you write this but it was a little like my version of Jeremy Renner at the end of Hurt Locker when hes in the frozen foods aisle and hes just looking at normalcy. I did not go to Iraq, obviously, but it was a lot. I think there was a little bit of magical thinking in all of this. You dont really think you can bring the person back, but you kind of keep them alive by watching them and researching them and being with them on a monitor all day long. rebecca.keegan@latimes.com ------------ Everything is Copy 6 p.m. Monday HBO Not rated Running time: 2 hours, 9 minutes Only on Fox could viewers be introduced to a trendy Jesus who picks up loaves of bread for the Last Supper from a food truck before launching into a performance of Creeds With Arms Wide Open. Thats a taste of what unfolded Sunday during the networks live-ish musical production, The Passion. a present-day retelling of the end of Jesus life. The two-hour special, which is based on Dutch television special of the same name, was filmed in New Orleans and coincided with Palm Sunday. It featured stars Jencarlos Canela (Jesus Christ), Prince Royce (Peter), Trisha Yearwood (Mary), Chris Daughtry (Judas Iscariot) and Seal (Pontius Pilate). Tyler Perry hosted and narrated the proceedings. Advertisement Here are some thoughts that occurred to us while watching: 1) This is ... different. The re-introduction to live musical productions in recent years has mostly consisted of closed stagings--think NBCs Sound of Music or Peter Pan. Foxs first go at the format--"Grease: Live"--tweaked the guidelines a bit, incorporating an audience and venturing outside with some scenes. And we knew heading into Sundays production of The Passion there would be some more twists to the genre. The event was shot at nine locations in New Orleans in front of an audience of more than 25,000 and featured an element of live reporting. Still, the production wasnt 100% live. To accommodate the unique scale of the production, some scenes were pre-taped weeks before (e.g. the Last Supper and Judas betrayal). The result was a production that felt the Grammys meets Empire meets the local news. 2) Did anyone else have a moment of self-reflection when Tyler Perry asked if Jesus arrived today, would we listen to him or would we say, Hey Jesus, can I get a selfie? Between that and the bit where Jesus buys loaves of bread and fish from a food truck for the Last Supper, it was hard to deny the sense of humor amid the faith-based storytelling. 3) For those who thought they had rid themselves of the ear worm that is Evanescences Bring Me To Life: you were wrong. The re-telling consisted of pop songs to drive the story forward. While we tried to process Chris Daughtry as Lucifer singing Bring Me to Life, other songs that were performed included Whitney Houstons My Love Is Your Love, Katy Perrys Unconditionally, Jason Mrazs I Wont Give Up, Hoobastanks The Reason, and Creeds (yes, Creed) With Arms Wide Open. And while its easy to snark about some of the song selections, we cant totally harp on it because 1) we are all probably guilty of singing at least one of those songs when they play on KOST and 2) pans to crying audience members during the production proved the soundtrack was effective where it counted. Still, it takes some adjusting when Jesus is singing Katy Perry. 4) There were a few changes made to the story to make it suitable for families to view on a broadcast network-- for instance, nixing a crucifixion scene. Many were interested to see how the moment would be handled. In the end, Perry narrated past those grisly details, leaving such bloody gore for cable TV on The Walking Dead. 5) The penultimate moment when Canelas Jesus sings Katy Perrys Unconditionally from atop a building next to Woldenberg Park was impressive and nerve-wracking, given the height level. The power of it also made us wonder what the production would have felt like had the whole thing been executed live. I tweet about TV (and other things) here: @villarrealy Fledgling fighters Dr. Denise Cloyd (Merritt Wever) and Dr. Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) bravely venture outside the Alexandria Safe-Zone. Tragically, only one returns alive on Twice as Far, Episode 614 of AMCs The Walking Dead. Normally timid psychiatrist turned surgeon Denise insists on accompanying Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Rosita Espinosa (Christian Serratos) when they search for meds at an abandoned pharmacy. Im ready, Denise claims, pointing out that shes seen zombies up close. Ill go alone if I have to. Advertisement Despite their misgivings, Daryl and Rosita drive off with Denise in a battered pickup truck. Setting out on foot when the road is blocked by a fallen tree, Daryl either intuitively or superstitiously chooses a route to the pharmacy thats twice as far. Go whichever way you like, Daryl barks at Denise and Rosita. I aint taking no tracks. Their mission is initially a success when they discover an untouched supply of antibiotics and other much-needed medicines. Then, on the way back to the truck, Daryl ignores his earlier misgivings and fatefully decides to follow those tracks. Thats when Denise goes rogue by wrestling with a walker for a six-pack of soda the kind her girlfriend, Tara Chambler (Alanna Masterson), likes. Daryl explodes in anger. You couldve died right there, Daryl yells. You know that? You wanna live, you take chances, exclaims Denise, who regrets not confessing her love to Tara. Succumbing to fear is whats stupid, Denise says, not coming out here. But in the midst of her impassioned plea to wake up and embrace life, Denise is fatally shot in the back of her skull with an arrow. The murderer? Its Dwight (Austin Amelio), a former member of the Saviors who betrayed Daryls kindness in Episode 606 by stealing his beloved motorcycle and crossbow. Dwight has also captured Eugene, Alexandrias other neophyte warrior, whos pale and shaking while held at gunpoint. Youre gonna let us into your little complex, Dwight orders Daryl and Rosita. It looks like its just beautiful in there. And then youre gonna let us take whatever and whoever we want. Or we blow Eugenes brains out! Now Eugene demonstrates his smarts by pretending that Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) is crouching behind some oil barrels. (Hes actually hiding nearby with his machine gun locked and loaded.) Then Eugene creates a distraction by ferociously biting Dwights genitals. A firefight instantly erupts, forcing Dwight and his surviving thugs to eventually fall back into the woods. Eugene is grazed by a bullet, but hell live. Do you apologize for questioning my skills? Eugene asks Abraham when theyre safely inside Alexandrias metal walls. Abraham indeed apologizes because hes impressed with Eugenes transformation from quivering coward to cunning survivalist. Abraham is also impressed with Eugenes plan to convert a machine shop into a do-it-yourself ammunition factory. Speaking of Abraham, he follows Denises final bit of advice and expresses his long-held romantic feelings for Sasha Williams (Sonequa Martin-Green). Could be 30 years for us here, Abraham tells Sasha while she stands outside her house. Thats still too short. Come inside is Sashas tearful response. Finally, Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) breaks up with her newfound boyfriend, Tobin (Jason Douglas), in a heartfelt letter. Carol has turned into a pacifist, just like stick-wielding Morgan Jones (Lennie James). She strikes out on her own by quietly departing Alexandria. I cant love anyone because I cant kill for anyone, Carol writes. So Im going, like I always should have. Dont come after me, please. So Carol is gone, at least for now, leaving nothing behind except an ashtray full of cigarette butts and a lonely porch swing. New York-based glossy fashion industry gossip sheet the Daily Front Row, a mainstay of fashion weeks around the world in print and a daily presence online, staged its second Fashion Los Angeles Awards last night, with honorees including Lady Gaga, model Bella Hadid, jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer and stylist and designer Brandon Maxwell, and high-profile presenters ranging from Jennifer Lopez and Kate Hudson to Paris-based fashion designer Alber Elbaz. Nicole Richie served as master of ceremonies for the relatively short-and-sweet, one-hour-and-20-minute event at the Sunset Tower Hotel. Jennifer Lopez presented the first award for womens stylists to the team of Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi. The evenings second award, presented by model Gigi Hadid, went to Carine Roitfeld, whose CR Fashion Book was recognized as Magazine of the Year. Lady Gaga (wearing one of the standout dresses from the Saint Laurent runway show at the Palladium) made her first of three trips to the stage to present longtime stylist Brandon Maxwell with the designer debut award. I feel blessed every day to work with you, she said to Maxwell, noting that while he may have been unsure of his career arc from stylist to fashion designer, We knew this day was coming. Im so proud of your first two seasons. Advertisement I think Im going to throw up, Maxwell joked as he took the stage to accept his award. This is so not chic. The designer talked about his childhood in Texas, including the fear of getting beaten up for being gay and his early experiments in photography. I really thought I was [photographer] Patrick Demarchelier when I was 13, he said along with thanking his parents for their support. Keanu Reeves was the next boldface name on deck; the actor was in the house to present Jeanne Yang with the award for mens stylist. The choice of presenter was symbolic because, as Yang had explained to us earlier in the evening, Reeves was her very first client. We met on a publicity shoot for The Matrix 18 or 19 years ago, she said, and thats how it started. Attendees at the March 20, 2016, Fashion Los Angeles Awards included, from left, Karl Lagerfelds godson Hudson Kroenig, presenter Keanu Reeves, Best Mens Stylist honoree Jeanne Yang, presenter Alber Elbaz and Fashion Innovator honoree Eva Chow. (Frederick M. Brown (left and right), Charley Gallay (center) / Getty Images) Jeremy Scott, who was Designer of the Year honoree at the 2015 inaugural event, presented Bella Hadid with the Model of the Year award, noting that he had chosen her to model the final look at his recent New York City runway show. Thats important, Scott said, because youre the last one to come down the runway and theres nothing else to focus on. And she served as the exclamation point to the collection. Hadids acceptance speech included accidentally thanking the wrong publication the Daily Mail instead of the Daily Front Row, a mistake she quickly corrected. Not the Daily Mail, she said, they like to talk [crap] about me. Next up was model Angela Lindvall, who presented Baja Easts Scott Studenberg and John Targon with the Emerging Designers Award. The duos acceptance speech included a shout out to Elbaz (for telling them to follow their dreams) and a bid for potential investors who might help them move to a bigger office space. Kate Hudsons presentation of the jewelry designer award to Jennifer Meyer included the observation that the two had been friends since before birth. I was a fetus and she was a toddler, Hudson said. We met because her dad was my moms agent. Meyers acceptance speech included a heartfelt thanks to husband Tobey Maguire, whom she credits with spurring her to launch her line. He said: If you dont follow your dreams, what are you going to do? Meyer said. And this is proof that your dreams can actually come true. Elbaz, on hand to present Eva Chow with the Fashion Innovator Award, was one of the more amusing presenters of the evening, riffing on everything from his dismissal from Lanvin (I was fired from my own company like Steve Jobs, he said) to the advice he received before traveling to the City of Angels (I was told: They will never talk to you with a double chin). Lady Gaga took to the stage to accept the penultimate award of the evening -- Editor of the Year which she received for guest-editing V magazine. That award was presented Vs Editor in Chief Stephen Gan. The evenings final honoree -- Fashion Icon Award winner Karl Lagerfeld was not on hand to receive his award. His absence was dutifully explained by the awards pint-size presenter 7-year-old Hudson Kroenig. Hes the best designer in the world and hes my godfather, Kroenig read from his notes. And Karl cannot be here tonight because Los Angeles is very far from France. So to receive the award for Karl, may I present to you all: Lady Gaga. With that, Gaga made her third trip to the stage to accept the award from Kroenig, bringing the star-studded evening to a close. ALSO: Baja East: Where beach meets boulevard Katy Perry helps celebrate Rodarte & Other Stories collaboration L.A. fashion awards bring out Rihanna, Kanye, Miley and more Just over a year ago, Baldwin Park Mayor Manuel Lozano filed for a restraining order against one of his most vocal critics. Lozano lost the case but that didnt stop him and two council members from taking the same legal action two weeks ago against another gadfly. What they didnt anticipate was the attorney theyd face in court: Paul Cook, the same critic who earlier beat Lozano in court. Advertisement After being humiliated in the media and the courts, you would think he would have learned his lesson, Cook said. The court case is just the latest example of actions that legal experts say appear to be driven by a desire to silence outspoken and annoying critics. In 2012, the Central Basin Municipal Water District, based in Commerce, hired a law firm to file a libel suit against the unnamed authors of critical emails even though experts say that its well-known that governments cannot be defamed by critics or whistleblowers. Eugene Volokh, a UCLA law professor familiar with the Baldwin Park cases, said such moves can send a chilling message to anyone who wants to express their disapproval however outrageous, as long as they are not threatening of their elected officials at political or public events. These lawsuits also tend to lose in court because of a high bar before criticism of politicians crosses a legal line. When these kinds of restraining orders are entered against government officials critics, based simply by showing that this person has said something hostile and has allegedly followed them, that is bad for democracy, Volokh said. More than a year ago, Lozano filed for a restraining order against Cook, saying he felt he was being harassed and was concerned for his safety. The judge denied the application on the grounds of free speech. He also ruled that there was no credible threat. Late last month, Baldwin Park Councilman Ricardo Pacheco obtained a restraining order against Greg S. Tuttle, a business owner and activist. Cook decided to represent Tuttle. He said that after he filed a motion to reopen the restraining order, Lozano and Mayor Pro Tem Monica Garcia filed requests March 3 for restraining orders against Tuttle. All three council members accused Tuttle of harassing and stalking them, and being hostile. In Garcias declaration in support of a restraining order, she said that Tuttle called her inappropriate names, including honey and political prostitute. Garcia said Tuttle also slammed her on a popular online news and community forum. Those blogs state that the commenter has staked out my home and claims to have knowledge that I have sex with my dog and person I used to date, and states I open my legs, she wrote in her declaration. Tuttle said he voiced his opinions at the council meetings, not online. But he said that he did call Garcia honey whenever she does something stupid, and that he called her a political prostitute because she was receiving money from the developers she supported. Lozano said in his declaration that he saw Tuttle driving his truck past his home several times in October and November while he, Garcia and Pacheco were running for reelection. Lozano said Tuttles truck carried a political sign for a rival candidate. I regarded these drive-bys as a form of intimidation, the mayor wrote. In addition to their complaints, the three elected officials said Tuttle followed them to Santa Barbara where they were attending the Independent Cities Assn. conference at Fess Parkers Doubletree Resort in January. Tuttle, who rebuilds and sells engines, said he was in Santa Barbara on business. Volokh said that even if Tuttle was there to scrutinize the council members activities, thats protected under free-speech rights. Jimmy Gutierrez, who represented all three council members, said Tuttle overstepped his bounds by following the council members in Santa Barbara without a purpose. He didnt claim he was doing protected activity, Gutierrez said. Theres got to be a limit. He knows that kind of behavior is not one that should be tolerated, and hopefully hell throttle back his activity, Gutierrez added. Lozano said he isnt trying to silence Tuttle, but wants to address his unpredictable and aggressive behavior. I need to be cautious. I dont know what hes capable of doing, Lozano said. Pacheco said he became concerned for his familys safety after the Santa Barbara conference. My goal is to protect myself and my family, he said. Garcia said she decided to take legal action after the conference because of what she considered Tuttles obsessive behavior and use of derogatory language toward her. There are fears I have, she said. Its not about me taking away his 1st Amendment rights. He tried to use intimidation tactics, Pacheco said. In arguing on Tuttles behalf, Cook cited Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Bruce F. Marrs. I said these council members need to grow up and stop filing lawsuits because theyre bothered by people being around them, he said. Imagine, how many lawsuits could be filed to enjoin Trump with the councils logic? These council members need to grow up and stop filing lawsuits because theyre bothered by people being around them. Paul Cook, while arguing on Tuttles behalf On Tuesday, Marrs ruled in favor of Cook and his client and said all of Tuttles activities were protected as free speech and that there was no credible evidence of a threat. Marrs dissolved Pachecos restraining order and denied Lozano and Garcias requests. Cook said he was happy with the win but took the case pro bono because he wanted to send a message: Stand your ground. People have the right to speak freely and investigate public officials, Cook said. ruben.vives@latimes.com Twitter: @latvives ALSO Anti-Trump graffiti mars Newport Beach neighborhood Dont expect populist rhetoric in low-key California Senate race Who gets to see police body camera footage? State lawmakers may decide this year Good morning. It is Monday, March 21. Congratulations to the Granada Hills Charter High School Academic Decathlon team. It won the state championship this weekend, which means the team can defend its national title next month in Anchorage. Heres what else is happening in the Golden State: TOP STORIES Offsetting emissions Advertisement The Southern California Gas Co. is going to have to make up for the 100,000 tons of methane that leaked out of its well in Aliso Canyon. Remedies could include plugging abandoned wells, installing methane-gobbling digesters at dairy farms and helping people buy more efficient furnaces and water heaters. If done right it will reduce methane far into the future and hold the oil and gas industry accountable for its aging infrastructure, said Timothy OConnor, who directs the California Climate Initiative for the Environmental Defense Fund. Los Angeles Times For the cool kids The new Broad Museum is a big hit with younger Angelenos, as evidenced by the fact that the average age of a visitor is just 32. Whats the attraction for millennials? Its got great art, its downtown and its free. Seeing the fun that friends were having from afar, in pictures and videos, they didnt want to fall prey to FOMO (fear of missing out). Los Angeles Times Public or private With more police departments embracing body cameras, there is still a thorny issue to be sorted out: who gets to see the footage? The fight between transparency and privacy will come to a head in Sacramento, where the Democratic caucus has two competing bills on the issue. Generally departments restrict all public access to the footage outside of a courtroom or police review panels that include citizens, though Oakland had made some videos public through records requests. Los Angeles Times DROUGHT AND CLIMATE Into the desert: Jim Mattern -- better known as Death Valley Jim -- is making the case for the desert as a place of sacred mystery. See Joshua Tree and Death Valley through his eyes. Newsweek Storing energy: The Santa Monica-based company SolarReserve believes it has found a way to store electricity using salt. With Californias requirement that 50% of the states electricity generation come from renewable sources such as solar and wind power by 2030, storage facilities such as Crescent Dunes have great potential. Los Angeles Times L.A. AT LARGE Up in the sky: The glass slide that will appear outside the U.S. Bank Tower this summer was airlifted to the buildings 69th floor. Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to transform their view of Los Angeles as they glide down, gazing at unparalleled views of the city, said the president of the company that owns the building. Its all part of a $50-million makeover. Los Angeles Times Soaring rents: It shouldnt be much of a surprise that rents are rising as much as 15% near the soon-to-be opened Metro Expo Line. This map shows what it costs to rent a one-bedroom apartment along the various light rail and subway lines. Curbed LA Miracle of life: There was an amazing scene in Dana Point this weekend: a false killer whale gave birth right near a whale-watching boat. Even more incredible is that false killer whales are rarely seen in Southern California. I dont know if anyone has ever seen a false killer whale give birth. At least no other commercial boat has reported this, said captain Tom Southern. Orange County Register Get prepared: Consider this a reminder to prepare for a major earthquake or other disaster. That means stocking up on water, canned goods and maybe a generator. When an earthquake hits, they use that as a catalyst to get prepared. Our goal is to get people prepared before disaster hits, according to the owner of SOS Survival Products in Van Nuys. Daily News POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Political circus: Columnist Steve Lopez went to Arizona to see what the Donald Trump campaign is all about and what we might expect when he makes his way to California. After years of stagnant wages in a time of obscenely escalating wealth for the privileged few, the angry masses have chosen as their spear carrier one of the richest men in the world, and his rise began with an assault on some of the poorest, he writes. Los Angeles Times Hollywood to DC: Actress and former president of the Screen Actors Guild Melissa Gilbert is running for the U.S. Congress in Michigan. The Hollywood celeb moved to a rural part of the state after marrying her third husband, actor Timothy Busfield, who got a taste of Washington playing a White House correspondent on West Wing. Her campaign disclosure forms read like a whos who of Hollywood. Washington Post New coins: Coins commemorating former President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon were unveiled at the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda. The coins are part of the U.S. Mints presidential series. Los Angeles Times Freedom of speech: The mayor of Baldwin Park is once again trying to take legal action to silence his loudest critic, a year after the city first lost in court. When these kinds of restraining orders are entered against government officials critics, based simply by showing that this person has said something hostile and has allegedly followed them, that is bad for democracy, said Eugene Volokh, a UCLA law professor. Los Angeles Times CRIME AND COURTS Body cameras: The Los Angeles Police Department is defending its decision to use Taser International to supply its body cameras. Lawmakers have expressed concern over the LAPDs decision to piggyback on a bidding process done Kern County. But LAPD brass say Taser is the only company that can meet the needs of a department its size. Los Angeles Times Remains found: Two hikers in Griffith Park discovered a human skull there Saturday. Authorities believe the skull is many years old and is not part of a larger crime scene. Los Angeles Times On the run: A couple of zebras escaped from UniverSoul Circus Friday and were later discovered roaming around East Oakland. Circus personnel were able to get the zebras back in time for their performance. The animals were not injured in the escape. SFist BUSINESS Medical technology: A new smartphone app is bringing back the doctors house call, but at what cost? House visits fell out of favor as patients and doctors found it more cost effective to go to an office. Its a very, very inefficient process for a doctor, especially in L.A., said Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, a Harvard health policy professor. Los Angeles Times Newspaper empire: Digital First Media is expected to be approved today to purchase the Orange County Register and the Press-Enterprise of Riverside for $52.3 million. A few days ago it appeared that Tribune Publishing would be the newspapers new owner, but a U.S. District Court judge approved a temporary restraining order Friday to stop the sale. The federal government believes selling the papers to Tribune would harm competition. Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA CULTURE Grab a tube: About 40 people went down to the Los Angeles River this weekend for the L.A.zy River event. Half the group floated down the river in inner tubes, despite the citys efforts to shut down the party. Time Out Power of scent: Natasha Gregson Wagner is remembering her mother, the late actress Natalie Wood, with a new perfume. I knew when she was home because I would smell her perfume. She would waft through the house, said Gregson Wagner. New York Times Time for breakfast: Many East Coasters believe theyve cornered the market on bagels but here are the 11 best bagels in L.A. LAist Burger time: Its the ultimate showdown between In-N-Out and Shake Shack. Buzzfeed CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles will start the morning with fog and then have sunshine with highs reaching 71 degrees. San Diego will begin the day with fog, then temperatures are expected to reach a high of 68. Riverside will be partly sunny and breezy with a high of 76. Sacramento is expected to have showers in the afternoon with temperatures reaching 62 degrees. San Francisco will have afternoon showers and a high of 59. AND FINALLY This weeks birthdays for notable Californians: Actor William Shatner (March 22, 1931), Secretary of State Alex Padilla (March 22, 1983), Clippers owners Steve Ballmer (March 24, 1956), L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian (March 24, 1960), L.A. City Councilman Gil Cedillo (March 25, 1954), studio executive Amy Pascal (March 25, 1958), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (March 26, 1940), former football player Marcus Allen (March 26, 1960), and actress Leslie Mann (March 26, 1973). Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad. To offset greenhouse gas emissions from the massive Porter Ranch leak, Southern California Gas Co. could pay to plug abandoned wells, install methane-gobbling digesters at dairy farms and help people buy more efficient furnaces and water heaters, state regulators say. Those are the kinds of projects the gas company will be required to fund to make up for the damage to the climate from releasing nearly 100,000 tons of methane from its Aliso Canyon storage facility, according to a plan by the California Air Resources Board. The utility has pledged to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from the leak. The mitigation plan was ordered by Gov. Jerry Brown in an emergency proclamation in January, and the leaking well was declared permanently sealed Feb. 18. Advertisement The pollution-cutting projects would be paid for by the gas company over the next five to 10 years, according to the proposal. For nearly four months the well spewed methane, foul-smelling compounds and other contaminants into the air of suburban Los Angeles, driving thousands of nearby residents from their homes. Scientists have declared it the largest methane leak in U.S. history. Methane is of immediate concern because it is a fast-acting pollutant that is many times more potent than carbon dioxide. So much of it was released near Porter Ranch that it wiped out some of Californias recent progress in reducing planet-warming emissions. To offset the leaks rapid heat-trapping effect on the atmosphere, the air board says most of the projects should focus on cutting methane emissions from dairies and other agricultural operations and from landfills and wastewater plants. Together, those sectors account for about three-quarters of Californias methane emissions. The state also wants the gas company to give priority to projects that benefit the neighborhoods affected by the leak and to disadvantaged communities in Southern California. Timothy OConnor, who directs the California Climate Initiative for the Environmental Defense Fund, said the proposal is promising and has the potential to cut vast amounts of pollution. If done right it will reduce methane far into the future and hold the oil and gas industry accountable for its aging infrastructure, OConnor said. Air-quality officials and the gas company did not have an estimate of the cost of the pollution-reduction projects. In a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing in December, the utilitys parent company, Sempra Energy, estimated costs related to the leak at $330 million, most of that for the relocation of residents. About 10% or $33 million is for the value of the lost gas, to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions and other costs, according to the filing. Spokeswoman Melissa Bailey said the company was evaluating actions it could take to fully mitigate the climate impacts of the gas leak. Within the next several weeks, the utility expects to provide regulators with its estimate of how much gas was released. The Air Resources Board report calculates the methane released from Aliso Canyon was equivalent to about 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. That far exceeds the 1.5 metric tons of greenhouse gases California reduced statewide in 2013, the most recent year for which data are available. Air Resources Board spokesman Dave Clegern said the leak was nonetheless a small hit to the states emissions trajectory and will not prevent us from hitting our targets. The state expects to complete its final estimate of the methane emissions from the leak by this summer. tony.barboza@latimes.com Twitter: @tonybarboza ALSO Why the Pico-Union Boxing Club, a godsend to youth, is at a crossroads Trump circus rolls into Phoenix in a taste of whats in store for California Santa Monica firm says it has found a way to salt away electricity, literally U.S. and Mexican authorities said that they are working to address concerns over a possible delay in the opening of a much-needed new pedestrian border entrance in San Ysidro known as PedWest. The entrances 12 new lanes are part of a $741 million reconfiguration of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which is scheduled for completion in 2019. The U.S. General Services Administration, which is overseeing its construction, has announced that PedWest remains on schedule, and will be operational this June. Fears of a delay have mounted in recent weeks after Mexican authorities said they lacked funds to complete their end of the project. Oscar Escobedo, Baja Californias tourism secretary, said early this week that Mexican federal officials had told their U.S. counterparts that we have to wait because we dont have the resources. Advertisement Escobedo said Friday through a spokeswoman that he had since met with the appropriate authorities in Mexico City. Theyre going to look for funding, but there is nothing yet. The lanes will be a critical piece of infrastructure for an average of 24,000 pedestrians who cross daily into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. At peak crossing times, many people now endure lengthy waits at the outdated existing 13-lane pedestrian entrance located east of the ports vehicle lanes. We cannot permit progress on the port to be delayed, Escobedo said. Pedestrians are still waiting two and three hours to get across the border, said Jason Wells, executive director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce, whose members rely heavily on the cross-border pedestrian traffic. The opening of PedWest not only would expand the number of available lanes for pedestrians, it also would allow the GSA to launch the replacement of the eastern entrance with an expanded new facility designed to include 20 inspection booths. That project is expected to open in 2019. While there have been private reassurances that Mexicos funding snag will be solved, the Mexican Consulate in San Diego maintained this week that we will not make any statement until we have a bilateral understanding. Read more here. Dibble writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. ALSO How can gas company offset emissions from the Aliso Canyon leak? Regulators offer a plan How March Miracle turned California into snowy winter wonderland Baldwin Park officials lose battle for restraining orders against critics The sight of people sprinting through one of Los Angeles International Airports sprawling terminals isnt all that uncommon. As long as theyre running toward a flight, anyway. But after she was selected for a random security screening, a flight attendant kicked off her heels and sprinted in the opposite direction Friday night, barreling the wrong way up an escalator and leaving her bags behind. Minutes later, Los Angeles Airport police officers assigned to search the bags found out the woman had nearly 70 good reasons to run. Advertisement NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> The woman, who has not been identified and remains at large, was carrying roughly 70 pounds of cocaine, said Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Assn. Airport and airline staff are not subject to security screenings every time they approach a checkpoint, a process McClain described as ripe for exploitation. Just like traveling passengers, airport and airline employees should undergo the same screening to help decrease the opportunities for these employees to commit crimes and to help eliminate insider or lone wolf criminal activity, he said in a statement. Timothy Massino, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration in Los Angeles, said Monday that the Transportation Security Administration referred the case to the DEA after the woman ran from the screening area. Massino declined to comment further. The woman was seen running from the area after she was selected for the random screening by TSA agents, Massino said. It was not clear how she was able to flee, although McClain said her seemingly easy escape highlighted the need to post an airport police officer at each security checkpoint, which used to be a common practice. The TSA and the Los Angeles Airport Police Department referred all questions to the DEA. It was not clear what airline the woman worked for. McClain said it was unlikely that Friday was the womans first attempt at exploiting her security clearance. I dont believe anybody would trust a mule with that amount of dope the first time out, he said. Youre talking about $2 million worth of cocaine.... Thats pretty troubling. This is more than likely not her first time doing this. Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in Southern California. Mirrored headboard turns into big magnifying glass, burns Fresno homes carport to crisp False killer whale gives birth in open ocean off Dana Point coast while being filmed Border pedestrian bridge project delays are feared over Mexicos lack of funding Billionaire Elon Musk and actress Talulah Riley are making another attempt to end their second marriage. Riley filed to divorce Musk on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Musk filed for divorce on New Years Eve in 2014 but withdrew the petition seven months later. The divorce is amicable and the pair agreed that Riley would file the petition to end their latest marriage after roughly 2 years. According to the statement, the Musk and Riley have been living separately for the past six months and plan to remain friends. Advertisement NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> Musk co-founded Paypal and has gone on to help start the electric car company Tesla Motors and the private space firm SpaceX. He is also a champion of building a hyperloop that would transport people and cargo at the speed of sound. Riley appeared in Pride & Prejudice and Inception and wrote and directed her first feature film, Scottish Mussel, in 2014. The pair first married in 2010 and divorced in 2012. They re-married 18 months later. Riley sat in the front row at Septembers unveiling of Teslas Model X sport utility vehicle. Musk is scheduled to unveil the newest version of Teslas electric car, the lower-cost Model 3, at an event later this month. Musk and Riley do not have any children together, although he has five sons from a previous marriage. ALSO Deported sex offender accused of reentering U.S. from Mexico border Mirrored headboard turns into big magnifying glass, burns Fresno homes carport to crisp TSA seizes 70 pounds of cocaine from airline employee who reportedly kicked off her heels and ran The father of U.S. Airman Spencer Stone one of three men who stopped an attack aboard a Paris-bound train last year has been indicted in an arson fraud scheme in Sacramento, according to federal court documents. Brian J. Stone and two other men were named in a 60-count indictment accusing them of starting multiple fires as part of a scheme to earn a profit, according to U.S. District Court documents. Stone, 57, of Elk Grove pleaded not guilty Friday to 13 counts of mail or wire fraud. His attorney argued for his release, but the court ordered Stone be remanded into custody due to flight risk concerns, according to court records, which also stated that Stone provided business consultant services in Sacramento to people who needed to file insurance claims. Advertisement Stones son, Spencer, and his childhood friends Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler tackled a gunman aboard a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris in August. The three men and a British businessman hogtied the gunman. The three friends were lauded as heroes and hailed by President Obama and French President Francois Hollande. Brian J. Stone, who was disbarred in 2001 from working as an attorney in California for misconduct, worked with his co-defendant Jamal Shehadeh to do construction work and clean up after structure fires. Starting in December 2009 through September 2013, Stone, Jamal Shehadeh and his relative Saber Shehadeh filed bogus insurance paperwork for six properties in seven fires in Sacramento and Carmichael, Calif., according to federal authorities. Jamal Shehadeh owned most of the businesses and his relative owned two of the properties. Prosecutors alleged the three men knowingly made and had others make materially false and misleading statements regarding the cause and the origin of the fire. In filing the false paperwork, prosecutors said, the three men alleged multiple losses, including vehicles, properties, tenant improvement costs, business income and post-fire clean-up efforts. Shehadeh knew that insurance policies existed, he deliberately set fires or caused fires to be set that damaged the businesses and at least one vehicle, the U.S. Attorneys office said. The group collected more than $1.5 million in insurance proceeds, the U.S. Attorneys office said. For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA ALSO Mirrored headboard turns into big magnifying glass, burns Fresno homes carport to crisp Being imputed wealthy Americans cant save couple from deportation, court rules Search continues for gunman in senseless car-to-car shooting in Hawthorne The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a conservative challenge to the marijuana legalization laws adopted in Colorado and elsewhere that permit adults to buy, sell or use one ounce of the drug. By a 6-2 vote, the justices turned away a lawsuit brought by Nebraska and Oklahoma, whose state attorneys complained that illegal marijuana was pouring into their states as a result of Colorados liberalized laws. The state of Colorado authorizes, oversees, protects and profits from a sprawling $100-million-per-month marijuana growing, processing and retailing organization that exported thousands of pounds of marijuana to some 36 states in 2014, they said. If this entity were based south of our border, the federal government would prosecute it as a drug cartel. Advertisement They argued that Colorados law violates the federal Controlled Substances Act, which treats marijuana as a dangerous drug and forbids its sale or use. They urged the Supreme Court to take up the issue as an original matter and declare that Colorados law was preempted by the federal drug laws. Usually, the high court hears appeals from lower-court rulings. But on rare occasions, the justices are called upon to decide disputes between states. Typically, however, these original suits involve disagreements over boundaries or the use of river water that flows from one state to another. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> The suit brought by Nebraska and Oklahoma also implicitly challenged the Obama administration for its refusal to intervene more directly in Colorado. Since Californias voters in 1996 authorized medical use of marijuana, 22 other states have adopted similar measures. Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska went further and allowed for the production and sale of marijuana for recreational use. Supporters of the laws praised the courts decision. This is good news for legalization supporters, said Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority. This case, if it went forward and the court ruled the wrong way, had the potential to roll back many of the gains our movement has achieved to date. Faced with this state-by-state rebellion against an unchanging federal drug law, the Justice Department issued guidance telling prosecutors to focus on significant traffickers of illegal drugs, not on users of medical marijuana. Last year, the justices asked U.S. Solicitor Gen. Donald Verrilli to weigh in on the interstate legal battle over marijuana, and in December, he urged the court to turn away the lawsuit. Nebraska and Oklahoma have not suffered a direct injury from their neighbor to the West, he said, and they remain free to vigorously police marijuana in their states. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> In response, the Nebraska and Oklahoma state attorneys said the Justice Department has turned its back on enforcing the federal law and is permitting it to be dismantled by piecemeal nullification. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented Monday. The plaintiff states have alleged significant harms to their sovereign interests caused by another state, Thomas wrote. We should let this complaint proceed further rather than denying leave without so much as a word of explanation. On Twitter: @DavidGSavage ALSO New Education Secretary John B. King Jr. knows the value of a second chance This summers Republican convention protests will be fueled by a volatile mix of forces McConnell says Obamas Supreme Court nominee wont even have a vote after the election Donald Trumps stated willingness to enter Mideast peace talks from a position of neutrality make him unfit to be commander in chief, Hillary Clinton told a major pro-Israel group Monday. Speaking from the same stage where Trump, the Republican front-runner, will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee later Monday in Washington, Clinton alluded to a number of Trumps broad pronouncements on foreign policy and especially the U.S. relationship with Israel. TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >> Advertisement Clinton, the former secretary of State, questioned Trumps temperament as much as his overall foreign policy vision or lack thereof. She warned against isolationist tendencies of Trump and others in the GOP. Candidates for president who think the United States can outsource Middle East security to dictators or that America no longer has vital national interests at stake in the region are dangerously wrong, she said, adding that it would be a serious mistake for the U.S. to cede the mantle of leadership for global peace and security to anyone else. Yes, we need steady hands, not a president who says hes neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who knows what on Wednesday, because everythings negotiable, she said. Some things arent negotiable, she added later. And anyone who doesnt understand that has no business being our president. Trumps precise views on foreign policy are, indeed, something of a moving target. In a recent Republican debate, Trump asserted that he was the most pro-Israel candidate but said he would enter negotiations between Israel and Palestinians, framing himself as somewhat neutral in hopes of reaching a peace deal. Clinton reiterated her support for a two-state solution, saying that Palestinians should be able to live and govern themselves, even as she seemed to share Israels doubts that a willing and capable partner for peace even exists. Clinton said one of her first acts as president would be to invite the Israeli prime minister to the White House. She downplayed the tensions between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but said it was time to take the U.S.-Israel relationship to the next level. SIGN UP for the free Essential Politics newsletter >> She highlighted her role in building sanctions against Iran that paved the way for the historic nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers an Obama initiative that she said has made Israel, the United States and the world safer, and one she would vigorously enforce. Theres a big difference between talking about holding Tehran accountable and actually doing it, she said. Our next president has to be able to hold together our global coalition and impose real consequences for even the smallest violations. As Trump prepares to meet with some Republican lawmakers in Washington on Monday, Clinton closed with something of a challenge to the GOP as its leaders come to grips with the possibility that he will indeed lead the party ticket this fall. Alluding to the caustic tone of the campaign, she said America has seen dark chapters before. But America should be better than this. And I believe its our responsibility as citizens to say so, she said. If you see bigotry, oppose it. If you see violence, condemn it. If you see a bully, stand up to him. Follow @mikememoli for more news out of Washington. MORE CAMPAIGN 2016 NEWS A good villain: Trump aids Latino activists in trying to turn Arizona blue This summers Republican convention protests will be fueled by a volatile mix of forces Lena Dunham, America Ferrera: Were female millennials, and we choose Hillary Clinton The 2016 presidential campaign, like most, has spawned many myths half-truths, delusions and some outright falsehoods that spread through the Internet and over the airwaves. These four have taken on outsized prominence. Myth No. 1: Donald Trump has drawn millions of Democrats, independents and previously disengaged citizens into the GOP. Trump, himself, frequently repeats some version of this claim. Like many myths, it originated with a seed of truth that it has far outgrown. The truthful part is that turnout has increased in Republican primaries compared with four years ago up by about 7.5 million votes, or about 60% so far, according to a state-by-state compilation of figures by Michael McDonald of the University of Florida, one of the countrys leading experts on voter turnout. Part of the increase undoubtedly comes from people who showed up to oppose Trump. But most of those new primary voters almost certainly showed up to vote for him. Trump gets political credit for mobilizing them to cast a ballot. But increasing turnout in a Republican primary isnt the same as drawing new people into the GOP. A large majority of voters every year sit out the primaries, so increased primary turnout usually means exciting existing partisans, not creating new ones. Exit polls indicate that's what has happened this year, as in previous turnout surges in both parties. Late last month, the Massachusetts secretary of state got a lot of attention by reporting that about 16,000 people had changed their registration from Democratic to Republican in the weeks before the states primary. But thats hardly millions, nor is it unprecedented. The share of voters in that states GOP primary who identified themselves as Democrats on the exit poll was 5% this year, was almost identical to the 4% from four years ago. In Iowas caucuses this year, Trump clearly did well with first-time participants. The share of voters taking part in the states caucuses for the first time rose from 38% in the 2012 exit poll to 45% in 2016, and Trump won the first-timers handily. In New Hampshire, by contrast, the 15% of voters casting a GOP primary ballot for the first time this year was only marginally higher than the 12% four years ago, and Trumps share of their votes, 38%, was only slightly better than the 35% he got among repeat voters. Myth No. 2: A drop in turnout in Democratic primaries means trouble in November. This one gets currency in part because it fits easily into an existing story line that Hillary Clinton hasnt excited Democrats. But turnout in primaries has almost no relationship to turnout in the general election. Moreover, since Democratic primary turnout in 2008 hit record levels, a downturn this year was nearly guaranteed. Over the last four decades, in elections where both parties had contested primaries, the relationship between primary and general election turnout is clear: none. Half the time, the party with higher turnout in the primaries won the general election; half the time it lost. In 2008, Democrats had a big turnout upsurge and then-Sen. Barack Obama went on to win the election. But the previous record Democratic primary turnout came in 1988; Michael Dukakis lost that year. Before that, the highest Democratic primary turnout was in 1980, when President Jimmy Carter lost his reelection bid. The lack of a relationship shouldnt be surprising. Voters show up for primaries when voters see an engaging contest among contrasting candidates, noted McDonald. The Clinton-Obama race in 2008 drew huge interest among Democrats, so did the Rev. Jesse Jacksons bid for the nomination in 1988 and the effort by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in 1980 to block Carter renomination. By contrast, the casual voter is not going to see a lot of differences between Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, nor do most voters think Clinton will lose, McDonald said. As a result, primary turnout has declined from the record level of 2008 to something near average for recent contested election cycles. SIGN UP for our free Essential Politics newsletter >> Moreover, while Republicans do score higher when pollsters ask if people are closely following the election or are excited about it, that also doesnt predict much. Republicans were more excited in 2012. Obama won anyway. Myth No. 3: The Hispanics love me. Thats a quote from Trump, of course, speaking on MSNBCs Morning Joe. He made that claim in July and renewed it after winning the Nevada Republican caucuses in February. In Nevada, the entrance poll indicated that Trump had won among Latino voters. But that finding needs several very big caveats: The number of Latinos voting in the Nevada Republican caucus was very small only 8% of the turnout so the polls margin of error is very big. In addition, although entrance and exit polls do a pretty good job of determining the votes of groups that are spread more or less evenly across the population first-time voters, for example theyre much less accurate at telling us about groups that live in some places, not others, such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups. In any case, the vast majority of Latino voters do not take part in Republican primaries, so even if Trump did win Latinos who showed up for Nevada's Republican caucuses, that outcome wouldn't say much about Latino attitudes overall. Those attitudes are pretty clear: Trumps popularity among Latinos is beyond terrible. According to the most recent data from Gallup, 77% of Latino Americans have a negative view of him. Trumps image among Latinos was bad last summer, its gotten significantly worse and now is notably poorer than Mitt Romneys was four years ago when he received only about one-in-four Latino votes. Myth No. 4: The Democrats so-called super-delegates have stacked the deck against Sanders. Clinton does have a big lead among the super-delegates, the more than 700 party leaders and elected officials who automatically get a vote in the nominating convention and can choose whichever candidate they want, regardless of who won their partys primary. That has upset a number of Sanders partisans, who say the super-delegate system is unfair and undemocratic. Whatever the merits of the system right now, a lot of Republicans wish they had something similar to block Trump it was set up long before Clinton ever thought of running for office. Super-delegates were a product of a Democratic party commission set up in 1982 and were first put in place in the 1984 election cycle. In any case, Sanders problem right now isnt super-delegates, its the ordinary, pledged delegates who are allocated by the primaries and caucuses. Clinton leads by well over 300 among them. For more on Campaign 2016, follow @DavidLauter ALSO Obama sees a path to reform in Cuba, through Cubans' wallets Trump aids Latino activists as they try to turn Arizona blue Clinton, at AIPAC, challenges Trump over 'dangerously wrong' views on Israel Political attention across the United States is inevitably fixated on this years extraordinary presidential primaries. But there is another vote, taking place across the Atlantic, that may yet have real bearing on Americas future. On June 23, the United Kingdom will decide whether it should remain part of the European Union. The early polls suggest that not only the Conservative government, but the whole country, is split. The mood is volatile; the risk of Brexit is real. Many of the same forces that have left the purveyors of conventional wisdom dizzy with bewilderment during these presidential primaries have also been unleashed in this referendum. Economic anxiety, hostility to elites, opposition to immigration and fears of terrorism have combined to loosen the ties which bind Britain to Europe. And like the presidential primaries, the referendum is already proving to be a contest where those offering a pragmatic or more progressive view of the world are getting drowned out by those with the loudest voices and biggest egos. Advertisement Prime Minister David Cameron, who has spent so much of his career appeasing opponents of the EU, now has just three months to find his own voice and make a compelling case for Britain remaining in Europe. For 70 years, since the end of World War II, America has been the system operator of international order built on a strong, stable Transatlantic Alliance, supported by the twin pillars of NATO and the EU. If Britain leaves the EU, Americas closest ally would be marginalized on the European Continent. But it gets worse: A vote for Brexit would leave the whole European project at risk of unraveling at precisely the time new economic and security threats confront the West. Indeed, the importance of the EU to peace and promoting democratic values has only been reinforced by Russias intervention into Syrias civil war and its earlier incursion in Ukraine. With falling oil prices leading to increased economic and political pressure in the Kremlin, few can or should discount the possibility of further aggression in the years ahead. Little wonder therefore that President Vladimir Putin would be one of the few global leaders to see Brexit as a positive development, one that would fundamentally weaken the West. If Britain leaves the EU, Americas closest ally would be marginalized on the European Continent. In recent days, the U.S. military has begun voicing its strategic concerns. First, there was NATOs military commander in Europe, Gen. Philip Breedlove, who warned that Russia is intentionally creating a refugee crisis to overwhelm and break Europe. Then came Lt. Gen Frederick Ben Hodges, who said that if the EU begins to become unraveled, there cant help but be a knock-on effect for the [NATO] alliance also. Now President Obama, the commander in chief, is reported to be so concerned that he may travel to the U.K. so he can urge voters to stay within the EU. That such an intervention is even being considered shows the White House understands there is real danger for the United States in this referendum. Britain, which for so long has acted as an axis on which the relationship between America and Europe can turn, may be turning in on itself. And in Brussels, as in Washington, there are growing fears that the contagion of withdrawal could spread and lead to the collapse of the EU. The bright vision of a Europe whole and free set out by President George H.W. Bush at the end of the Cold War is fading fast. In 1989, a wall that divided Europe came down. In 2016, barbed wire fences that divide Europe are going up. Donald Tusk, the European council president, recently compared these times to Europe the day before World War I when decades of prosperity disintegrated into darkness. A British vote to leave would be a victory for isolationism over internationalism. Rt. Hon. Douglas Alexander is a Senior Fellow at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Im Christina Bellantoni, your Essential Politics host through Thursday. First, to catch you up on the weekend. Protesters disrupted another Donald Trump rally, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski grabbed someone by the collar at an event in Tucson, President Obama arrived in Cuba in what he called a historic opportunity and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it official and said his Republicans wouldnt allow a vote on Merrick Garlands nomination even after the election. Advertisement Even with more than two months of contests still ahead, attention is turning to the California primary on June 7. As weve been writing over the last few days, everything is a little different in the Golden State, from the way we award most delegates by congressional district to how our Republicans arent the same as national Republicans. Turns out, our ballot will look a lot like the ballots from the beginning of the primary season. As Phil Willon reports, all of the candidates who have since dropped out of the race will still appear alongside Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich. So if anyone wants to vote for Jeb Bush, Ben Carson or Carly Fiorina, they can. Speaking of Fiorina, shell introduce Cruz on March 31 at a fundraiser at the Pacific Club in Orange County, Seema Mehta learned. The minimum donation to attend is $1,000. THESE YOUNG WOMEN HEART CLINTON Dont tell America Ferrera and Lena Dunham that millennial women prefer Sen. Bernie Sanders. The young actresses headlined a campaign event in Los Angeles on Sunday night and made clear they are Hillary Clinton supporters who are tired of hearing that Sanders has the support of women like them. Im kind of done with being polite about this, Dunham said. TUESDAYS CONTEST IN ARIZONA Could Arizona turn blue because of anti-Trump sentiment? Ahead of the primary election there and with that question in mind, Mehta tells the story of a get-out-the-vote volunteer whose family has lived through the undulations of the states immigration wars. The Trump campaign got the Steve Lopez treatment over the weekend. The columnist identified Hillary for Prison 2016" T-shirts as the most popular clothing at the Arizona rally he covered, and writes, This carnival we call a presidential primary indulges our worst instincts, assuring us that complex problems have the simplest of solutions, if only the true villains get their due. To keep up with whats happening and our reporters on the campaign trail, make sure to follow @latimespolitics and keep an eye on Trail Guide. PROTESTS JUST EARLY CONVENTION WARNING? America could be in for the most intense RNC protests in decades, with swarms of left-wing activists planning to descend on downtown Cleveland for what could be the most turbulent presidential nominating convention since the 1960s. Im really concerned all hell is going to break loose, James L. Hardiman, a vice president of the Cleveland NAACP, told Matt Pearce. CLINTONS STRESS TEST Chris Megerian deconstructs Clintons stumble on Nancy Reagan and AIDS, and finds the story of how the Clinton camp responded offers insights into an episode that served as a stress test for an operation that has proved far more successful than Clintons last presidential bid in 2008. The effort demonstrated both the campaigns ability to react quickly as well as the value of her deep ties with key parts of the Democratic base. WHO DOES YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS SUPPORT? Just three of the Republicans in Californias congressional delegation have taken sides in the presidential race. And the holdouts tell Sarah Wire thats not going to change. And Javier Panzar has the details on how having Trump or Cruz on the top of the ticket could give a boost to a host of California Democrats this fall. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which handicaps U.S. House races, has upgraded several races from likely to solid Democratic seats, thanks to their heavy Latino population. Keep up with our coverage of California Politics on our Essential Politics news feed. A LOW-KEY SENATE RACE With Clinton and Sanders spouting populist rhetoric about inequality and trade deals on the national campaign trail, the conversation in Californias Senate race seems downright conventional, Cathleen Decker writes. COUNTING IN NEW WAYS, IN FOUR LANGUAGES Check your mailboxes, Los Angeles. The census is coming to town. Sarah Wire talked with U.S. Census Bureau officials about a test of 225,000 Los Angeles County homes, how technology lets them reimagine how to count, and how people can answer in English, Spanish, Korean or Chinese for the first time. POLICE BODY CAMERAS All over the country, police departments are outfitting their officers with body cameras. California lawmakers are considering proposals to do the same, but as Liam Dillon reports, even within the Democratic caucus theres a big difference of opinion on who gets to see the footage and when. RECESS IN SACRAMENTO The two police body camera bills will be part of a long to-do list for the Legislature after this weeks spring recess. The subscription bill tracking service CapitolTrack reports that there have been 2,172 bills introduced in Sacramento since early January. Two-thirds of those (1,442) were introduced in the Assembly. Look for coverage of some of the biggest legislative debates from our Sacramento bureau once lawmakers reconvene on March 28. The first big deadline for policy proposals is in early May, around the same time Gov. Jerry Brown unveils a revised state budget. COUNTING DELEGATES IN THE GOLDEN STATE On this weeks California Politics Podcast, Sacramento bureau chief John Myers and crew take a closer look at the fascinating inside dynamics of how Trump, Cruz and Kasich may be clamoring for delegates in some of the most politically liberal parts of the Golden State. They also examine the implications of a late entry into the U.S. Senate race by Republican Ron Unz and discuss the power-sharing proposals of Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount). Subscribe to the weekly podcast on iTunes. TODAYS ESSENTIALS -- Sanders is coming to California for an event in San Diego on Tuesday. As weve been reporting, Clinton will be in the state later in the week. -- Seema Mehta captured scenes with the protesters in Arizona. -- Lisa Mascaro examines how Trumps campaign might just break apart the tea party. -- The state ethics watchdog agency closed a loophole that some say provided politically connected people with a direct link to influence state lawmakers votes without registering as lobbyists. The state Fair Political Practices Commission overturned a provision that had allowed lobbyists to bring others to meetings with legislators to help make their case without requiring those people to register as lobbyists. -- Anti-Trump graffiti shows up in Newport Beach. -- Steve Saldivar and Daniela Gerson present: Dear Donald Trump: My parents are not rapists or drug dealers. LOGISTICS Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. Question: My wife and I will be traveling to central Europe next year for a 10-day trip. Should we be concerned about our passports, which expire about four months after our trip? Should we renew the passports now? If we do renew our passports now, will that affect our Global Entry card, which expires in 2019? Stephen McAuliff Visalia, Calif. Answer: Journalists often say they became journalists because they are not very good at math. I plead guilty. But I did well enough in numbers courses to know that 10 isnt nine. Except nowadays it is, at least when it comes to passports. To explain: Adults U.S. passports are valid for 10 years. (Passports for children younger than 16 are good for five years.) Advertisement But the State Department is encouraging adult travelers to renew after nine years because an increasing number of countries want the document to be good for at least six months beyond the travel date. If you arrive in a country and dont have that much time left on your passport, you may be turned away, assuming you are allowed to board the flight. If youre reading this and youre traveling soon, set this aside and go check the expiration on your passport. Please. It may save you panic, trouble and/or a big fight with your spouse/partner. The countries McAuliff is traveling to in all likelihood require only three months validity. We surmise this because 26 European countries are part of the Schengen Agreement. That agreement means that travelers (business or tourists) may visit these 26 countries for up to three months without a visa: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Even so, the State Department recommends at least six months remaining on your passport for visits to these countries, although you may be able to squeak by with less. But why risk it? (Youll notice that Britain, a favorite destination of many, isnt on this list. Britain requires only that your passport be valid for the whole of your stay, its border control page says, and you do not need a visa unless you have a criminal record or have been denied entry previously.) Because Global Entry, the program that allows you to go through U.S. Customs more quickly and gives you fast-lane privileges through domestic airport security, is run by Customs and Border Protection, your membership date is not dependent on the passport expiration date, a Customs official said in an email. Membership will remain valid and active if the passport expires; however, you will not be able to use your account until you update your new passport in the GOES system the Global Online Enrollment System in which you created access when you applied for the program. You need to keep track of when your Global Entry privileges expire (your $100 fee buys you five years), although Customs also told me it would flag you at the six-, three-, two- and one-month points before your card expires. Whew. I havent even been anywhere and Im already exhausted thinking about the documentation. But here are two more tips before you check passport validity off your to-do list: First, some countries require that you have a certain number of passport pages left in your document. This could be an issue if you travel frequently, so check to see what your destination requires and how many of your pages are blank. The bad news: As of this year, you cant add pages to your passport book. (You used to be able to but no more.) If you travel a lot, you might want to consider getting a 52-page book instead of the usual 28-pager. Second, an early distant warning: Remember how we used to be able to travel to Mexico, Canada and other places without a passport? The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative put an end to that about 10 years ago. That initiative means that even if you are going to Baja for the weekend, you need a passport. What followed was an avalanche of passport applications. At one point, we reported that there was a backlog of 3 million passport applications and wait times of up to three months. People were furious, frantic and flipping out. We mention this because if you were one of the people who applied for the passport about then, it will be expiring in the coming months. Yours and millions of others. In fiscal year 2016, the State Department expects 17.4 million passport applications. In 2017 that number will climb by more than 3 1/2 million, State says. We dont expect a repeat of the 2007 Summer of Our Discontent, but if your passport expires in 2017, you may want to give yourself an early holiday gift and get that new one before the calendar flips to the new year. Because the best gift of all is ensuring that the calendar is the only thing that flips. One final note: As it was in 2015, travel will be part of the 2016 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. If you would like to learn more about the when, how, why and where of passports, Brenda Sprague, deputy assistant secretary for Passport Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs, will answer questions about passports and more at 1:30 p.m. on April 9 at the Travel stage. The festival is on the USC campus. Admission is free. Have a travel dilemma? Write to travel@latimes.com. We regret we cannot answer every inquiry. There are hundreds of ways to experience what Mexico City has to offer. Here are just four ways to taste the food, enjoy time off with your children or find the perfect spot for a vegan ice cream: Mexico City makes a fun playground for parents and children Alejandrao Ruiz, 9, looks into the telescope at the top floors of Torre Latinoamericana in Mexico City (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) In my travels to Mexico's capital, I've ticked off several must-see destinations on my list: the soaring Teotihuacan pyramids, the stunning Zocalo and the ancient Aztec canals. Yet every time my family visits the city and the entirety of Mexico, for that matter I never fail to notice the children. Children are the stars around which revolves the Mexican family, something I found out last fall, when we brought our daughter to Mexico for the first time. READ MORE> Ox head tacos and cemita sandwiches are all part of the Mexico City street food tour Mexico City has food vendors in just about every corner. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) It's difficult to find someone who doesn't like at least some Mexican cuisine, with its influences culled from French, Lebanese and indigenous sources. Luckily for visitors who want to explore Mexico City's food in some place other than a fancy restaurant, there are several tours and cooking classes that provide a hands-on experience with Mexico's culinary heritage and diversity. I took two of them in November, one a tour of a decades-old open-air market where my guide and I bought the ingredients for that most Mexican of dishes, tacos al pastor. READ MORE> Mexico City for vegans: Where to find a pozole sandwich and other specialties (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Veganism is gaining ground in this famously carnivorous city with egg-less bakeries, meat-free tacos, plant-based grocery stores and even a dairy-free ice cream parlor springing up. READ MORE> Navigate the Tianguis, or open-air market, and learn to make tacos the Mexico City way (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Food is an integral part of any trip to Mexico. On my November visit to Mexico's capital, I shunned the nearest taqueria in favor of a more scholarly approach to satisfy my culinary hedonism. That meant hiring Graciela Montano. Her resume includes hosting a public TV cooking show in Mexico City and running Aura Club de Maridaje, which is one of a few local businesses that offer food-themed tours and cooking classes. She promised just what I wanted: a tour both entertaining and enlightening. We would visit a local market, gather fresh ingredients, then create a traditional Mexican dish from scratch. READ MORE> IF YOU GO Basic travel information for visiting Mexico City Chinese authorities have recovered a massive haul of smuggled python skin worth $48 million, Chinese media reported on Monday, highlighting the scope of an international black market trade in the scaly, patterned material. Customs agents in Haikou, a port city in Chinas southern island province Hainan, recovered 68,000 python skins on Friday, according to a report by the official Legal Daily news service. The smugglers claimed that the skins would be used to create traditional Chinese musical instruments. Advertisement Pictures online showed uniformed agents rolling out endless rows of elaborately patterned skins, many as long as mid-sized sedans. The report did not detail how the skins were discovered. The Legal Daily also detailed a sting on Jan. 29, in which authorities arrested 16 people across five cities in southern Chinas Hainan, Jiangsu, Fujian and Guangxi provinces for smuggling python skins. The state-run Shanghai Daily newspaper described the operation, which involved 80 police officers, as the largest-ever python skin smuggling case. European and U.S. appetites for python leather products especially high-end handbags and shoes have grown in recent years, spurring an international black market trade that could be worth as much as $1 billion annually, according to a 2012 report by the International Trade Center, a subsidiary of the World Trade Organization. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Pythons, a family of non-venomous snake species, live across Asia, Australia and Africa. One species, the Indian python, is considered threatened with extinction by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The convention permits a limited international trade in python products, but only under a set of detailed regulations intended to protect wild populations. Yet according to the International Trade Center, enforcement is patchy and regulations are often flouted, putting other python species at risk of overhunting. The Legal Daily said that the Hainan-based company behind the smuggling operation possessed an import license but falsely reported the skins value, allowing it to evade $1.7 million in taxes. The company has been charged with smuggling ordinary goods and smuggling rare animals and [rare animal] products, according to the report. At least one suspect confessed that since 2014, the company collaborated with overseas companies and Vietnamese agents to illegally import 42,000 python skins and 8,000 python eggs using fake customs declaration forms. The articles did not specify the eggs intended use. Last January, by analyzing all the information we gathered, we found that the Hainan animal importing company [underreported] prices of imported Vietnamese python skins, Yang Ganlin, deputy head of Haikou customs anti-smuggling department, told the news service. The company is suspected of smuggling underpriced python skins. Yingzhi Yang in the Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report. ALSO China made 85 billion sanitary pads last year, and not one tampon. Heres why For Chinese visiting Japan, bargains make it easier to overlook nations ill feelings A year later, Afghans reflect on a mob lynching of a woman falsely accused of burning Koran There are things Zhang Feng likes about Japan: the service, the quality products, the immaculate restrooms, even in malls and highway rest stops. There are things she dislikes, such as sashimi and left-hand traffic. But what never crosses her mind is the intense historical antagonism between Japan and her native China dating back to World War II. Most people are totally ambivalent about this, said Zhang, 32, who works for a Japanese company in Shanghai and visited the country for the first time in February, as a tourist. Some people say they wont buy Japanese products or go to Japan, but these people are in the minority. Advertisement Chinese tourists have been flocking to Japan, drawn by loosening tourist visa restrictions and a favorable currency exchange rate that has enabled shopping sprees. About 5 million visited last year, up more than 100% from 2014. Its not that the rift between the two countries has healed polls indicate continuing mutual hostility, a clash of cultures and a lack of hesitation by Chinese state media to revisit the Japanese Imperial Armys brutal treatment of China in the 1930s and 1940s. But many Chinese, in search of a good deal, have been able to look past all that. My standard mantra is the two stable pillars of the Japan-China relationship are tourism and antagonism, said Jeffrey Towson, a professor of investment at Peking University. The antagonism seems to be the real deal, he said. But when the tourists are there, and they mentally calculate that these cosmetics, or that rice cooker, will cost me X here and Y back in Shanghai with all the taxes, they buy it. And if the yen drops, or the visa requirements become easier, they begin to buy a lot more. Although Japanese toilet seats, rice cookers and other electronics were once the most popular purchases, Chinese shoppers have more recently taken a turn toward food and hygiene products such as milk powder, spirits and even condoms. Japanese media coined a term for the trend: bakugai, which translates to explosive shopping. In December, the publishing company Jiyu Kokumin Sha named it the most popular word of 2015. For things where quality isnt just a nice thing, its essential like milk powder Chinese want Japanese products, Towson said. The irony is a lot of Japanese products are manufactured in China. They know that and they dont care. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> The tourism boom has changed parts of Tokyo, as Japanese businesses and politicians have capitalized on the wave. Department stores in Ginza, a famously upscale neighborhood, have begun selling products duty-free to overseas shoppers. Matsubara Tadayoshi, mayor of Tokyos Ota City a quiet district that is home to the Haneda international airport said in an interview that he plans to install an Airbnb-style home-stay system to accommodate the recent influx of Chinese tourists. The districts hotels are operating at more than 90% capacity, he said. On the other hand, we have over 60,000 empty houses and rooms, he added. So we have to come up with some idea of how to utilize them. Tadayoshi said that the government would give visitors coupons for free access to Otas public baths, a popular attraction. Tourists can use coupons at the shops, and then go to the communal baths to mingle with locals, he said. We call it naked communication. A Pew Research Center survey last year found that only 12% of Chinese expressed a favorable view of Japan, and only 9% of Japanese held the same view toward China. That may have less to do with historical ills than deep cultural differences. Known for their reverence of order, quiet and tidiness, the Japanese have at times struggled to adjust to the more freewheeling Chinese tourists. The website of a popular talk show reported that at one Kyoto apartment block, the landlord angered residents by renting several rooms to Chinese tour groups that caused late-night rackets rolling their suitcases through the hallways. Locals in Ginza have complained about Chinese tourists acting as if theyre in China, the Japanese edition of Yahoo News reported. Their bad behavior including talking loudly, squatting on the sidewalks and eating and drinking on the street was unbefitting of the tony shopping district, the article reported. Last month, a physical altercation between two Chinese tourists queuing at Tokyos Narita airport it began when one woman bumped anothers luggage trolley made national news in Japan. For their part, the Chinese tourists tend to speak in glowing terms about a country that theyve been taught to despise. Yang Weijian, 21, who came to Japan from Dalian in northeastern China to shop with his girlfriend, said that although he had few social interactions with Japanese people during his four-day stay, he had enjoyed his experience. Everything is very clean and orderly here, he said. Its all just completely different from China. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> ALSO This is a historic visit and a historic opportunity, President Obama says in Cuba Home of key witness in arson attack on Palestinians also goes up in flames New generation of more radical youth emerges in the Kurdish region of Turkey Fatima Rezais journey to Greece took 40 days and 40 nights. From Afghanistans Ghazni province she and her family trekked to Iran, then Turkey, took a boat to Samos, Greece, and then another to Piraeus. Now, the only journey Fatima takes is the one from her refugee camp in Hellinikon, site of Athens old airport, to the downtown Caritas soup kitchen, where she can get a hot meal. The borders to Germany, their final destination, are closed. Greece may be what she ends up calling home. The Greeks are hospitable people, warm people, Fatima, 18, says through an interpreter, as she eats spaghetti with meat sauce and gestures to her lips, to show a smile. Advertisement But she doesnt know, really, if she will ever get to Germany, where she hopes to finish school. She, like 48,000 other refugees and migrants stranded in Greece, are waiting to hear whether Europe will let them move on to promised new lives, or send them back the way they came. For the refugees accidental hosts, the Greeks, there is a growing realization that the thousands of men, women and children fleeing war and poverty in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq may be sharing their country for an indeterminate amount of time. But acts of kindness, large and small, from ordinary Greeks play alongside the daily television scenes of the grim, muddy village of Idomeni on the Greek border with Macedonia, where about 11,000 refugees huddle in tents waiting for Europe to reopen its frontier a prospect that now appears unlikely. Help has come in forms as varied as donating diapers and wading into the waters of Greek islands to pull ashore grateful women and children crossing from Turkey in rickety boats. Villagers near Idomeni have opened their homes to families. Thousands of Athenians responded to a collection drive with medicine, blankets and food. Ordinary Greeks drive to one of the makeshift camps sprouting up in Athens and around the country and dole out toys and balloons to children. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Despite the concern about the effect of the refugees on tourism in the Greek islands, or over whether they will stay longer than they planned in Greece, there has been little of the anger that has greeted them in countries such as Germany. Perhaps that is because Greeks, after six years of austerity and struggling with the continents highest unemployment rate, understand desperation. The opposition to migrants used to be: Theyre taking our jobs, says Janice Tsialtas, who volunteers in the Caritas soup kitchen once every two weeks. Well, now there are no jobs. What we see is babies walking around in the mud. After Macedonia shut down its border with Greece last month, the country has been struggling to deal with an unstoppable stream of refugees and migrants coming from Turkey. This month, European and Turkish officials held a summit meeting in Brussels and agreed that migrants or refugees arriving in Greece will be liable for deportation to Turkey if they dont apply for asylum or if their claims are rejected. Under the deal, Turkey will receive billions of dollars in support to keep refugees and migrants. But implementation, dependent on thousands of European experts coming in to help Greece, remains uncertain, even as refugees continue to arrive on Greek islands and are ferried to the mainland, where dozens of camps have been hurriedly set up. The Associated Press reported that 875 new refugees arrived at four of Greeces Aegean islands close to the Turkish coast on Sunday and a ferry carrying 1,169 migrants arrived Sunday at a port west of Athens. At the soup kitchen in a downtrodden neighborhood of central Athens, the aroma of Bolognese sauce wafts through the building from the first-floor dining room, where trays with green bowls of steaming pasta, bread and a quarter of lemon are served, eaten and whisked away by volunteers. Children mill around; men lean in to listen to conversations. Fatima passes her leftover meal to her mother, who finishes it off, and takes a querulous toddler on her lap to calm him with a piece of bread. Tsialtas, 70, has volunteered at the soup kitchen for nine years, taking a two-hour bus ride from her village outside Athens. Seven years ago, most of the people seeking assistance and food were young men from Iraq and Iran; now it is mainly families from Afghanistan and Syria. More Greeks than ever are asking her where they can volunteer and bring food, she says. The line for the meal starts forming at 10:30 a.m. women in brightly colored head scarfs with children in well-walked strollers. They line up on the narrow sidewalk, sometimes sitting outside the entrance to the Hotel Lozanni next door, named for the town of Lausanne, Switzerland, and the 1923 treaty that forced an exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey. Thats another reminder of Greeces refugee history: The country had to absorb 1.2 million ethnic Greeks from Turkey, one of the largest influxes of refugees in history at the time. But the refugees and migrants in this wave are still visitors in Greece, and Europe has struggled to deal with them. European Union leaders are arguing over who is entitled to international protection as a refugee and who is just seeking to escape poverty and should be sent back. The latest agreement with Turkey is already being challenged by human rights organizations concerned that it will run roughshod over due process for refugees fleeing war. In the meantime, children in the mists of Idomeni leap over puddles in their newly supplied and brightly colored ponchos and their parents hoist banners asking for the borders to reopen. Outside Athens, the Hellinikon camp, a complex made up of the abandoned airport and some disused Olympic Games venues, is now temporary home to more than 4,000 people, one of the biggest accommodation centers the Greeks have hurriedly pressed into service. Refugees line up for food distributed outside in the chilly winter day; children play on the stairs of an abandoned airplane ramp. But it is Piraeus, Greeces large, ancient port, where the logjam of refugees is most apparent. Ferries chartered by the government disgorge men, women and children daily from the islands. With nowhere to go, they live in a multicolored city of tents on the ports piers. In the arrival hall, blankets are spread on the floor to provide some comfort against the concrete; a mother douses her childs hair with water in an impromptu bathing. Leloudia Sidera lives in Drossia, a suburb of Athens on the other side of the capital from Piraeus. She has driven to Piraeus with a friend, Thalia Stavridi, to distribute gifts to children. They flock to her as soon as they see her handing out balloons, balls and candy. Yes, my love, she says patiently as the children clamor for the toys and grab what they can before running away. I am a poor woman but I have a heart as big as all Greece, says Sidera, a 62-year-old pensioner. I go to my neighbor and I say to him, Do you have some soap I can take the children? Then I go to the other neighbor and say, Do you have some lollies? And then we put in some of our own money instead of having a birthday party for our children. The combination of Europes biggest refugee crisis since World War II and Greeces six-year financial crisis is stoking a sense among Greeks that the rest of Europe is letting them down. Inspectors from Europe and the International Monetary Fund are in town to argue over more cuts to pensions and how to raise more taxes before Greece can receive more bailout funds. At Caritas, more Greeks are coming in for help than at the end of 2014 as the country struggles to bring down Europes highest unemployment rate. Younger Greeks have emigrated to find work, retracing the steps of their parents, who moved to Australia, Canada and New Zealand as migrants in the wake of World War II. Migration Minister Ioannis Mouzalas has said most of the people coming to Greece are refugees two-thirds are Syrians and not migrants, a definition that has played large in the European debate about whether or not to accept Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis or others. It is an issue largely not discussed in Greece. With help, thousands of Greeks migrated to Australia, New Zealand and Canada in the 1950s and 1960s from a country devastated by invasion, occupation, famine and civil war. Some Greeks sought refuge in Syrian cities such as Aleppo, now largely destroyed by that countrys five-year war. In the 1960s, tens of thousands of Greeks moved to Germany as guest workers. Ourania Katsikari joined the ranks of the 1.2 million unemployed Greeks more than a year ago after being fired from her job as a human resources manager. She hasnt found another one. Her husbands business is struggling in Greeces sputtering economy. The couple have cut expenses to make ends meet. But this month Katsikari bought diapers, canned milk, cookies and cans of tuna and carried them to central Syntagma Square for a collection drive for refugees. Just seeing those poor children tears at my heart, said Katsikari, 57, whose parents moved to Australia as immigrants in the 1960s. I see my granddaughter in their eyes and would hate to think that we could ever be put in this situation. I look at things through my parents eyes and wonder if they were not given the chance, where would we be now? Fatimas family has paid about $4,000 per person for the 40-day journey from Afghanistan, and there is no money left. Paying to get to the border at Idomeni in case the frontier opens isnt an option, she says. Shes heard Germany can now be difficult, with attacks on refugees. Even so, she says, that is where she and her family hope to go, if the Europeans let them. That is where she can finish her schooling, she says. Theyre all in the same boat, says Tsialtas, the soup kitchen volunteer. Nobody has a job, nobody has food and nobody has money. Petrakis is a special correspondent. ALSO Details about Turkeys deal with the European Union on the migrant crisis New generation of more radical youth emerges in the Kurdish region of Turkey What do residents of Trumps ancestral village in Germany think of him? Not so nice This is not, at first glance, a very Trump-like place. A tidy village in Germanys wine country, Kallstadt is home to modest people, modest houses and an open, welcoming attitude toward outsiders immigrants, tourists and oenophiles alike. It is also home to people who claim an ancestral relationship to Donald Trump, who can trace his roots to a Kallstadt family once known as the Drumpfs. And that connection is making the people of Kallstadt a little uneasy. At first we used to just laugh about Trump running for president, but its not funny anymore, said Bernd Weisenborn, a 54-year-old winegrower whose immaculately clean vineyard lies just across the street from the house where Trumps grandfather Friedrich grew up. Its actually becoming embarrassing; the things that Trump has been saying are just out of line. Advertisement Weisenborn, a friendly man with a hearty laugh, said he is a distant cousin of the Republican presidential front-runner his great-grandfather was the brother of Trumps grandmother. He described Kallstadt residents as generally open-minded, tolerant and welcoming, and said many find Trumps policy statements and outbursts of vulgarity difficult to digest. At first we used to just laugh about Trump running for president, but its not funny anymore. Bernd Weisenborn, 54 Were of two minds about Trump, he said. On the one hand, its great to see someone with Kallstadt roots become such a business tycoon in America. Its the American dream. But on the other hand, its hard to be proud of anyone who makes such statements against Muslims, immigrants and women. Weisenborn said many people in Kallstadt, dozens of whom claim family relationships to Trump, are baffled and appalled that the grandson of immigrants to the United States could be so virulently anti-immigrant. Everyone America ever elected as president descended from immigrants, he said. German Americans were once the largest and, by some measures, most influential minority group in the United States. There are about 50 million Americans today with German roots. According to one Donald Trump biography and other published accounts, the Trump family was originally known as Drumpf but changed the name at some point accounts vary about when. Trumps paternal grandfather, Friedrich, left Kallstadt for America in 1885 at age 16, joining millions of Germans who sailed across the Atlantic to seek their fortune in the New World. Friedrich returned to Kallstadt in 1901 and a year later married a local girl, Elizabeth Christ, who lived across the street from his familys home a modest but sturdy-looking house still standing today. According to Donald Trump: The Candidate, a biography by Gwenda Blair, Friedrich and Elizabeth moved to the United States and then back to Kallstadt. But their return to Germany was short-lived: Friedrich was expelled for evading Germanys compulsory military service, and the couple sailed to New York to stay. Donalds father, Fred, was born a short time later. Donald Trump, who has never been to Kallstadt, was born in 1946. In his autobiography, The Art of the Deal, he wrote that his fathers family came from Sweden apparently the story told by Fred Trump. It was not uncommon for German Americans to hide their roots in response to anti-German sentiment during World War I. But in a 2014 documentary called Kings of Kallstadt about Trump and John Henry Heinz, whose son started a ketchup empire in the United States, Trump said he was proud of his German roots. Theyre strong people and theyre smart people, Trump tells Simone Wendel, a native of Kallstadt, in her film. They grow them well in Kallstadt. They get things done. Thats the German culture. Im proud to have that German blood. Great stuff. Wendel said she found Trump to be friendly and surprisingly interested in his German roots but acknowledged that his image in her hometown had taken a beating. The people in Kallstadt see Trump as someone who is just too loud and aggressive, she said. It might not help, in this wine-drenched town, that Trump is a well-known teetotaler. Stephan Sollboehmer, who runs a wine bar up the street from Donald Trumps ancestral home in Kallstadt, Germany, doesnt want the billionaire to become U.S. president. Hes an embarrassment, Sollboehmer says. (Erik Kirschbaum / For The Times) There are no Trumps left in Kallstadt, although there are at least six Trump gravestones in the small cemetery on the northern edge of town. The town is a low-key tourist center about 25 miles east of the U.S. air base at Ramstein. There are bed-and-breakfasts on nearly every street, along with wine bars serving the local dry Riesling. In a country with a deep aversion to building walls (which recall the walls dividing the country during the Cold War) or making aggressive statements toward other countries (which recall the Nazi past), many townspeople expressed anxiety in interviews about Trumps campaign. Trump is just horrible, said Tanja Bayer, a 46-year-old office worker. Its hard to believe that so many Americans are really voting for him. We thought at first it was just a good joke. But its unbelievable how far hes got with this. Other residents said they feared a Trump presidency would make the United States a less reliable partner at a time when many Germans say they want the U.S. to remain a bastion of stability in a peril-filled world. A recent poll found that 83% of Germans had a negative opinion of Trump and that 79% said it would be bad for Germany if he became president. In part because of their history, Germans prefer cautious, even dull, leaders who weigh their words carefully. The same poll found that a large majority of Germans would prefer to see Democrat Hillary Clinton widely viewed here as a steady hand as the next president. Trump is just too radical to become president, said Gabi Riede, 54, as she worked in the towns main bakery, where the radio and TV airwaves were filled with news of Trumps latest primary wins. It doesnt matter if his grandparents came from Kallstadt or not. Hes just too extreme. Stephan Sollboehmer, who runs a wine bar just up the street from Trumps ancestral home, said the tycoon is an impressive businessman who has made the most of his opportunities in America. But it would be a terrible thing if he ends up as president, said Sollboehmer, 45. Hes an embarrassment. Kallstadt is a wonderful little wine town as it is, and we definitely dont need Trump as president to get in the way of that. Kirschbaum is a special correspondent. ------------ FOR THE RECORD March 21, 3:48 p.m.: An earlier version of this article misidentified Simone Wendel as Simone Wendler. ------------ ALSO Greeks share what little they have with refugees and migrants Salah Abdeslam backed out of being Paris suicide bomber, prosecutor says New generation of more radical youth emerges in the Kurdish region of Turkey Nasir Dogru says his son must have been important. He has often seen the 18-year-old on local Kurdish television channels, his smiling face flashing across the screen. Perhaps he was a commander, he says. Neighbors and friends say so too. They call the teenager, Ferhat Dogru, a martyr. He was very brave, says Nasir. He was the first martyr of the Sur struggle. Advertisement About 16 months ago, young Ferhat left his home in Diyarbakirs Baglar neighborhood, a rough district racked by poverty. His family believes he stole off into the mountains of northern Iraq, joining the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish government for three decades. Ferhat returned home after eight months. Combat pitting Turkish security forces against Kurdish fighters was escalating throughout Turkeys restive and predominantly Kurdish southeast. A sniper shot him dead four months later, last November. Ferhat had been battling as part of the militarized ranks of the PKKs youth wing in Diyarbakirs Sur district. In its early years, the PKK sought an independent state for the Kurds, an ethnic minority largely spread over portions of Turkey, Iran and Iraq. It later softened its goals to demanding improved rights within Turkey for the long-repressed group. Both Turkey and the U.S. describe it as a terrorist organization. As Kurdish militants strike at urban centers across Turkey, a new generation of more radical youth has emerged. Products of the vicious security crackdowns of the 1990s, they increasingly appear to operate outside the PKKs top-down hierarchal structure, analysts say. Since the collapse of a three-year peace process in July, Turkeys southeast has spiraled into war, with youth militants forming the vanguard. Two recent car bomb attacks in Ankara, the capital, and a mortar attack on an Istanbul airport in December have raised fears that the violence is spreading well beyond the countrys Kurdish heartland. The shift to urban combat likely undermined the PKKs capacity to control militants, says Howard Eissenstat, a Turkey expert at St. Lawrence University in New York. The model of highly indoctrinated, disciplined troops that the PKK used in the mountains does not really apply to the cell-based urban units who are at the forefront of the conflict right now. It is possible, says Eissenstat, that the PPK is now leading from behind and no longer capable of controlling its cadres. On March 13, a suicide car bomb brought carnage to the Turkish capital, killing 37 people at a busy transport hub and park in the citys central Kizilay neighborhood. Ankara says a 24-year-old female PKK militant carried out the attack, which raised widespread fears of a dramatic shift in insurgent tactics. An intransigent PKK offshoot, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement published on its website Thursday. It was the organizations second attack in Ankara in less than a month. Kurdish fighters have traditionally been wary of exacting a high civilian toll, as they seek domestic and international legitimacy. Assuming that the attacks in Ankara are in fact related to the Kurdish issue, they mark a remarkable escalation of the level of violence, Eissenstat says. The use of car bombs to ensure a large number of casualties and the explicit targeting of civilians are not something we typically associate with the conflict in Turkey. The rise of a PKK-linked Kurdish faction in Syria with which Turkish-backed militants have repeatedly clashed and its ability to hold territory and establish self-governance, analysts say, has probably encouraged youth and splinter factions to adopt a more radical stance than the groups leadership. This appears to be empowering PKK hard-liners at the expense of the somewhat more conciliatory figures within the group, such as the leader of the insurgents armed wing, Murat Karaliyan. Ferhat was an example of the newly radicalized youth. According to his father, he became fascinated with the PKK during his early teenage years. He had never been very interested in school, preferring to kick around a ball. He loved the [Kurdistan Workers] Party so much, says Nasir. His family says he was angered by what he believed was the oppression of the Kurdish people. He dropped out of school at 14. He was a funny child, our youngest, says Nasir, a 55-year-old retired civil servant, sipping a glass of tea. When he was born, he balanced our family: four boys and four girls. The Dogru home is a sparse, humble place. Worn furniture points toward an old television set, a local Kurdish station broadcasting an interview with PKK partisans dressed in baggy green fatigues. Ferhats mother, Hamdiye, says that he never stole or treated people unfairly. But his admiration for the PKK was obvious to all. He was not a bad boy. He was very positive, says Hamdiye. But he knew that we were struggling against oppression. He wanted to protect us. Ferhat returned home from the mountains as violence in Turkeys southeast began to spiral out of control midway through last year. We dont know exactly what he had been doing there, his father says. In areas of Turkey, young militants dug trenches and battled security forces in increasingly bloody street-level conflict. Ankara imposed strict curfews bolstered by tanks and attack helicopters on embattled towns and cities throughout the southeast, vowing to crush terrorism. The collapse of the peace process has destabilized Turkey writ large and only one aspect is the need for sustained counter-terror operation, says Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The military will, without question, be able to clear cities. But, he adds, most Turkish security officials expect the PKK to mount a spring offensive. The Dogrus say that they have seen enough violence in the southeast. Nasir lifts a length of fabric in the colors of the Kurdish flag, revealing a photograph of a smiling Ferhat wearing a bandanna. On Nov. 6, he was shot in the stomach as clashes raged near Diyarbakirs four-legged minaret, a hot spot in the recent violence. Turkish authorities allowed the transport of the wounded youth to a hospital, where he died. I am proud of him, says Nasir. He is among the martyrs in the cemetery. Johnson is a special correspondent. The International Criminal Court convicted former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba on Monday of murder, rape and pillage for acts by his militia in the Central African Republic in 2002 and 03. The judgment was hailed as a landmark in the fight against impunity for sex crimes in conflict. Bembas unanimous conviction marked the first time the court has convicted a suspect based on his role as a military commander. It also was the courts first judgment recognizing rape as a war crime and a crime against humanity. Bemba, 53, is the highest-ranking person yet convicted by the court. He showed no emotion as Presiding Judge Sylvia Steiner read out the long judgment highlighting the horrific crimes by his militia. Advertisement NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> He will be sentenced following a separate hearing. His defense lawyers can appeal. Steiner outlined a litany of rapes by members of Bembas militia, the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, after it was deployed to the Central African Republic to help forces loyal to then-President Ange-Felix Patasse fight rebels led by Francois Bozize. Bozizes forces ultimately won and he replaced Patasse as president. Steiner said women, girls and men were targeted by Bembas forces, often with multiple soldiers raping women and girls in front of other family members. In one incident, a mans wife was gang raped and when he protested he too was raped at gunpoint. Entire families were victimized, Steiner said. Victims included the elderly men, women and children. Bemba was convicted even though he spent much of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The three-judge panel said he was able to communicate with his troops using radios and satellite and mobile phones and also saw reports of their grave crimes in the media. Steiner called what little action he did take to prevent or punish crimes by his forces grossly inadequate. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> The convictions for rape as a war crime and crime against humanity will be a boost for court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who has made the fight against sexual assault in conflict one of her priorities. "[Prosecutors] will spare no efforts to continue to bring accountability for such heinous crimes in future cases, Bensouda said in a statement. Human rights activists also welcomed Bembas conviction. This first guilty verdict at the ICC for sexual violence shines a spotlight on the use of rape as a weapon of war, said Geraldine Mattioli-Zeltner, international justice advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. There is still a profound need for justice for these crimes and other atrocities in both the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, she said in a statement. The ICC prosecutor should bring further cases against those who bear responsibility for the gravest crimes in these countries. Descartes Mponge, secretary general of the Congolese rights group ACADHOSHA, said the judgment strengthens the ICCs credibility in Africa, where it is accused of bias and politicization. ALSO Greeks share what little they have with refugees and migrants Chinese authorities recover $48 million worth of smuggled python skin Obama sees a path to human rights reform in Cuba, and its through Cubans wallets North Korea fired five short-range projectiles into the sea on Monday, Seoul officials said, in a continuation of weapon launches it has carried out in an apparent response to ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills it sees as a provocation. The projectiles launched from a site near the northeastern city of Hamhung flew about 125 miles before landing in waters off North Koreas east coast, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The firings came three days after Seoul said North Korea launched its first medium-range missile into the sea since early 2014, ignoring U.N. resolutions against such tests. Advertisement South Koreas Yonhap news agency initially reported that a missile had also been launched on Monday but later changed that to say projectiles had been fired. The firings appear to be North Koreas response to annual springtime U.S.-South Korean military exercises that it says are a rehearsal for an invasion. Earlier this month, North Korea fired several short-range missiles and artillery shells into the sea and threatened preemptive nuclear strikes against Washington and Seoul. This years drills are the largest ever and come after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year, leading the U.N. Security Council to impose its toughest sanctions on the country in two decades. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently ordered tests of a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying such warheads. He issued the orders while overseeing what state media called a successful simulated test of a reentry vehicle aimed at returning a nuclear warhead to the atmosphere from space so it could hit its intended target. The reentry vehicle is considered one of the last major technologies North Korea must master to develop long-range missiles equipped with nuclear weapons capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Analysts in South Korea said the medium-range missile launch last Friday may have been a test of the reentry technology. North Korean state media have not commented on the reported launch. South Korean defense officials say North Korea doesnt yet have functioning intercontinental ballistic missiles. ALSO This is a historic visit and a historic opportunity, President Obama says in Cuba Another suicide bombing in Turkey kills 4 and injures dozens, spreading fear of more attacks South Africa in danger of becoming a mafia state, ANC leader warns In recent years, Afro-Cuban intellectuals have started gathering in a cramped Havana apartment to discuss a topic long considered off-limits in Cuba: race. Fidel Castros communist revolution 60 years ago promised to wipe out racial divisions and level the playing field for all Cubans, regardless of color or wealth. Yet racism persists in Cuba, and many say recent economic changes here have overwhelmingly favored the light-skinned elite. The historic visit this week of an American president who happens to be black is of special significance to Afro-Cubans, who, like many minorities around the world, view President Obama as a symbol of what is possible. Its of particular importance for the small but growing movement of black activists on the island, who have struggled for years under government pressure, and who hope that warming U.S.-Cuba relations will push Cubans toward greater race consciousness. Advertisement Maybe without an enemy, everyone here can begin to look more closely at things inside our own country, said activist Manuel Cuesta Morua, who said he is one of several Cuban dissidents, most of whom are not black, invited to meet with Obama on Tuesday. We hope it will help people see the racism here with more clarity, and see that there is diversity, and diverse ways of thinking. Dominik Dominco Almonaci dances with Mariela Ortiz in Havanas Central Park. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) African influences dating back to the days of slavery permeate nearly all aspects of Cuban culture, from the fried plantains served at dinner to the rhythm of the salsa music played on the street. Yet many black Cubans complain of persistent discrimination. Afro-Cubans are poorly represented in the top echelons of the military and Cubas Communist Party, and they are often passed over for jobs in the nations growing tourism sector. Unlike Christians, practitioners of Yoruba, Santeria and other Afro-Cuban religions are barred from establishing their own houses of worship. Even though a majority of Cubans are mixed race to some degree, jokes about those who are darkest are common. A common phrase every sheep with its kind is used to discourage interracial coupling. Dominik Dominco Almonaci, 28, who on a recent afternoon was dancing to a live salsa band in a plaza in Old Havana, said he has been accosted by police for walking with a lighter-skinned woman in his hometown of Santiago. The reason? My dreadlocks, he said. A hand pushes a camera away as a Santeria funeral procession marches along a street in Havana. People who practice Santeria in Cuba usually do not allow their rituals to be photographed. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Almonaci, who said he doesnt like U.S. capitalism, said Afro-Cubans can learn from Obama and U.S. civil rights activists to press for more equality. The kids of color in the U.S. are more united, said Almonaci, referring to African American activists who have banded together to protest police violence. Experts and activists say a series of recent economic changes in Cuba has created a widening income inequality gap, with Afro-Cubans largely on the losing end. The Cuban government now allows some people to open businesses in their homes and rent out cars as taxis. But, said Ted Henken, a professor of black and Latino studies at Baruch College, the people who have been most successful at self-employment are the people who have well-appointed homes in central locations or a car. That doesnt tend to be Afro-Cubans, many of whom live on the periphery of cities such as Havana. 1 / 24 President Barack Obama visits in March with special guests at an exhibition baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team at Cubas Estadio Latinoamericano. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 24 Fans jump to their feet as Cubas first batter hits a single against the Tampa Rays during an exhibition game at Estadio Latinoamericano. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 24 Tampa Rays players carry Cuban children during opening ceremonies at an exhibition baseball game between wiith the Cuban National Team. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 24 Rays center fielder Mikie Mahtook chuckles as a dove flies overhead during an exhibition game between Tampa and the Cuban National Team. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 24 Cuba National Team members wait for opening ceremonies to begin moments before an exhibition game against the Tampa Rays at Estadio Latinoamericano. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 24 Onlookers crane to shoot smartphone images of President Obama, who is stationed more than a block away at the El Gran Teatro de Havana in Central Havana. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 24 Cubans wave to President Obama as he passes through central Havana. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 24 President Obama meets with dissidents and other Cubans at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. From left are Nelson Alvarez Matute, Miriam Celaya Gonzalez and Manuel Cuesta Morua. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) 9 / 24 Maria Castro, left, and Laritza Mojenas cheer for President Obama from the front door of a Havana home. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 24 Angel Tapia, 72, right, watches President Obamas speech. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 24 President Obama delivers a speech at the Gran Teatro de la Habana in Havana. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) 12 / 24 Cuban President Raul Castro lifts up the arm of President Barack Obama at the conclusion of their joint news conference at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana, Cuba. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP) 13 / 24 Cristina Vareaes, right, and friend Mercedes Lopez, watch President Barack Obama answer questions at a news conference with Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana on Monday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 24 Military school students watch the Cuba National baseball team practice at the Estadio Latinoamericano. The Cuban team will play the Tampa Rays in an exhibition game. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 24 A statue of a famous Cuban baseball fan, Armando Luis Torres Torres, sits in the lower level seats along the third base line at Estadio Latinoamericano. President Obama is scheduled to watch a game in the stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 24 President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro review soldiers during a welcoming ceremony at the Palace of the Revolution on Monday in Havana. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) 17 / 24 President Barack Obama, along with his daughter, waves to well wishers as he tours Old Havana with his family soon after touching down on Air Force One, becoming the first sitting President since Calvin Coolidge to visit Cuba. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 24 People wait in Central Havana to get a glimpse of President Obama. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 24 President Barack Obama shakes hands with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez as First Lady Michelle Obama looks on upon arrival at the airport in Havana on Sunday. (Ismael Francisco / Associated Press) 20 / 24 President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive Sunday at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Air Force One. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 21 / 24 The plane carrying President Obama lands in Havana on Sunday. (Yuri Cortez / AFP/Getty Images) 22 / 24 Tourists stand next to a sign showing President Obama, right, and Cuba President Raul Castro next to the Cathedral in Old Havana. (Enric Mart / Associated Press) 23 / 24 Policewomen drag away members of Ladies in White, a womens dissident group that calls for the release of political prisoners, during the groups weekly protest in Havana on Sunday. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) 24 / 24 Waves crash well beyond the seawall along Havanas Malecon as a storm hangs over Cuba for a second straight day. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Racial inequality has been further exacerbated by the large number of remittances that flow to Cubans from relatives in the U.S., he said. Early waves of migration to American cities such as Miami were dominated by wealthier and whiter Cubans who were fleeing the Castro governments plans to redistribute wealth. Henken said he believes the Cuban government should do more to protect vulnerable groups, such as Afro-Cubans or the elderly, but noted that that would first require the recognition of difference. The government doesnt think that way, Henken said. The government has one-size-fits-all solutions. Juan Madrazo Luna, whose apartment has become the gathering point for many Afro-Cuban activists, said that the movement has many sympathizers but that it is difficult to get people to speak out because they fear police harassment or losing their job. Luna, who was once a manager at a government personnel office, said he was fired several years ago after employees he supervised said they were uncomfortable having a boss who was black. He didnt learn about the civil rights movement in the U.S. until he was 28. In Cuban textbooks, he said, the U.S. is presented as a country beset with racism, but the stories of people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are left out. In recent years, Luna has started hosting small workshops in his apartment, in which he teaches younger Afro-Cubans about those figures and other luminaries of civil rights movements in Brazil and other places. On the wall of his living room, he has hung a Cuban flag and a couple dozen framed portraits of Afro-Cuban intellectuals, sports heroes and revolutionary leaders. Many of them too were left out of history books, he said. We are invisible in our own revolutionary history. Twitter: @katelinthicum ALSO What should President Obama do on his visit to Cuba? We have some suggestions President Obama is coming to Cuba today. So why are so many Cubans leaving? Cuba ordering its dissidents to skip meeting with Obama The events of the past week have left Brazil without a stable government. Massive protests have demanded that President Dilma Rousseff be removed from office for corruption, and she has warned of the threat of a coup. Meanwhile, she announced that she was appointing former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as her chief of staff, even as investigators zero in on allegations of corruption against him. Congress is beginning deliberations on Rousseff's impeachment. The situation is fluid and unpredictable, but constitutional scholars and analysts believe there are at least five ways a new government can be re-formed. Rousseff and Lula can rebuild a coalition and beat impeachment. Rousseff and Lula can rebuild a coalition and beat impeachment. The task seems Herculean at the moment, but the ruling Workers' Party seems to be betting the farm on the possibility. The plan would rely upon Lula being allowed to enter government and then employing his considerable political skills to win back support in Congress and among the population to save the government. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva , right, during Thursdays swearing-in ceremony for new Justice Minister Eugenio Arago. (Evaristo Sa / AFP/Getty Images) (Evaristo Sa / AFP/Getty Images) Congress can vote to impeach Rousseff. If legislators remove her, Vice-President Michel Temer of the centrist but controversial Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) would take over. Temer, who fell out publicly with Rousseff as the crisis expanded, could face weak support in Congress or among the public. Electoral authorities can annul Rousseff's 2014 election, leading to a new vote. If the Superior Electoral Court rules that the Rousseff-Temer ticket received illicit funding, then no political process or congressional voting is needed for her removal. If this happens before the end of the year, new elections would be called. This outcome is appealing to some because it allows for new leadership chosen by voters, but impeachment could take place first. If it were to happen after Temer takes office, then he also would be removed. See the most-read stories this hour >> Rousseff can resign under pressure. Many think this is not her style. The former guerrilla leader endured torture under a military dictatorship, and she has never been personally implicated in corruption and strongly denies wrongdoing. But if she were to step aside, Temer would take over. If she and Temer were to resign together in 2016 considered an even more remote possibility new elections would be called. Investigators could implicate Rousseff in a serious crime. If the investigation into corruption, known as the Car Wash scandal, were to uncover evidence of the president's direct participation, the Supreme Court and Congress could remove her while she is being investigated. She has not been linked in any direct way after nearly two years of investigation. Brazil's constitution was only ratified in 1988, and the explosive events of the past few weeks have led to intense debate about the procedures that should be employed to deal with this political crisis. It's entirely possible that things will change again soon or that more options may present themselves. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> This article relied on interviews with Ana Paula de Barcellos, professor of constitutional law at the Rio de Janeiro State University, and Peter Hakim, president emeritus at the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank that focuses on relations with Latin America. Bevins is a special correspondent. MORE WORLD NEWS What we know so far about the fugitive Paris terror suspects Obama declares a 'new day' in relations between the U.S. and Cuba What do residents of Trump's ancestral village in Germany think of him? Not so nice The key witness to a brutal arson attack on a Palestinian family now finds his own home destroyed by flames. When a Molotov cocktail sent Riham and Saad Dawabshes home up in flames last year, killing the couple and their 18-month-old son, their cousin Ibrahim Dawabshe heard their screams from the house next door. The attack, allegedly carried out by Jewish extremists, drew international condemnation. Early Sunday, Ibrahim and his wife, who still live along with much of the Dawabshe family in the West Bank village of Duma, awoke to thick smoke, neighbors said. They managed to get out of the house, and were taken to a hospital near Nablus to be treated for smoke inhalation and shock. Advertisement Around 1:30 a.m., I heard my brother and his wife call for help, Bashar Dawabshe said. I went up towards their house on the next floor and saw the flames. Surveying the wreckage later in the morning, Bashar said he saw that a window was broken and shattered glass lay inside the house. The window had been broken from the outside and flammable materials were found among the debris inside, firefighter Malek Ali told Agence France-Presse. Israeli police said that the fire did not appear to be an arson attack by Jewish extremists, though some details of the investigation remain under a gag order. Family members disagreed. The fire was a message to the family and the village: This witness must disappear, relative Nasser Dawabshe told AFP. Ibrahim was talking to his then-fiancee on the phone on July 31, 2015, the night his cousins were killed. I heard Saad shouting: Help, they have slaughtered me, he said at the time. I dropped the phone and rushed to their house. At the house, he found two masked men standing over the burning bodies of Riham and Saad Dawabshe, he said. He could hear the screams of their 4-year-old son, Ahmad, who was still trapped inside the house. The masked men lunged toward him and he ran back to his own house, then returned to try to rescue Ahmad, he said. I used my cellphone as a light at the doorway of the bedroom. I could hear him, but I couldnt see him. I eventually pulled him out. Ahmed, now 5, the sole survivor, had burns over 65% of his body, including severe burns on his legs. Riham and Saads 18-month-old son Ali was killed in the fire. The couple later died in hospital of their burns, which covered up to 90% of their bodies. Ibrahim also tried in vain to rescue Ali. I put a cloth over my nose so that I could try to breathe, but the entire room was engulfed in flames and I couldnt go in to rescue him, Ibrahim said in July, in tears. He remembered how Riham and Saad looked just after they escaped the burning house, as they were carried onto the courtyard of his property. They were covered in synthetic bedding fabric that had melted into their flesh. A trail of blood stained the courtyard. Two reputed Jewish extremist activists have been charged in their deaths. Amiram Ben-Uliel, 21, has been charged with three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to commit a hate crime. Ben-Uliel was living in a West Bank settlement close to Duma at the time of the attack. A 17-year-old whose name cannot be revealed because of a court order has been charged as an accessory to the crime. The two are accused of plotting the attack in revenge for the shooting death of an Israeli by a Palestinian a month before. Their trial began in Lod District Court in early February. Shuttleworth is a special correspondent. ALSO Political crisis leaves Brazilians reeling 13 students killed, 34 injured in highway bus crash in Spain Obama arrives in Cuba: This is a historic visit and a historic opportunity All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced. 19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc. A rare blood infection caused by the Elizabethkingia anopheles bacteria has been contracted by people in Wisconsin the past few months. It was recently confirmed to have claimed a life in Michigan. This brings the total death toll of the illness to 18, with the 17 people already having died of the infection in Wisconsin since the outbreak first occurred in November 2015. Increasing Number of Infections in Wisconsin Health officials revealed that the bloodstream infection is caused by the Elizabethkingia bacteria, which is often found in water and soil, but it seldom causes infections. However, since November 2015, 54 residents of Wisconsin have contracted it. "Most of the time when we hear about Elizabethkingia it's in the setting of sporadic cases, usually in a hospital or healthcare facility, and often in the setting of a patient who is very vulnerable and frail or has other illnesses that render them susceptible to infection," Dr. Nasia Safdar, University of Wisconsin Hospital's director of infection control, said in an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, adding that the outbreak is "very unusual." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) matched the infection in Michigan to the outbreak in Wisconsin as the strands seemed to be from the same source. The cases are still being investigated by the CDC for clues of its patterns. Studying the Rise of Cases Many of the people who contracted the infection were over 65 with other health problems and low immunity. A number of people caught it in a nursing home and hospital, but there were also those who were more geographically spread out. Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health continue to conduct site visits and tests, although samples of the potential sources have all come back negative including from contaminated water, health care products and the environment Concern over the infection is growing, especially as the bacterial strand has already killed over a dozen of people or about 54 percent of its victims. Furthermore, it's proven to be extremely tricky to treat as it is resistant to a lot of antibiotics. For a higher chance of success, it often takes a combination of several drugs as well as a well-functioning immune system in the patient. While the health officials are not entirely certain of the reason behind the boost in numbers the past few months, people -- especially those who live in Wisconsin and Michigan -- are urged to be more cautious and keep an eye out for symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, chills or cellulitis. Health officials recommend visiting a physician if symptoms continue for possible laboratory tests. Endless protest efforts and constant, direct pressure on Immigration Custom Enforcement officials have helped a North Carolina teen stave off deportation to his violent homeland of Honduras. Wildin Acosta will now be allowed to remain in the U.S., at least until his appeal is heard, and many supporters are now hopeful he will be granted long-term asylum. The North Carolina high school student had been scheduled to be deported on March 20. "Halting Acosta's deportation will unquestionably result in the protection of Wildin Acosta from further violence," Congressman G.K. Butterfield, among those leading the charge for Acosta's release, said in a statement. Community Rallied Together to Help Acosta The 19-year-old Riverside High School senior's reprieve might also have some in the pro-immigration community wondering if the combination of constant activism and direct pressure on ICE officials may be a blueprint for how best to aid loved ones on the verge of deportation. ACLU North Carolina policy council representative Susanna Birdsong previously told Latin Post that officials from her office would be closely monitoring the situation involving Acosta. Official word of Acosta's second chance came down on the day he was slated to be deported. ICE Director Sarah Saldana made the announcement. Acosta was scheduled to graduate this year, and he held down a job to help support his family. Supporters had argued he was being denied his day in court and pleaded for more time to fight his case. In the days leading up to his planned deportation, family, friends and teachers of the youth convened at Durham Central Park to voice support for him. Some Riverside students said they now plan to dedicate the week to him by donning purple in his honor and signing a petition. Another rally is scheduled for Thursday. Acosta Held at Georgia Facility For the time being, Acosta remains held in a rural jail in Georgia, where he was transferred after being snatched by roving deportation agents. He has previously claimed he fled Honduras and escaped to the U.S. after a gang member threatened to kill him. His arrest came as part of the Obama administration's plan to find and deport all immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally after 2014, when a surge of unaccompanied children and families illegally crossed the border. "Through the night, I continued my effort to persuade ICE Director Saldana to reconsider her decision to not intervene in the deportation of Wildin Acosta," Butterfield added in his statement. He later added, "On behalf of the Acosta family and their hundreds of friends in Durham, North Carolina and around the country, I extend my appreciation to the Obama administration, Director Saldana and other senior officials responsible for border security for this most appropriate decision." Soon after Acosta was taken into custody, Latino attendance at his high school dipped dramatically, as many students chose to stay home over fear of being confronted by ICE agents. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders won nine delegates thanks to voters living outside the United States. Feeling the Bern, Worldwide According to Democrats Abroad, 34,570 voters cast their ballot from more than 170 countries -- via email, fax and post -- and most, overwhelmingly, went for Sanders. Democrats Abroad revealed Sanders won with 69 percent to Hillary Clinton's 39 percent, therefore winning nine delegate, while the former secretary of state scored four delegates. The overall vote count was a 50 percent increase from the 2008 election. In terms of specific votes, Sanders received 23,779 votes and Clinton won 10,689 votes. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, despite suspending his presidential campaign in early February, was not forgotten as he received 0.06 percent, or 21 votes. There were uncommitted voters, particularly 75 voters, who did not favor one of the Democratic candidates on the ballot, which included Rocky De La Fuente. "This political revolution that is gaining momentum across America is now resonating all over the world," Sanders said in a statement following the confirmed win. "There is a clear path to victory as we begin the second half of the delegate selection process. We are waging a strong campaign and plan to take it all the way to the Democratic National Convention this summer in Philadelphia." Votes Across Latin America In Argentina, 67 voters favored Sanders, and 20 votes went in Clinton's direction. In Chile, 115 people voted, most for Sanders, 110 votes to 45 votes for Clinton. Colombia felt the "Bern" with 52 votes to Clinton's 12 votes. In Costa Rica, the turnout increased further as 239 votes went for Sanders and 91 for Clinton. In Guatemala, Sanders received 108 votes to 65 votes for Clinton. Mexico also supported Sanders with 848 votes to Clinton's 535 votes. Sanders' success continued in Panama with 107 votes to Clinton's 43 votes, and 86 votes in Peru to the former New York senator's 24 votes. In the Dominican Republic, the tide changed in Clinton's favor. Clinton easily dominated the 403 total votes, winning 350 votes and 53 going for Sanders. Prior to the Democrats Abroad results, RealClearPolitics' projection had Clinton with 1,119 pledged delegates and Sanders with 813 pledged delegates. Taking into account the superdelegates, Clinton's lead increases to 1,614 to Sanders' 856. A Democratic presidential candidates requires 2,382 delegates to clinch the party's nomination. The Democrats Abroad results also comes a day before the next round of primaries occur for Clinton and Sanders. Arizona is scheduled to host its presidential primary, while Idaho and Utah will have caucuses. More than 100 delegates will be up for grabs, proportionally. __ For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com. It's another round of primaries and caucuses on Tuesday with more than 100 delegates up for grabs for each major political party. Arizona: Where the Latino Vote Is Key Arizona offers the most delegates for both Republican and Democratic Parties on Tuesday. In the Republican Party, 58 delegates are available and the state is a "winner take all" election, where the candidate with the most votes automatically receive all available delegates. Based on polling data from KSAZ-Fox 10 Phoenix and Opinion Savvy, Donald Trump is likely to win the Arizona primary. In the survey, he received 45.8 percent support from the 588 respondents. Ted Cruz ranked second with a healthy 33.3 percent, or 196 voters. John Kasich ranked third with 17.1 percent, while 3.8 percent were undecided. In the Democratic Party, Arizona offers 75 pledged delegates, which refers to non-superdelegates. Bernie Sanders has been campaigning hard in Arizona, including a trip to the border and his wife, Jane Sanders, visiting Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio regarding his questionable policies toward immigrant detainees, but polling data indicates rival Hillary Clinton may comfortably win. According to Bruce Merill and Phoenix-based Westgroup Research's survey, conducted between March 7 and March 11, Clinton received 50 percent support to 24 percent for Sanders, but 26 percent of voters are undecided. More than two million Latinos live in Arizona, based on 2014 data, which equals to 31 percent of the state's population. Meanwhile, more than 625,000 Latinos are registered to vote, according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund but just over 433,000 are expected to cast their vote on Election Day in November. "Sadly, Latinos in Arizona are no stranger to the sort of inflammatory rhetoric we are hearing from some of the individuals contending for our nation's highest office," stated NALEO Educational Fund Arturo Vargas. "Candidates who choose to use the Latino community as a punching bag to score political points in Arizona and nationwide do so at their own peril." "With more than 13.1 million Latino voters expected to cast ballots in 2016, the Latino community will throw the knockout punch come Election Day," added Vargas. Utah Caucuses Unlike Arizona, Utah will hosts caucuses. In the Republican Party, 40 delegates are available. If a GOP candidate manages to receive 50 percent of the vote, or higher, then he will win all 40 delegates. If not, the 40 delegates will be split pending final results. According to the Y2 Analytics survey, Cruz has leads the pack with 53 percent and could win all 40 delegates. Kasich placed second with 29 percent, while Trump was a distant third at 11 percent. The poll surveyed 500 likely Republican voters between March 17 and March 19. For Democrats, 33 pledged delegates are available. According to Deseret News and KSL's survey, polling 194 likely voters between March 8 and March 15, Sanders holds a moderate lead over Clinton -- 52 percent to 44 percent. Although its Latino population is smaller compared to Arizona, the rate of Latinos living in Utah is not far from the national average of 17.5 percent. With 13 percent of its population being Latino, Utah is home 147,000 Latino eligible voters, which is the 24th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population across the country, according to the Pew Research Center. GOP Exclusive: American Samoa The Republican Party's third contest on March 22 will be in American Samoa with nine delegates at stake. The American Samoa process will contested through a convention, not a primary or caucus. Democrats Exclusive: Idaho Democrats will have another caucus in Idaho, where 23 delegates are proportionally available. Polling data has not been available in Idaho, based on RealClearPolitics data. In regards to the Latino electorate, 12 percent of the state's population are Latino but 80,000 are eligible to vote. __ For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com. U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuba President Raul Castro held what may be an awkward press conference as the communist leader was asked about political prisoners and human rights. Human Rights Should Not Be Politicized Heading into Obama and Castro's press conference, it was revealed the U.S. president would answer two questions while the Cuban leader would respond to only one. By the end of the press conference, Castro responded to two questions largely about human rights in the Latin American country and imprisonment of political opponents. "Give me list right now of the political prisoners' names to set them free," Castro said originally in Spanish, in response to a CNN reporter's question. "Mention them now. What political prisoners? Tell me the name or names. If there are political prisoners, before nightfall, they will be free." Castro said human rights should not be politicized and that there are other more important issues to address such as health care and free education. Castro said there are 61 recognized instruments on human rights, but asked how many countries actually oblige to each of them. "What country complies with them all? Do you know how many? I do. None," said Castro, adding that some countries comply with some human and civil rights and ignore others, but noted Cuba has followed with 47 of the 61 recognized human rights instruments. "I don't think we can not use the argument of human rights for political confrontation, that is not fair, it's not correct. I'm not saying it's not honest...but let us work so we can all comply with all human rights," added Castro, before ending the press conference citing prior scheduled commitments to attend. Obama on Normalizing Relations The press conference came after Obama and Castro held private talks to discuss various issues. At the press conference, Castro acknowledged some of the advancements made since diplomatic relations were first renewed in December 2014, ranging from travel, commercial business in the island, communication and restoring postal service. Differences still remained. In addition to disagreements about human rights, Castro called on the end of the Cuban embargo -- which requires Congress to lift -- and the return of Guantanamo Bay. "The blockade stands as the most important obstacle to our economic development and the well-being of the Cuban people. That's why its removal will be of the essence," said Castro about the embargo. "The embargo's gonna end. When, I can't be entirely sure, but I believe it will end and the path we are on will continue beyond my administration. The reason is logic," said Obama, noting he has done plenty to ease restrictions on an executive level but it's time for Congress to act. Ultimately, Obama said Cuba's future has to be decided by the Cuban people. The president arrived in Cuba on Sunday and will leave tomorrow, March 22, as he will visit Argentina. __ For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com. Mexican diplomats are rumored to be masterminding a plan to push U.S. immigrants who have become permanent U.S. residents to become American citizens presumably so they can cast ballots against Republican front-runner and hardline immigration advocate Donald Trump. While top Mexican officials have largely refrained from publicly discussing their strategy out of respect for U.S. sovereignty, those in the know insist that behind the scenes a movement aimed at stopping Trump has already been launched. "This is a historic moment where the Mexican consulate will open its doors to carry out these types of events in favor of the Mexican community," Adrian Sosa, a spokesman for the consulate in Chicago, recently admitted during a "citizenship clinic" held in Dallas and attended by 250 permanent residents according to a Bloomberg article. A month later, about 150 were on hand for another event, and at a recent gatering in Las Vegas the crowd topped 500. Mexican-American Joel Diaz recently showed up at the Mexican consulate in Chicago with his wife and their four adult sons to register as citizens and safeguard their right to vote against Trump. "We're very worried," said the 47-year-old evangelical pastor. "If he wins there will be a lot of damage against a lot of people here, and to us as Hispanics, as Mexicans." Several U.S. Allies Concerned About Trump Mexico is among a growing list of U.S. allies expressing deepening concerns over the prospect of Trump assuming the reins of the Oval Office. When he officially launched his campaign earlier this summer, Trump did so by calling Mexican immigrants killers and rapists and by vowing to erect a border wall to keep them out of the U.S. "I'm speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I've said a lot of things," Trump recently boasted when asked about foreign policy advisers. "My primary consultant is myself and I have a good instinct for this stuff." Even 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney has expressed growing concern about some of Trump's views, and representatives from several other major capitals also appear to be growing more alarmed. An official close to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently admitted a Trump presidency would be a risk for the global economy and security. Trump has targeted Japan, along with Mexico and China, as nations where the U.S. is "getting absolutely crushed on trade." Francisco Guzman, chief of staff to Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto, said the Mexican government is holding off on engaging Trump directly until he officially becomes the Republican nominee, should he successfully do so. Once that happens, Guzman explained, the government plans to communicate with the campaigns of the nominees in hopes of dispelling all misinformation wrongly spread about Mexico and Mexicans. Pena Nieto Compares Trump to Hitler Meanwhile, Pena Nieto recently compared some of Trump's fiery rhetoric to the hate-filled words of Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Pew Research Center reports about 12 million Mexicans now reside in the U.S. Of that total, The New Americans Campaign adds, about 2.7 million are permanent residents eligible to become citizens. U.S. prosecutors pressed charges on Friday against a Chinese-born woman for her alleged involvement in the scheme to bribe a former United Nations General Assembly president. The woman was identified as 55-year-old Julia Vivi Wang, a business executive from China who reportedly paid at least $500,000 in bribes to acquire diplomatic positions with Antigua for her husband and another Chinese businessman. New York Times reported that bribe was brokered through John W. Ashe, who served as the U.N. General Assembly president from 2013 to 2014, and Francis Lorenzo, deputy permanent representative for the Dominican Republic to the United Nations. Ashe was said to have facilitated more than $1.3 million in bribes through the scheme. Ashe has engaged in corrupt practices since 2011, accepting bribes from Chinese businessmen who sought to influence the decisions of the United Nations and Antiguan officials. The charges against Wang were filed two days after Lorenzo pleaded guilty to having to the corrupt practices and was suspended from office. Julia Vivi Wang, also known as Vivian Wang, was arrested on Thursday and charged in the complaint with money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, Reuters wrote. She filed a $1.5 million bond and was subsequently released on Friday. Wang served as vice president of the South-South News and International Organization for South-South Cooperation, both of which focus on covering and developing U.N.-related programs. She particularly sought to buy positions in a Hong Kong investment office Antigua was putting up for her late husband and another Chinese businessman. Francis Lorenzo revealed to U.S. authorities that Wang wanted to secure the positions because it would help them generate profit by helping others obtain citizenship through investing in a country. Wang and her conspirators would then arrange the business deals for interested investors. Aside from facilitating the bribe payments from Wang, Lorenzo also help manage payments from Ng Lap Seng, a billionaire in Macau's real estate industry who was arrested on separate charges in February. According to Deutsche Welle, John Ashe's arrest and the discovery of the scheme came as a shock to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who was "deeply troubled" by the findings. "Corruption is not business as usual at the UN," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric commented. Dujarric also said Ban Ki Moon has organized a task force that will look into the issue and publish recommendations on how to improve and bolster transparency in the office to avoid a recurrence of the incident. Most of the lower house lawmakers weren't happy about the Haiti prime minister's plan after he was chosen as the second top official in the country. On Sunday, the lawmakers expressed their rejection of economist Fritz Jean's plans, making a great threat in the unstable Haiti's provisional government. The interim government is only supposed to be running only for 120 days. As reported by Reuters, the lower chamber of parliament denounced PM's Jean's program that only added more obstacle in the transformation of the government from interim to an elected one. Due to the rejection of the lawmakers, the newly appointed Haiti PM won't be able to form his cabinet members and plan ahead for the incoming election. "We rejected the program of Fritz Jean because his nomination by President Privert did not meet the consensus requirements which should characterize the prime minister," Deputy Gary Bodeau, told Reuters after the vote. According to the report of Haiti Libre, the general policy statement of the Haiti PM got 38 votes in favor and 36 against the policy. One lawmaker abstained from the voting process of the policy. The body is made up of 119 deputies and the PM needs at least 60 votes for the acceptance of the policy. "Mr. Prime Minister 38 deputies voted in favor to your general policy statement, as the majority required in terms of section 158 of the 1987 amended Constitution is at least 60 votes, which constitutes the absolute majority required, your general policy statement is rejected." Outgoing Prime Minister Evans Paul also condemned Jean's appointment and induction on Sunday, Washington Times reports. With the strong opposition of the parliament against Haiti PM, President Jocelerme Privert may be obliged to choose another option for the position of the prime minister. However, the process is not easy as the new nominee must be approved by both the houses of the parliament. Former Haiti President Michel Martelly left his position in February. The election was postponed in December and in January. The opposition of a majority of the lawmakers on Sunday about Haiti PM's policy could mean that the interim government couldn't transfer power yet to an elected government. The presidential election is set on April 24. Honda to show US-spec Clarity FCV in New York Mar 21, 2016, 1:28pm ET The hydrogen-powered car will be headed to the US market by the end of the year. Honda is preparing to provide the first look at the US-spec Clarity Fuel Cell sedan at the New York International Auto Show. The company initially unveiled the new Clarity in October at the Tokyo Motor Show, ahead of initial availability in Japan. Europe is next on the list, followed by a US launch by the end of the year. The US-bound version will presumably be a close match to the car that debuted in Tokyo. The biggest difference will likely be on paper, with an EPA driving range expected to "exceed 300 miles." The same tank of hydrogen achieved a range of approximately 435 miles in the Japanese test cycle. Drivers will be able to refill the hydrogen tank in approximately three minutes, slightly faster than the Toyota Mirai's quoted pump time. Like all fuel-cell vehicles, the Clarity faces a particularly challenging environment in the US market as hydrogen refueling infrastructure remains scant. The California Fuel Cell Partnership lists just 14 stations active in the entire state, 10 of which are still in the "soft opening" stage with potential service interruptions. Some have reportedly been unable to fill for weeks at a time. Others sometimes offer only a lower-pressure fill that essentially leaves the tank half empty. The Clarity FCV will initially be limited to California, available only via a $500/month lease program. Honda is expected to eventually sell the car outright, with a price tag around $60,000. Live images by Ben Hsu. A 40-year-old Bethlehem man faces several drug charges after his vehicle and apartment were searched on Friday, city police report. Patrick Adams, 40, of the 300 block of Polk Street in Bethlehem, faces a variety of drug charges after his vehicle and apartment were searched March 18, 2016, city police say. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) Bethlehem's Department of Special Operations and Vice Unit in November began investigating Patrick Adams in a probe of heroin and marijuana sales, police Chief Mark DiLuzio wrote in a news release. The investigation was sparked by citizen complains, DiLuzio said. "The sharing of information and the gathering of intelligence, along with basic police work, led to this successful investigation," DiLuzio said. "I would also like to thank the citizens who reported this suspicious activity to us and the Bethlehem detectives and officers involved in this investigation." At noon on Friday, undercover detectives saw Adams driving a vehicle on the north end of the Fahy Bridge, DiLuzio said. The vehicle was pulled over and police found Adams had 10 bags of heroin and $250 cash, DiLuzio said. Combining information from the investigation and the traffic stop, a search warrant was obtained for Adams' apartment at 328 Polk St., DiLuzio said. Police say they found: 3 ounces of crystal methamphetamine, worth $6,000 on the street 1 pound of marijuana, worth $2,000 on the street 109 packets of heroin, worth $1,000 on the street Paraphernalia, including a scale, packaging bags and "other items consistent with packaging and selling heroin, meth and marijuana." Adams was arraigned before District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez on charges of possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession with intent to deliver heroin, marijuana and crystal methamphetamine, DiLuzio said. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $125,000 bail. "The trafficking and use of drugs like heroin and methamphetamine are ravaging many communities across the United States," DiLuzio said. "... Bethlehem is not immune from this addiction issue. The Bethlehem Police Department will continue to cooperate and work with the public, and use all resources available in its efforts to investigate all drug crimes and criminal complaints, and to arrest all individuals that sell drugs of any type, possess or use illegal firearms, or commit crimes of violence." Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. One minute Kinte King was involved in a confrontation. The next minute shots rang out, and the Bethlehem man was was clinging to life. From left, Angelo Lopez and Dan David Hernandez "I just heard shots," King testified Monday during the preliminary hearing for 31-year-old Dan David "Dee Drop" Hernandez of Bethlehem. King said he was shot through the back, leg, shoulder and arm. He lost his spleen, spent more than three weeks in the hospital and more than three months with follow-up treatment. King and Angelo "Heavy Dee" Lopez testified Monday about the chaotic scene April 23, 2013, in an alley near King's garage in the 1400 block of Marvine Street. Both testified Hernandez was there but neither testified he saw Hernandez pull out a gun. Bethlehem police Detective Moses Miller, however, said Jose Cubero told him he saw Hernandez shoot King. Miller said Cubero told him King had punched Hernandez earlier in the day and Hernandez wanted revenge. Hernandez will stand trial for attempted homicide, aggravated assault, carrying a concealed weapon without a license, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person. Charges of conspiracy to commit attempted homicide and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault were dismissed by District Judge Joseph Barner. Hernandez's preliminary hearing was canceled in October and moved to the Northampton County Courthouse due to safety concerns. Lopez, who is Hernandez's uncle, said his car was recently vandalized and he feared retaliation over his testimony. He testified that he told Assistant District Attorney Patricia Mulqueen just prior to the hearing that he was nervous about testifying and feared for his safety. Defense attorney John McMahon Jr. of Norristown said the charges should be thrown out because neither Lopez nor King identified Hernandez as the shooter. Lopez was fighting with King when shots rang out. Lopez is charged with simple assault. In addition, Lopez suffers from schizophrenia, said he hears voices and said his memory isn't reliable. Detective Miller said Cubero's whereabouts are known, and although he hasn't spoken to Cubero in nearly three years, Cubero should be available to testify at trial. Barner said he'll consider McMahon's request to lower Hernandez's bail after Hernandez is evaluated by Northampton County's Pretrial Services division. Lopez made a statement to Miller shortly after turning himself in on May 3, 2013, that he saw Hernandez shoot King, but backpedaled from that statement in court, saying his earlier memory was false. Lopez said he went to meet King with Hernandez. When they got there, Lopez started fighting with King, Lopez said. "I heard shots," Lopez testified. "I heard somebody say 'gun.'" Lopez testified. He said he quickly left the crowded area and fled in a car, leaving Hernandez behind. King testified he heard 7 or 8 shots during the melee. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Members of the Easton Area High School jazz ensemble gather every Thursday evening to practice for their upcoming trip. The students are headed to Flensburg, Germany, in May. They could use your help. The students are hosting two fundraisers in preparation for the trip. The first, The group is also raising money through its annual To buy tickets to either event, contact the district's music director, Carole Lutte, at luttec@eastonsd.org or 610-250-2481 ext. 32214. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Ex-trooper in turnpike holdup ordered worker to tie up colleague, report says Police investigate an armed robbery at the Exit 180 interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike on March 20, 2016, that left three dead, including the alleged gunman. (Pennlive.com via AP | For lehighvalleylive.com) The gunman in Sunday's deadly robbery at a Pennsylvania Turnpike toll booth demanded a toll collector tie the hands of a colleague, pennlive.com reports, citing newly released court records. Toll worker Martha Berkstresser was just finishing her shift about 7 a.m. at the Fort Littleton Interchange, Exit 180 on the turnpike's east-west Mainline (Interstates 76/276) in Dublin Township, Fulton County. Fellow toll-taker Danny Crouse, 55, on the job for less than three months, had come on to relieve Berkstresser. The two were counting the night's take when Clarence Briggs allegedly approached the booth and pointed a gun at Berkstresser from point-blank range before walking the pair to a break room. Briggs handed Berkstresser a piece of cord, ordering her to tie Crouse's hands behind his back, but she did so loosely, pennlive reports. Crouse reportedly broke free and tried to take the gun from Briggs. Berkstresser ran to the booth to call for help and heard four shots, according to the report. Fewer than five minutes later, a turnpike commission fare-collection vehicle arrived at the interchange, and Berkstresser told the occupants about the robbery in progress, pennlive says. The van driver saw Crouse carrying a gun and missing a shoe, headed toward the van, and the van's security guard -- 72-year-old Ronald Heist -- jumped out to help. Crouse and Heist were confronted by Briggs and fatally shot before Briggs began firing at the van, Pennsylvania State Police said. "The driver of the fare collection vehicle was able to flee on foot," police said in a news release. "Briggs then gained access to the fare collection vehicle and drove it a short distance across State Route 522 to an area where his car was parked. "Briggs attempted to unload money from the fare collection vehicle to his car," identified by pennlive as a blue BMW. Troopers arrived minutes after the call for assistance. "The first trooper on scene encountered Briggs and gunfire was exchanged between the trooper and the actor," the release states. "Briggs was shot and succumbed to his injuries at the scene." Police identified Briggs, 54, of Newville, Pennsylvania, as a retired state trooper, having ended his career in January 2012. Briggs had worked on the turnpike detail while with the state police, pennlive reports. Pennlive based their report on a search warrant application, and said investigators were searching Briggs' car for items ranging from cellphones to any sources of DNA, as well as weapons, documents, disguises, evidence of a struggle and evidence of any efforts to commit and cover up a crime. Citing federal records, the website reports Briggs and his wife, Donna, had filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in March 2015, listing $233,375 in assets and $314,615 in debts, including a $179,358 mortgage on their home in Upper Mifflin Township northwest of Newville. The couple's bankruptcy lawyer, Chad Julius, said the couple's repayment plan had been approved and they were making the required installments, The Associated Press reports. "I didn't know him well, but I did meet with him several times," Julius said, according to the AP. "The man that I met with was certainly not capable of the crimes that were committed. I'm in shock." Briggs had been accused of domestic violence in 2014, pennlive and the AP report; court records show that charges of simple assault and harassment were dismissed, however, four months after they were filed. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Last week, as a governor, I spent my morning at my local primary school completing an annual return and reviewing our budget for the next financial year (as an accountant, I get all the fun jobs). The atmosphere was a strange one. As a school that has successfully fought off an attempt at academy conversion, the staff were deeply upset about the grand announcement from George Osborne, that all schools will become academies by 2020. Meanwhile, our excellent Local Education Authority advisor was clearly and understandably out of sorts having just been made effectively redundant. The policy being pushed forward by the government is going to be a disaster for primary schools, and everyone working in the sector knows this. Quite simply, the size of primary schools prevents them from having the necessary infrastructure to make an academy structure feasible. The destruction of the Local Education Authority support network will do irreparable damage to our capacity to support primary leaders in their incredibly varied roles. Placed alongside the erosion of teacher quality (goodbye Qualified Teacher Status), the effective withdrawal of accountability to parents (your MP is going to have a lot less influence on the Department of Education than your County Councillor had with the local authority) and the massive centralisation of all decision making, we are looking at a staggering escalation of this governments assault on liberal education in this country. As with many working within the education system, having watched the Tories get their way for 6 years, the first instinct is to protect our 500 children by approaching these changes as pragmatically as possible and start assessing the least disruptive path towards conversion. However the more I reflect on the long term damage of this government proposal, the more I believe we must focus all of our efforts into defeating it. In the worst case, we have four years to mitigate the damage if we lose. Teachers at my school were already talking of strikes and I suspect this will be Labours immediate response (particularly given the current leadership). However the Tory controlled media will easily deflect blame and channel resentment back towards the profession. Every time you strike, a Tory has a fantasy about Margaret Thatcher. Unfortunately (and possibly intentionally), the profession is also currently flat out preparing for the massive curriculum changes from Mr Gove which will be introduced in September. Meanwhile the political opposition remains focused on fighting Gideon and Daves battles for them by pouring our efforts and resources into preventing Brexit. Admittedly very few things are more important but, for me, defeating this education reform is one of them because a greatly diminished education system will lead to a more divided and fearful society where nationalists are more likely to succeed in the long-term. So, what do we actually do? I believe we need to work in partnership with teachers across the country to make sure parents realise the full impact of these changes. The first important step in doing that is to plan a disruptive parliamentary campaign to block any related legislation. I do not understand the nuance of Westminster processes, but I would like our MPs to explain exactly how this can defeated. Will we be able to use the House of Lords once again, or will we need to target marginal Conservatives in the Commons? These are key questions requiring urgent answers. With such a plan, we should be reaching out the National Association of Head Teachers and the unions to raise awareness. Strikes will likely be futile, but I believe that the talents of the teaching profession could be used far more effectively through more constructive mass disobedience. The media might be ignoring this issue, but most parents spend more time in and around school than they do reading the tabloid newspapers. As liberals, we naturally want to keep politics out of schools but the Tories have made it a battle ground and now we must be ruthless in our efforts to stop them. With those collective resources, we should (at least) be able to target every Tory in a marginal seat and ensure that they either vote to block the changes or, in 2020, will be held directly responsible for the inevitable carnage this policy causes. This strategy is already proving very effective in forcing a u-turn on disability benefits and should be pursued throughout this parliament. Its a long-shot, our party is greatly diminished, but we will be truly admitting to failure if we no longer even try to protect an education system which is core to our liberal values. * Jamie joined the Lib Dems in 2014 and was elected as City Councillor for West Chesterton in May 2018. Note, this post contains descriptions of torture that some readers may find distressing. Five years ago, on Friday 18th March 2011, Syrian civilians in the southern town of Deraa took to the streets to demand freedom, dignity and a fair future. The regime of Bashar al-Assad and his coterie responded immediately with deadly force, and over the following weeks more and more protesters were shot down, more and more mourners were murdered while attending funerals and more and more innocent Syrians were rounded up for torture in many cases never to be seen again. In May 2011 the civil uprising was invigorated by the desperately sad revelation that 13 year old Hamza al-Khateeb had died in prison. When his body was returned to his family, the boys head was swollen, purple and disfigured. His body was a mess of welts, cigarette burns and wounds from bullets fired to injure, not kill. His kneecaps had been smashed, his neck broken, his jaw shattered and his penis cut off. Even Syrians, after decades of oppression, were shocked that the regime would stoop so low. As this post explains: By June 2011, Islamist radicals, many of whom had been released in presidential amnesties, began to organize into small militias conducting hit-and-run attacks on the army. Now thoroughly disabused of the notion that Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government could be swayed by peaceful protest, many former demonstrators and military defectors also took up arms. As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon put it, the international community has completely failed Syria. We have stood by or allowed fuel to be poured on the fire of one of the worst humanitarian crises since WWII. As someone who lived in Syria for several years, and who remains in contact with Syrians there, and in the refugee communities, it is clear that my sympathies lie with the Syrian people, divided though they may be. Last weeks conference debate on the emergency motion Towards a Stable and Peaceful Syria was, despite the perhaps unrealistic optimism of the title, nevertheless a step forward. As a party we have debated air strikes and united around Tim Farrons call that we should do much, much more for refugees (not all of whom are Syrian, it should be noted). What we have not been good at doing, as a party, a government, a country or even as a continent, is to really listen to Syrian voices and create space for them to lead and inform our debates. If the controversy around air strikes has achieved one thing, it has been that this has begun, ever so slightly, to change. On Saturday 9th January many of us attended the very informative Syria Vote and Beyond Radical Ideas for Difficult Problems conference, and heard from two Syrian speakers. We were privileged that one of them, Yasmine Nahlawi of the Manchester Syrian Communitys Rethink Rebuild Society, came to speak at the Safe at Last? Syrian Refugees in the UK Fringe in York last weekend. I have founded, and aim shortly to officially launch the Liberal Democrats for Syrian Freedom, Peace and Reconstruction. The primary purpose of the group is to help connect Lib Dems with Syrians and to enable us to hear directly from them. It exists to be a conduit for Syrians to connect with us. I hope that we will be able to develop links with, and learn from, organisations such as the Rethink Rebuild Society, the Syrian British Medical Association, Badael and many others. With the recent partial cessation of hostilities, Syrians have taken to the streets in great numbers once again, protesting against the horrific regime and the extremists who have attempted to co-opt the revolution. We should be with them in spirit and in solidarity. I will write more soon, but if anyone would like to register their interest or get involved, please contact me via the Facebook page linked to above and/or email me on [email protected] * Jonathan Brown is the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate of the Chichester Party and founder of the Liberal Democrats for Free Syria. The Liberal Democrats are the party of evidence-based politics. We form our policies not based on blindly-followed ideology, but by proposing workable solutions to societys problems. In my view this is what makes our party great. With this in mind, I broadly welcome our approach to the public versus private sector debate, which Ill address in the latter part of this post. However, Conferences vote to approve fracking in Scotland is concerning in comparison to the partys renewed opposition in England. I welcome this opposition for two pragmatic reasons. Firstly, there are serious short-terms risks to fracking, such as water pollution. This is a serious risk, because the private companies which frack love to cut corners, as has been seen in the US. Until such time as there is fracking regulation with real teeth, supporting fracking is a massive. Simon Oliver recently wrote an excellent explanation of findings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh report here on Lib Dem Voice. Basically, fracking could be done well in the UK, but wont be due to the weakening of regulations. Selective citation of the report in the Scottish debate seemed to use the evidence to justify a response, not having a response based on the available evidence. That isnt how our party debates should work. Secondly, theres the environmental impact, as highlighted by Willie Rennie. The burning of natural gases provided by fracking leads to global warming. It kicks the problem of environmental damage into the long grass. It leaves my generation and the next to pick up the pieces. Short-term gain for long-term pain. That is why Willie Rennies is a strong, pragmatic response. This contrasts with the Tories commitment to short-changing the next generation. Now on to the public versus private sector debate. During the Labour leadership election Jeremy Corbyn described his ideological commitment to public sector ownership. Corbyns approach has a lot to do with ideology and little to do with pragmatism. Its a shame. Theres a decent case for more public ownership of railways, if made pragmatically. Just look at East Coast before it was sold off. That was a profit-making, state-owned railway operator delivering for its customers. We Lib Dems tend to be pragmatic on privatisation too. If we look at the selling off of Royal Mail, it was a policy supported by Vince Cable and the coalition team based on the evidence available. It provided the opportunity for an affordable investment for British people. A few months ago I suggested here on LDV that privatising elements of the NHS could work in certain scenarios. The issue is that, as with fracking, it has to be done well and done pragmatically. When we look at our NHS does the wasting of time and energy on this really this make it worthwhile? I really hope we members continue to scrutinise the evidence carefully when making policy. The future of our party and of liberalism lies in our hands. * A Liberal in Leeds is the pseudonym for a Lib Dem member. His identity is known to the LDV team. Willie Rennie, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, has been banned from meeting staff at Amazons base in Dunfermline today. He was planning to meet staff there to discuss their working conditions, but the meeting was cancelled at the last minute by Amazon bosses in London. Willie is campaigning to stop the Scottish Government from giving hand-outs to companies which do not pay their staff at least at the Scottish Living Wage rate of 8.25 an hour. Under the current arrangements, over 5 million has been paid to Amazon in Scotland even though the company is only paying staff 7.20 an hour. We have this quote from Willie Rennie: 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. AN asylum seeker in Limerick was hospitalised after sustaining injuries in an unprovoked beating when another resident in the centre took his mobile phone, Limerick Circuit Court has heard. Ousmane Baah, who is originally from Guinea and has 51 previous convictions, was charged with the assault of another resident in the Westbourne direct provision centre on the Dock Road, on November 17, 2014. Judge Tom ODonnell heard that the incident happened at around 10pm, after Baah tried to enter the room of another man from Somalia. He pushed the door in and took his mobile phone. When the victim, now 27, asked for his phone back, he punched him several times in the face and knocked him to the ground. John OSullivan, BL, for the prosecution, said that the victim, who lost consciousness, said that he felt that he might die and thought the accused was on something. When gardai arrived at the residence they found the victims face badly busted up, with his nose bleeding and one of his eyes swollen shut. He was brought to hospital by ambulance, but had not suffered any fractures. He declined to make a victim impact statement. Gardai found his phone hidden behind a toilet. The accused was sitting in the rear of a vehicle when gardai arrived, had his top off and was shouting aggressively. Gardai said Baah was unfit to be interviewed at first as he was intoxicated, and didnt remember all that had happened that night. He told gardai he had taken a number of pink tablets, and got money for drugs from gambling. The accused, whose previous convictions include assault, theft, public order, burglary, and robbery, has been in custody since September last for this offence after he was arrested in Dublin. Mark Nicholas, BL, for the defence, said as an asylum seeker in a direct provision centre he is precluded from working and receives 19 a week from the State. People in direct provision are living in a pressure cooker environment. He has a lot of time to fill, as he cant work, and some people fill that time better than others. It was an opportunistic crime, and utterly regrettable. He expressed his remorse when he was sober, said Mr Nicholas. As a non-Irish national, Mr Nicholas said a custodial sentence would prove difficult for him. Judge ODonnell advised that he should try to avoid committing offences in this case. He noted that Baah has had court appearance nationwide, including in Limerick city, Listowel, Tralee, Ennis, Newcastle West, Cloverhill, Gorey, Waterford, and Ballyshannon. He remanded him in custody until May 13, when he will impose sentence. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. Egyptian Pharaoh (Image credit: The BMJ) Scholars have long been puzzled about the death of Ramesses III, believed to have ruled from about 1186 B.C. to 1155 B.C. during Egypt's 20th dynasty. Research by Egyptologist Zahi Hawass and colleagues had found evidence he died immediately after his throat was slit, severing his trachea, esophagus and large blood vessels. "The large and deep cut wound in his neck must have been caused by a sharp knife or other blade," the team wrote in a paper on their findings, published in the British Medical Journal on Dec. 17, 2012. More recent research by Hawass and Cairo University radiologist Sahar Saleem suggests a group of assailants murdered the pharaoh. The duo found Ramesses III's toe had been hacked off with an ax, pointing to more than one assailant using different weapons. Here's a look at what scientists have found so far in the pharaoh's murder mystery. Ramesses III Temple (opens in new tab) | Shutterstock (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: bestimagesevercom While ancient papyrus court documents show that members of the king's harem plotted to kill him as part of a palace coup, it has remained unclear whether the assassination scheme was successful. Shown here, the Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu in Egypt. Column on east wall of First Court in the temple.) Unknown Man E (Image credit: BMJ) The researchers of the new study also examined a mummy suspected to be the pharaoh's traitorous son, Prince Pentawere, which they dubbed "unknown man E." Solving an Ancient Murder (Image credit: BMJ 2012;345:e8268) To solve this mummy murder mystery, researchers conducted computed tomography (CT) scans on Ramesses III's mummy, finding wounds in his neck (stars). (Arrow points to embalming material seeping into the wound and bone.) Deep Cuts (Image credit: BMJ 2012;345:e8268) "The large and deep cut wound in his neck must have been caused by a sharp knife or other blade," the team wrote in a paper on their findings, published in the British Medical Journal on Monday (Dec. 17, 2012). Shown here, a CT scan of his neck, showing a foreign object (arrow), wound margins (stars), and skin above and below the wound (triangles). They added that the cut, which severed his trachea, esophagus and large blood vessels, would have killed him instantly. Lucky Charm (Image credit: BMJ 2012;345:e8268) The researchers also found an amulet bearing the eye of Horus lodged in the mummy's throat and think it served as a lucky charm. Cause of Death? (Image credit: BMJ 2012;345:e8268) Because of unknown man E's contorted expression, some researchers have speculated that man E was poisoned or buried alive. The new analysis found that his lungs were overinflated (stars show air in thorax), which could be a sign of death by suffocation or strangulation, perhaps consistent with a suicide. Gas Formation (Image credit: BMJ 2012;345:e8268) This CT image shows the lower neck region and shoulder joints of unknown man E. Scapulae are shifted to the lateral side (arrows), and soft tissues are inflated because of gas formation (star). Thick linen wrappings (Image credit: Sahar Saleem and Zahi Hawass.) A three-dimensional CT scan of the feet of Ramesses III. Thick wrappings, glued together with copious amounts of resin, prevent the feet from being unwrapped. This extra resin hid the pharaoh's missing toe, perhaps deliberately, said radiologist Sahar Saleem, the co-author of a new book "Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies" (2016, American University in Cairo Press). Embalmers also fashioned a replacement toe out of linen to bulk out the bandages. Missing toe (Image credit: Sahar Saleem and Zahi Hawass.) A CT image of the left foot of Ramesses III. The end of the big toe bone is missing, and the sharp cut in the bone suggests the toe was cut with a heavy blade. A molded bunch of linen replaces the lost soft tissue. Amulets (Image credit: Sahar Saleem and Zahi Hawass.) Six dense objects were placed in the wrapping around the left foot of Ramesses III. These objects were likely amulets meant to promote healing of the damaged toe in the afterlife, according to Salem and her co-author, Egpytologist Zahi Hawass. There was also an amulet placed on the pharaoh's cut throat. Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea Ekol Logistics has continued its expansion in Europe by opening a company in Bulgaria, with plans to also establish new businesses in the coming months in Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Iran. The ambitious Istanbul-headquartered firm said the expansion was part of plans announced last year to become the widest European logistics network supported by the largest exclusively owned fleet, with Bulgaria becoming the 12 country in which it has established its own facilities. The company currently has distribution centres with a combined size of 750,000sqm in Turkey, Germany, Italy, Greece, France, Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Romania, Hungary, Spain, Poland and now Bulgaria, along with more than 6,500 multinational staff. It offers transport, warehouse management, international trade and supply chain management solutions, as well as owning of five ro-ro vessels and 4,000 vehicles and operating 80 block trains per month. Nikolay Stoyanov, country manager for Ekol Bulgaria, commented: Ekol Bulgaria will provide services of international and domestic FTL and groupage transport. Warehousing services will be provided for bonded and non-bonded goods. He said Ekol Bulgaria expected to have an estimated turnover 4.5 million and 20 employees at the end of the second year of Ekol activity in Bulgaria. Ekol Bulgaria has already been established and registered but will be operational in one to two months. The office and cross-dock warehouse has a capacity of nearly 1,000sqm and is located close to Sofia Airport. Stoyanov said that as the owner of five ro-ro vessels and the operator of 80 block trains per month, Ekol wants to use its environment-friendly services to strengthen its presence in Europe, adding: In the longer perspective, Ekol Bulgaria may offer intermodal solutions to and from other European countries. As the next step of our development, most probably in 2017, we may open offices in Plovdiv and Varna. Ekol began investing in Europe in 1996 with Ekol Germany, followed by investments in Romania, Italy, France, Ukraine, Greece, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 2013, it established Ekol Hungary, followed in 2014 by Ekol Spain and in 2015, Ekol opened a branch in Poland. Wojciech Brzuska, general manager for Ekol Europe, said over the next few months, Ekol would keep up the pace of its growth by establishing new businesses in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Iran. We are rolling out our strategy in hope that Ekols services will help expand the business of our customers in Bulgaria as well, he said. Ekol is developing really fast; our turnover is bigger by around 25% every year, thanks to organic growth. The 15th annual Longford Enterprise Awards took place last Thursday night to a packed audience at the Sin Bin at Longford Rugby Club. The event which is run in conjunction with the Longford Enterprise Office has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2001. Cathaoirleach of Longford Co Council, Cllr Gerry Warnock, who addressed those present on the night, said the event provided a platform on which local businesses were rewarded for their hard work and endeavours. These awards were designed to recognise the achievements of the small indigenous enterprise sector - a sector that provides over 80% of the employment opportunities in our country, added Cllr Warnock. In my opinion it is the small indigenous business that has kept the economy going over the last eight or nine years during a recession that is one of the worst this country has ever seen. Winners on the night included Grafters Hair Company, Richmount Cordial and Ark Energy. Grafters Grafters Hair Company received a runner up accolade at this years Longford Enterprise Awards. The company which is run by Pauline Belton has expanded over the years, since the entrepreneur opened her first salon in Longford town in 2000. Sixteen years on, the business is going from strength to strength with a salon in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim and Castlerea in Co Roscommon. Pauline also established Belton Wedding Fairs and Belton Wedding Planning and two years ago she identified a gap in the market for training and practical hairdressing workshops. The workshops are designed for up-and-coming barbers and hairdressers, and focus on providing the trainees with practical experience as well as training. The Grafters brand is synonymous with quality in the midlands and the workshops, which have been running for 12 months, now have further added to the companys success story. Pauline has also been working in conjunction with the traveller community here in Longford town and 12 girls from the community completed a training course at Grafters recently. Pauline employs 38 people which makes her a significant employer in Co Longford. Richmount Cordial Richmount Cordial was also a runner up in this years Longford Enterprise Awards. A lovely new local company producing Elderflower Cordial, Richmount Cordial operates from a farm in Carrickboy. The business is run by husband and wife team David and Martina Burns. David, a farmer by profession saw a niche in the market after specialising for years in the growing of sweet corn. Martina, a retired teacher, had been making Elderflower Cordial for home use for many years, until 2013, when both she and David decided to take a leap of faith and plant their land with Elderflower saplings. They then looked into the retail aspects for marketing the Cordial which is manufactured according to Martinas home recipe and includes the freshest of Elderflowers with no artificial sweeteners or additives. The window for picking Elderflowers is very short - just four to six weeks - so the Burns' have to plan carefully in order to maximise the flowers that are available to them. The product is currently stocked in over 150 of Irelands leading speciality food stores and has been judged to be a far superior quality to any of its imported equivalents. The couples passion shines through in both the quality of the product and in its marketing and branding. The business operates from their farmhouse and plans are already in place to introduce more products onto the market in the near future. Ark Energy Local software development company Ark Energy was the overall winner at this years Longford Enterprise Awards. Described as A shining light for Longford, this is the company that will represent Co Longford on the national stage at the local enterprise finals later this year. It was a fortunate day for the county when in 2013, the directors of the company - Francesco and Charlotte - decided they liked the rural tranquility that this region had to offer and subsequently set about establishing their business in Longford town. Francesco and Charlotte manufacture a proprietary product for the highly specialised energy trading sector. Ark Energy focuses on the European energy markets based on three integrated functions - consulting, technology and outsourcing. The company uses a system to analyse the energy trading market and provide cost effective, cloud-based solutions to energy companies involved in trading and risk management. The mission is to allow organisations to fulfill their energy trade and risk management requirements to between 10% and 20% of their current expenditure level. Ark Energy employs 10 people but initially faced challenges in attracting young people with the right skillset to it workforce. To address the problem the directors of the company established concrete links with local colleges and as its reputation grew so too did its ability to attract young graduates on to its team. Nature & Weather, Local News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: March 21 2016 Current law requires Plum Island to be sold to highest bidder; Senator says development of the land would threaten irreplaceable habitat for endangered species & destroy environmental resources. Washington, DC - March 21, 2016 - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today urged the Senate Committee on Appropriations to prevent Plum Island from being sold to a private developer. Schumer and Gillibrand are pushing to repeal law that would allow the land to be sold to be the highest bidder. Plum Island is currently home to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), a federal facility that will soon be put up for sale by GSA in order to offset the construction costs of new facility being constructed in Kansas. Schumer and Gillibrand said that the property should be obtained by a federal agency, like the National Park Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,that will commit to preserving Plum Island as an ecological resource. The senators today said that because Plum Island has immense environmental value, the Senate should repeal current language that requires it be sold to a private entity. With open space ever dwindling on Long Island, we should do everything possible to preserve the environmental and wildlife habitat that is Plum Island, said Senator Schumer. We should change current law and prevent Plum Island from being sold to a private developer. It would be a mistake and lost opportunity to rip apart this unique 840-acre environmental setting and destroy the habitat of the endangered species that live there. Plum Island is home to diverse wildlife, including numerous endangered species, and we must preserve its critical habitat and natural resources, said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. It would be an irreversible mistake to sell off Plum Island for private development, and we should instead ensure that it continues to be federally protected for future generations. Plum Island contains an abundance of unique and rare environmental qualities that preservation programs across our nation have been fighting to protect. We only have one chance to preserve something truly unique and since the federal government owes this land, they should preserve this land. Selling Plum Island for development would be hypocritical and antithetical to all the programs designed to restore Long Island Sound, protect endangered species and listen to the will of the pubic which strongly favors preservation, said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. We are very thankful that Senator Schumer is a champion for this issue. The 840-acre Plum Island is home to a number of species, including Osprey, Bank Swallow, Piping Plovers as well as many plants. Plum Island and the adjacent Great Gull and Little Gull Islands were identified for protection in 2006 by the federally created Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative, which singled them out for their exemplary ecological value. According to the final Environmental Impact Statement, a vast number of species may be impacted by possible development scenarios, including at least two endangered species the piping plover and the roseate tern. In addition, development on Plum Island may affect the endangered Atlantic Ridley Sea Turtle and three other New York State-listed endangered or threatened species. For the last decade, local municipalities, land preservation and environmental organizations on Long Island made tremendous strides toward preserving open space on Long Island. Unfortunately, due to federal law, one of the largest parcels on Long Island is unable to be preserved and returned to a natural state. The original intent of the sale was to offset some of the costs related to building a National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas and remediating the Island. The federal government would receive an estimated $32.85 million from such a sale. Schumer and Gillibrand said that this money pales in comparison to the overall cost of the state-of-the-art Kansas facility and that of the environmental value of Plum Island is priceless. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand included language in the December 2015 Omnibus to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in cooperation with the General Service Administration (GSA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Interior (DOI) to conduct a report on the best alternatives for conserving Plum Islands natural and historic resources. It is imperative that the sale requirement be repealed, so that the forthcoming report can act as a guide for preserving Plum Island in the absence of a forced sale. Both Senator Schumer and Gillibrand believe that the Island is a critical habitat and a pristine landscape that must be protected in perpetuity. 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 Ahmad Salama Mabruk, a veteran Egyptian jihadist who has worked for al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri for decades, has been publicly identified as a senior member of Al Nusrah Front. Mabruk, also known as Abu-al-Faraj al-Masri, is featured in part two of Al Nusrahs The Heirs of Glory, which was released via social media on Mar. 18. The video focuses on the Arab uprisings that began in 2011. A screen shot of Mabruk from the video can be seen above. Al Nusrahs identification of Mabruk as a key leader confirms The Long War Journals previous reporting on his role. Mabruk is likely a member of Al Nusrahs elite shura (or advisory) council. Mabruk blasts democracy during his segment of Al Nusrahs video. He warns those who pine for democratic rule that it is simply a new form of colonialism. The revolution in Syria has demonstrated that jihad is the only solution, according to Mabruk, because peaceful methods do not work. Much of the second installment of The Heirs of Glory is devoted to this theme, portraying jihad as the only way to wipe out the regimes ruling over Muslim-majority countries. A longtime jihadist Mabruks jihadist career began more than three decades ago. He was first arrested in Egypt following the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981. Al Majallah, an Arabic publication based in London, published a short biography for Mabruk in 1999. The account noted that he was sentenced to seven years in prison after Sadat was killed and eventually released in the late 1980s. He traveled from Egypt to Afghanistan in 1989 and made his way to Yemen in the early 1990s. Like other members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Mabruk also spent time in Sudan in the mid-1990s. Some accounts identify Mabruks son as one of two teenagers who were executed by al Qaeda after it was discovered that they were spying on behalf of Egyptian intelligence. The details of the story are murky, but the Egyptian government reportedly blackmailed the boys into delivering intelligence on al Qaedas operations. A few sources identify only one teenage victim, who was not Mabruks child. But Mabruks son has been repeatedly tied to the story, with multiple accounts saying he was executed in Sudan. Regardless, Mabruk continued to work for Zawahiri. In early December 1996, Mabruk was arrested alongside Zawahiri and another jihadist after the trio crossed the Russian border. They were heading for the Dagestan region. Zawahiri was reportedly exploring a possible new safe haven in Chechnya for EIJ and al Qaeda-affiliated jihadists. Russian authorities let the terrorists go free. Nearly two years later, during the summer of 1998, Mabruk was detained once again. This time he was targeted by authorities in Azerbaijan. In The Looming Tower, journalist Lawrence Wright reported that Mabruks capture was part on an international CIA-led manhunt. In July 1998 CIA operatives kidnapped Ahmed Salama Mabruk and another member of [Egyptian Islamic] Jihad outside a restaurant in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to Wright. Mabruk was Zawahiris closest political confidant. The CIA agents cloned [Mabruks] laptop computer, which contained al Qaeda organizational charts and a roster of [EIJ] members in Europe. Wright quoted Dan Coleman, a former FBI agent who worked for the CIAs Osama bin Laden unit, as saying that Mabruks laptop was the Rosetta Stone of al Qaeda. In Wrights telling, the CIA refused to share the contents of Mabruks computer with the FBI. Eventually the FBI obtained the intelligence, but not until after a pointless bureaucratic standoff. Mabruk was transferred to Egypt, where he stood trial and was convicted on terrorism-related charges. Mabruk spoke with journalists at his trial, saying that Osama bin Laden had acquired chemical weapons and was planning to use them in the West. In April 1999, Al Hayah (another London-based Arabic publication) reported that Egyptian authorities considered Mabruk to be Ayman al Zawahiris right hand man. Mabruk was reportedly in charge of the EIJs civilian organization committee, which oversaw the EIJs international membership. He identified jihadists capable of carrying out military missions under the command of Mohammed al Zawahiri, Aymans younger brother. Mabruk allegedly maintained contacts with jihadists around the globe, including in Canada, prior to his confinement. During his years imprisoned in Egypt, Mabruk remained committed to the jihadists cause. Some key members of the EIJ and another terrorist organization, the Egyptian Islamic Group, authored revisions to the jihadist ideology from behind bars. But Mabruk was part of a contingent that rejected this effort. In April 2007, Cairos Al Dustur named him as one of the most prominent authors of a letter dismissing the juristic revisions. A jihadist video released online in 2011 highlighted Mabruks dedication. Mabruk was eventually released from prison in the wake of the Egyptian uprising. He became a leading figure in Ansar al Sharia Egypt, which proselytized on al Qaedas behalf. He was frequently seen at events starring Mohammed al Zawahiri, who was also freed after President Hosni Mubaraks ouster. The younger Zawahiri was rearrested in 2013, but recently released once again. In 2013, The Long War Journal captured screen shots of Mabruks attendance at Ansar al Sharia Egypts events. In one photo, shown on the right, he can be seen sitting behind Mohammed al Zawahiris left shoulder. Ansar al Sharia also advertised Mabruks attendance alongside Mohammed al Zawahiri at prayer events in Alexandria and elsewhere. Mabruks appearance in Al Nusrah Fronts video highlights the fact that al Qaeda is relying on both old and new school talent. Thousands of jihadist recruits have joined al Qaedas official branch in Syria. Al Qaeda will groom the next generation of its leadership from this guerrilla armys ranks. But old school figures such as Mabruk continue to play key roles in the organization, utilizing their decades of experience to guide the jihad. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for 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. Luton is a large town, borough and unitary authority area of Bedfordshire. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 258,000. Luton is home to Championship team Luton Town Football Club, London Luton Airport and The University of Bedfordshire. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. For all the latest news from Luton sign up to our newsletter here. iMessage has flaws in how it protects messages, researchers at Johns Hopkins University explain in a paper released today, which can lead to effective, offline decryption of some intercepted messages. The researchers disclosed their work to Apple in November, and todays release of iOS 9.3 and OS X 10.11.4 remove some exploits and make others dramatically harder to take advantage of. The papers authors include Matthew D. Green, a cryptographer known for his research on privacy-preserving cryptographic protocols, including Bitcoin. A story by the Washington Post appeared early on Sunday night, leading to inadvertent disclosure ahead of time. The story was quickly pulled but later republished after that became clear. We held some technical details for the initial version of this story at the request of the researchers, until Apples updates were out. Heres what you need to know. Did they break iMessage encryption? Yes and no. iMessage is Apples product name for a bundle of different kinds of message-and-file transfer that uses a variety of interlinked and layered encryption methods. Apple doesnt disclose more than a surface description of its system, and has been criticized for years about not providing more detail, which would allow white hat hackerslike academic researchers and those within Apple, Google, and other companiesto more effectively probe quietly for weaknesses. These flaws could be fixed before a malicious party or government agency could take advantage of them. While the researchers who wrote todays academic paper found many avenues of exploration, some of which we can imagine that governments and criminals have already separately discovered and potentially exploited, the paper focuses on being able to decrypt attachments to iMessages, like images and other files for which the raw encrypted data has been intercepted. However, so far, the fundamental mechanisms that prevent any but the intended recipients of a text message from being able to access the descrambled text remain intact. Also, the exploit used requires extraordinary, but not impossible, access to bypass one level of security. Has Apple fixed the problems? Yes, Apple has fixed all the problems the researchers specifically identified through one set of updates performed quietly a few months ago, and another set that appear in iOS 9.3 and OS X 10.11.4. Some are comprehensive fixes, while others are temporary solutions that need a significant revision in the long term. Are my messages at immediate risk? No, not for most people. The flaws cant be exploited broadly, but would be useful for parties intending to pinpoint information from a small set of individuals, because of the complexity of obtaining the source data. With iOS 9.3 and OS X 10.11.4 installed, the vulnerabilities have been patched. Until and unless Apple updates previous releases or installs server-side updates that it can perform unilaterally, weaknesses may remain in those older versions. However, any encrypted iMessages that were previously captured could be vulnerable, for reasons discussed later. While its possible that some iMessage data of the form required was captured in the past, its unlikely to be very much and, further, its possible none of it could ultimately be decrypted. The risk is negligible for most people that past messages will be revealed. (If you use the preference Save History When Conversations Are Closed to retain transcripts in Messages for OS X, that unencrypted data is at vastly greater risk.) Is there anything I can do to improve iMessage security for myself? No, all the changes have to be made by Apple in its client software for iOS and OS X and its server operations. How does the attack work? The researchers found the weakest point in iMessage, which has to do with how it handles messages above a certain length, which the paper refers to as long iMessages, and can include runs of text and attachments, like images. Effectively, they can intercept encrypted data (see next question) intended to be sent to an iMessage server from iOS and OS X, and then perform an enormous number of operations to extract information that then lets them decrypt the attachment in a reasonable amount of time using a standard Mac for part of the process and then inexpensive fast commodity hardware for the remainder. The main flaw the paper covers stems from the way in which attachments are losslessly compressed (replacing recurring patterns with short codes), validated, and addressed to others. The researchers predict some parts of a message and know precisely some other parts, which allowed them to substitute in new values for known or guessed ones in the raw encrypted stream or ciphertext. That flaw could be exploited only because they were also able to check when their substitutions were correct: Apple lets the iMessage software validate attachment requests locally in OS X (or iOS) and without any limit to the number of times, without consulting its servers or tripping any alarms or restrictions. The researchers ultimately were able to show they could insert additional recipients (who were one-letter-off variants of a legitimate recipient) into an attachments delivery list, recover an attachments raw ciphertext, attack it, recover its unique encryption key, and decrypt it. Because of how iMessage in OS X handles testing the messages validity, the paper describes having to wait nearly half a second between each check. However, only about 262,000 (218) operations were required, taking roughly 35 hours. That allowed extracting enough of the encryption key that the remaining cracking could be shifted to high-performance hardware. But can anyone get this raw ciphertext? Not exactly. iMessage has another layer of protection, which is TLS (Transport Layer Security), also used to secure Web and many other Internet sessions. TLS protects data in transit using digital certificates that are authenticated by globally recognized certificate authorities (CAs), but it can be subverted in one of three ways: Attackers could break into Apples system to capture the ciphertext as it passes through. This is exceedingly unlikely, but its a constant concern. A malicious party could suborn a CA, which has happened in the past, and issue a legitimate but fraudulent certificate that was trusted as if it belonged to Apples servers. Someone with access to a users OS X or iOS system directly or via malware could install a fake CA that can sign certificates that appear to the computer to come from Apple, and then capture them locally or redirect them through an intermediary server. The second and third options arent possible when certificate pinning is used, a practice in which software refuses to accept as valid any certificates other than a specific set or those issued by a particular CA (out of hundreds). Apple had put pinning in place in iOS 9 for interactions with its servers related to iMessage and many other services, but not in El Capitan (10.11). Apple could update older versions of OS X, as it has recently, but it stopped releasing updates to iOS 8 and no longer signs that or previous iOS releases. However, some improvements may be possible entirely on the server side for older clients. Stored ciphertext could be vulnerable, but, as noted above, its unlikely theres very much of that stored by any party; Apple only stores undelivered messages, and those for only 30 days. What remains to be fixed? The researchers detail a number of flaws they didnt examine in depth, but which are ripe for exploitation by others (and may already have been). These include, among less-technical recommendations: Key verification. Apple runs its entire key distribution system privately leaving users, researchers, and other parties no way to validate keys (preventing man-in-the-middle attacks) or notice changes. Apple could provide much more transparency without any risk of security, which would allow other parties to monitor for and be aware of malicious modifications to keys, distribution irregularities, or expected behavior by end-user software. Make announcements of device registration more robust. Apples mechanism for alerting users about newly registered devices is fragile, making it possible for an attacker to avoid having an alert sent, and thus surreptitiously receiving all iMessages for an account. A lack of forward secrecy. Apple doesnt change out the encryption keys used to protect individual accounts iMessages. As a result, a future exploit that allows a key to be broken can allow the decryption of previously captured cryptographic material as long as it uses the same key. The researchers suggest that Apple immediately force every Apple device to regenerate its iMessage keys and destroy previously used keys. This wont delete already decrypted and received messages stored in iOS or OS Xs transcript logs. Resistance to replay and reflection attacks. Captured iMessages can be re-sent to the original recipient, which allows spoofing of previously sent messages as well as the potential to decode them if a users device is obtained. The researchers have a number of specific suggestions for short-term changes in the use of algorithms and interactions, including that Apple should ultimately dump its entire cryptographic system and replace it with something thats more up to date and better tested. Is this related to the FBI/DOJ court order? No, although two things are absolutely likely. First, its highly probable that the National Security Agency and other governments code-cracking divisions were well aware of this. Despite the cleverness of the researchers approach, its low-hanging fruit that such departments would likely have probed and discovered. Second, Apple may be bundling other security improvements to iMessage and other software in the latest iOS and OS X releases in advance of any potential change in U.S. law or ruling, as it isnt under any publicly known order at the moment to halt its advances in security. Apples desire to keep private data private may put more effort behind it adopting the researchers recommendations for a complete overhaul. Apple and the FBI meet in court on Tuesday for the first hearing in the showdown over iPhone encryption, but this fight has been brewing since Apple introduced iOS 8 in June 2014. A new Bloomberg report reveals that the FBI and Apple both expected the White House to take their side before the fight went public. It all started with iOS 8 According to Bloombergs sources, Apples top lawyer, Bruce Sewell, met with officials in President Barack Obamas administration shortly after the Worldwide Developers Conference in 2014 to discuss iOS 8s security and privacy changes. Law enforcement agencies had been concerned about Apples encryption efforts for years, but iOS 8 solidified the companys stance: It would still help officials tap into iCloud accounts, but data that lives on an iPhone was off limits. Not even Apple could access that information. The FBI wasnt happy about the developments, and agency director James Comey said as much publicly back in 2014, but the White House stayed out of it. Martyn Williams The iPhone 5c used in the San Bernardino shooting was running iOS 9. Apple thought the White House was on its side The FBI was on Apples case, but the company believed the Obama administration was more sympathetic to its position. According to Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook is no stranger to the White Househe has met with officials there 14 times in the last six years. The company also worked with White House officials to convince China that smartphone makers shouldnt have to build a backdoor into their devices. Obama also didnt support legislation that would have made it easier for law enforcement to get into smartphones. But that didnt mean the administration was pro-Apple when it came to encryption, even if thats how both the FBI and Apple construed the situation. President Barack Obama supports the FBIs case, but is also a fan of encryption. FBI went public because White House wouldnt Thats when things started to heat up. Apple began refusing to help agencies unlock iPhones, even when the data wasnt encrypted on the device and the company presumably could help, Bloomberg reported: If the White House wasnt going to push for new legislation, Comey and other FBI officials decided to become more outspoken about their concerns with encryption, said Taddeo, who is now the chief security officer for cybersecurity company Cryptzone. He said FBI officials were determined to air a deliberate and open understanding of the risks. And so it did. On Feb. 16, a magistrate judge sided with the FBI and ordered Apple to unlock the iPhone 5c owned by Syed Farook, the shooter in a mass killing in San Bernardino last December. Apple is still fighting that order. In front of a room full of techies at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas earlier this month, President Obama sounded hopeful that maybe a middle ground exists between an uncrackable version of iOS and a government backdoor, but Apple maintains that its not possible to make a tool that wont find its way into the wild. As the rhetoric and legal wranglings of the FBI and Department of Justice fight against Apples encryption continue to escalate, its only natural that much of the debate centers on personal privacy and the symbiotic role our phones now play in our lives.. Even President Obama himself, siding with the FBI at the South by Southwest conference, stated, You cant take an absolutist stance on this. Its fetishizing our phones above every other value, and that cant be the right answer. As the discussion focuses on privacy and crime, what is mostly lost is an analysis of the potential business and government implicationsnot merely the impact to Apple, technology vendors, and law enforcement agencies, but the effects to the wider business community and daily operation of thousands of agencies at all levels of government. Taken from that point of view, the Presidents statement could become, its fetishizing the investigation of a limited set of highly serious crimes above every other value. Day to day I work as an IT security industry analyst. Formerly a research vice president at Gartner, where I was the lead analyst for datacenter encryption, I now run my own firm. For the past 15 years, I have advised some of the largest companies and government agencies in the world on using encryption systems. Ive written multiple research papers, and I continue to work with most of the major encryption technology vendors. Knowing how encryption is used throughout the business world, it is clear that one of our most fundamental security tools is at the center of a civil rights debate, and the slightest misstep could set back corporate and government security by decades. At SXSW, President Obama warned against taking an absolutist stance. Encryption is technologys backbone, and we break it all the time Encryption is ubiquitous in the digital world. We use it for every credit card transaction, every time we unlock a car with a key fob, every time we log into nearly anything with a password, visit a secure website, connect to a wireless network, update software, or do pretty much anything with a bank. Society relies on encryption for far more than merely protecting our phones and online chats. Encryption is merely math, not sorcery. It is a heavily studied field of math with an extensive body of work in the public domain. The U.S. government once restricted the export of strong encryption products, forcing companies to use weaker versions overseas and support the weaker encryption here at home since the Internet doesnt respect national boundaries. Its a decision we still pay the price for daily, as earlier this year researchers discovered yet another vulnerability in about a third of the Internet directly due to this deliberate weakening back in the 1990s. The fight was known as the Crypto Wars, and the government, under President Clinton, eventually relented. Those attempts at control did little more than weaken the security of products and businesses. An encryption algorithm isnt a nuclear centrifuge, and when all you needed to do was print source code for software in a book and ship it overseas for someone to scan into a computer and compile, the idea of restricting a bit of math to a national border became farcical. Especially when that math was already legal and public. The U.S. government backed down on the battle for encryption because it was essential to running businesses and government services over the Internet. Attempts to allow encryption outside the country only in a weakened state left everyone vulnerable to attack since domestic systems also needed to support the lower security levels. The remnants of those early attempts are still having repercussions decades later. Even without restrictions on encryption, the proper implementation is difficult. When I authored a paper on defending enterprise data on iOS 7, I had to describe how to best work around Apples incomplete encryptionthe very holes that started this debate, and were later closed in iOS 8. The Department of Justice, in their latest brief, states, This burden, which is not unreasonable, is the direct result of Apples deliberate marketing decision to engineer its products so that the government cannot search them, even with a warrant. That statement is an outright falsehood disguised as wishful thinking. Improving the encryption of iOS 8 was a security decision, one lauded by IT security departments everywhere, who had long been encrypting laptops to an equal standard. Encryption is hard enough without having to add backdoors or secure key-sharing mechanisms that dont scale well. Every golden key is a skeleton key In his South by Southwest speech, President Obama stated, I suspect the answer will come down to how we create a system where the encryption is as strong as possible, the key is as secure as possible, its accessible by the smallest number of people possible, for the subset of issues that we agree is important. There are existing techniques to enable third-party access to strongly encrypted systems. One widely used method uses an alternate key to decrypt data. Businesses will often support more than one key for a piece of data or a computer for various reasons, such as ensuring an IT department can still recover a corporate system if an employee tries to lock them out. Apple and other technology providers could use this well-known method to allow government access to systems. The truth is this can be done relatively securely. We know how to keep incredibly sensitive encryption keys secure. It typically involves multiple people holding only fragments of the total key, extensive physical security, and non-networked systems. Ignoring the international privacy considerations, and the impact on these technology providers international business operations, if such a system was created and used in rare circumstances, it is highly unlikely to be broken. The problem is it is impossible to scale this kind of system. First, if the FBI truly wants to eliminate warrant-proof (properly encrypted) storage and communications they would need the key for every encrypted product and service on the Internet. They would need highly secure mechanisms for every software developer and hardware manufacturer to provide their keys. Since that is completely unworkable, perhaps only major manufacturers and developers over a certain size would have to participate. Then theres the issue of access. Does only the FBI get to use the system for terrorism cases? Do local law enforcement officers get access to catch child predators? Drug dealers? Could this be limited only to the U.S.? Or would other countries, including ones, like China, that the U.S. government itself publicly accuses of hacking corporate systems, also gain access or require their own alternate keys? These are legitimate and complex questions, not mere aggrandized slippery slope arguments. The more access there is to a key, the more often it is used, the less secure it is by definition. Ignoring the privacy concerns, the impact on business and government systems (and thus operations) could become crippling. The impact on devices When I advise companies on properly encrypting laptops, aside from the complexities in key management, I have to guide them through all the potential weaknesses. For example, I tell them if they are crossing certain international borders or keep highly sensitive information on a Mac they might lose physical control of to ensure the system is always shut down, not put to sleep, because encryption keys are often stored in nonvolitile RAM, leaving the Mac vulnerable. Which devices would need recovery keys? Just in the U.S. or everywhere? This isnt paranoia. We know for a fact that certain governments hack corporations (and other governments), and a stolen laptop can be a great source of information. The same is true for industrial espionage (its real) or targeted criminal attacks. Corporations spend many millions of dollars to secure mobile computers using enterprise encryption software, and millions more on managing secure phones and tablets. If the FBI mandates alternate decryption keys for all devices, those keys would potentially need to be generated for all corporate systems, not just consumer phones. If such a law didnt apply to laptops, that would be an easy way to skirt the requirement. If it does, then the government gains direct access to all those systems, and complex key-exchange mechanisms would need to be created and every business or government agency that encrypts would have to provide recovery keys. Then how would companies handle international operations? Or international companies with workers in the U.S.? This is before we even get into the issue of other nations requiring their own access keys. One outcome could be that internationally encrypted devices are inaccessible by the U.S., and U.S. systems are safe in other countriesunless the governments cooperate in major cases and exchange evidence, which isnt unprecedented. If the scope is limited to just phones, and only in the U.S., and only for terrorism and a few other cases, the risk and burden to U.S. companies would possibly be manageable. But based on the stated objectives of the FBI and President Obama, it is reasonable to assume the scope is wider, and it is hard to imagine that only the U.S. would mandate a golden key, and only for phones. Even without some malicious hackers stealing the keys, the end result is corporate devices, especially those used with international travel, could no longer be considered secure in many real-world situations. The impact on communications and the Internet In previous statements, FBI director James Comey also expressed concern with encrypted communications, like iMessage, where the government cant access the key. Businesses depend on secure communications on multiple levels, ranging from employee communications to secure transactions with partners and services. With some of these systems the government can mandate backdoor access, forcing the provider like Apple or Facebook to keep records of communications, or at least have the ability to sniff communications when required. But not all these systems are centralized. Enterprises commonly set up their own hosted communications systems since they dont trust an external service providers or for regulatory reasons. If a tool like iMessage requires access, what about VPNs? Secure connections to websites and email servers? Secure messaging systems? Secure file transfer systems? Financial transaction systems that run over the Internet? We simply dont have scalable mechanisms to support lawful access without reducing security. All of these rely on the exact same set of foundational technologies, and all are abused by criminals every day. Worrying they may be within regulatory scope isnt much of a mental stretch. There are thousands of systems and technologies out there, and few lines between those used by businesses and the general public. If the bad guys switch from the providers known to work with the government to the open source and commercial technologies used by business, those systems will likely also have to support government access. That means backdoors and recovery keys, since there isnt any known alternative. This brings us back to the same problems we have with devices. We simply dont have scalable mechanisms to support lawful access without reducing security. There is a very real risk that secure communications on multiple levels could be deeply compromised and result in real criminal losses. And thats before we start worrying about foreign governments. The impact on data centers and applications The strongest encryption in the corporate world isnt found in phones, but in data centers. Enterprises commonly use specialized security appliances designed as unbreakable safes for encryption keys and operations. These Hardware Security Modules, or HSMs, secure banks, retailers, and even your iCloud Keychain backups. Access requires smart cards (sometimes multiple cards held by different employees), and physical tampering can trigger failsafe deletion of all the stored keys. If you dont want to buy an HSM, you can always rent one from one of multiple major cloud providers. They arent cheap, but provide the ultimate in security since not even the cloud provider can access your data. Thats merely one example of the strong encryption tools absolutely essential for secure data centers and applications. This equipment and these tools arent the kinds of things you can pick up at Best Buy, but they are certainly within the budgets of terrorists and a range of criminals. They are more secure than iPhones and can easily be used to build storage and communications systems. We use them for encrypted financial and medical databases, secure file storage, or even to keep those little CVV codes on the back of your credit card safe. If these tools remain legal for enterprise, the odds are they will be used by nefarious groups to avoid government monitoring of consumer tech. If businesses are required to add back doors and golden keys too, we once again undermine the foundation for digital security. The decision is binary, not absolutist The President and the director of the FBI have portrayed this conflict as one between privacy absolutists and government compromise. The issue is that the technology itself forces us to make a binary decision. There are no known techniques for providing lawful access to encrypted communications and storage at scale. The only way to allow government access is to reduce the security of foundational technologies used by business and government agencies, not merely individual citizens. That is math, not politics. Further complicating the situation is that security constantly evolves, and we continue to adopt ever stronger technologies in more situations simply to stop the criminals, including hostile governments. These arent outlandish movie scenarios; they are the painful, expensive reality for every business in the world. The only difference between consumer, corporate, and government technologies are the price tags. Restrictions on these improvements could be catastrophic. Last July a group of extremely well respected cryptographers published an excellent overview of the feasibility and security impact of government access. They concluded: Even as citizens need law enforcement to protect themselves in the digital world, all policy-makers, companies, researchers, individuals, and law enforcement have an obligation to work to make our global information infrastructure more secure, trustworthy, and resilient. This reports analysis of law enforcement demands for exceptional access to private communications and data shows that such access will open doors through which criminals and malicious nation-states can attack the very individuals law enforcement seeks to defend. The costs would be substantial, the damage to innovation severe, and the consequences to economic growth difficult to predict. Everything in my experience supports their findings. I cant think of any way to allow government access for criminal and national security situations that wouldnt undermine the foundations of digital security across the board. Even ignoring the massive complexities if these requirements were instituted globally, unless the government required access to every possible encryption technology, it would be trivial for criminals and terrorists to hide, while dramatically increasing the risks to nearly all businesses and government agencies. Theres a new iPhone in town, and it looks pretty familiar. The iPhone SE, which is available to preorder on Thursday, is nearly identical to the iPhone 5s but has 6s guts, which makes it a compelling buy for people who love 4-inch phones but want the latest hardware features. The 6s mini, as I prefer to call it, has an A9 chip and M9 coprocessor, which means it has double the speed of a 5s and is three times faster when it comes to graphics performance. The SE has always-on fitness-tracking, hands-free Siri, a 12-megapixel camera that can shoot 4K video, a front-facing camera with Retina flash, and supports Apple Pay with built-in NFC and Secure Element for secure mobile payments. It also has matte chamfered edges, like the 6s, though it definitely resembles the 5s. Apple sold more than 30 million 4-inch iPhones last year, so clearly theres a market for smaller phones. People simply love smaller phones, Apple VP Greg Joswiak said at the SE unveiling on Monday. They want the most compact iPhone design. We found that for a lot of these customers, its their first iPhone. The SE starts at $399 for a 16GB model, and comes in silver, gold, rose gold, and space gray. The 64GB version is $499. If you sign a two-year contract with your carrier, the SE is free. If you go with an installment plan instead, the new phone is $17 a month. The iPhone SE launches in stores and online on March 31, and will be available in 110 countries by the end of May. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > How Aadhaar Neglects Personal Privacy and National Security The Aadhaar Bill, 2016 The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 (Aadhaar Bill, for short) was passed in the Lok Sabha on March 11, 2016, as a money bill, a strategem clearly meant to prevent delay in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP does not command a majority. Leaving aside the questionable strategem, the Aadhaar Bill leaves much to be desired, especially considering its troubled history ever since the beginning of the Aadhaar scheme. In particular, according to this writer, two of the major issues involved are personal privacy and national security. Personal Privacy At present there is no law on privacy, but in Rajagopal versus State of Tamil Nadu (1994), the Supreme Court opined that privacy is inherent in an individuals right to personal liberty. Also, Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act 2005, protects the private individual against unwarranted invasion of his/her privacy, proof enough that privacy is a right even if it is not a fundamental right. On whether privacy is a fundamental right, the Government of India succeeded in convincing a three-judge Supreme Court Bench hearing a bunch of petitions challenging Aadhaar on multifarious grounds, that privacy is important enough an issue to warrant consideration by a Constitution Bench. There is little doubt that mass surveillance for suspicion-less, untargeted snooping into peoples private spaces to identify a possible threat to security, is questionable. The privacy issue was brought to international attention in 2013, with the USA admitting that its National Security Agency had been clandestinely collecting billions of pieces of information worldwide including personal data and e-mails from computer networks and telephones. India was one of the USAs many surveillance targets. Today, the technical capability of shadowy intelligence agencies for mass surveillance to collect, sort and process enormous quantities of data or meta-data has multiplied enormously. Hacking into databases for data is not very difficult for a person with the necessary motivation, skills and time, and it is quipped that systems are hack-proof only until the first hack. Cyber security concerns in the face of clandestine, untargetted surveillance are not only about national security but also citizens right to privacy. Target for Intelligence Agencies Whether or not it succeeds in its declared primary aim of targeted welfare services for the poor, Aadhaar enables surveillance and tracking. Aadhaar promoters claim that access to its data base will not be permitted to any agency, and will be secure from intelligence agencies that spy on citizens. This claim is questionable since, according to its website, UIDAI contracted to receive technical support for biometric capture devices, from L-1 Identity Solutions, Inc. (now MorphoTrust USA), a US-based intelligence and surveillance corporation. According to the corporations website, its top executives are acknowledged experts in the US intelligence community. Other companies awarded contracts for key aspects of the Aadhaar project, are Accenture Services Pvt Ltd (implementation of Biometric Solution for UIDAI) which works with US Homeland Security, and Ernst & Young [setting up of Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) and Selection of Managed Service Provider (MSP)]. It is difficult to have confidence in the security of sensitive national information when the technical provider which creates, holds or manages the database is a business corporation with strong connections to foreign intelligence organisations. Furthermore US corporations are mandated by US law to reveal to the US Government, information obtained during their legitimate operations, when called upon to do so. The extent to which Indias cyber security has been already invaded by surveillance is not even known, and when the security of the Aadhaar system is not water-tight, compromise of the Aadhaar systems security will tantamount to compromise of national security. When the cyber systems of high-security organisations like the USAs NASA or Indias DRDO have been repeatedly hacked, UIDAIs self-certification of its database security rings hollow. As far as institutional cyber security in India is concerned, barring one database protected by an indigenously developed network security system, official databases in India, including Aadhaars Central ID Repository (CIDR), are protected by purchased commercial network security and cryptographic products. There is little need to emphasise the vulnera-bility of the Aadhaar database to access by unauthorised persons/agencies for data destruction, corruption or simply copying by surveillance or hacking. The effect on individual privacy is unquestionably adverse. Intelligence agencies operate by conducting general surveillance on citizens in public places and linking this with personal information available in various databases maintained by banks, income tax offices, ration cards, electoral rolls, airline and railway ticketing, internet and telecom service providers, etc. Since the Aadhaar number is seeded in these various data bases, Aadhaar itself will inevitably be at the core of a system to enable profiling and tracking of any and every private individual. Therefore Aadh-aar is a prize target for intelligence agencies to hack or surveil to acquire data to invade individual privacy and compromise national security. Urgent Need There have been a host of objections especially including those of privacy and securityto the Aadhaar scheme itself since its inception, with several petitions still pending before the Supreme Court. The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016, does nothing to address those objections including especially those articulated unambiguously and vigorously by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, headed by Yashwant Sinha, in December 2011. In particular, the Aadhaar Bill fails to address the serious systemic issues of national security and individual privacy and indeed, the word privacy is absent from its text. However, concerning the security and confidentiality of information, the value of individual privacy is indirectly acknowledged in Section 33(2), by specifying that an individuals Aadhaar number, and biometric and demographic information may be revealed in the interest of national security, only by a specially authorised officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary of the Government of India. Yet here again, the interpretation of the term national interest remains at the sole discretion of a bureaucrat. Further, the Aadhaar Bill omits to explicitly state whether enrolling into the Aadhaar scheme is mandatory or not mandatory. This can be interpreted as a deliberate omission to justify the ongoing coercive enrolment into the Aadhaar scheme. The effect of the final order of the Supreme Court on this omission remains to be seen. The several issues pleaded in the outstanding petitions before the Supreme Court and the outcome of the privacy issue placed before a Constitutional Bench will surely have a bearing on the details of the Aadhaar Bill if not on its structure. Thus, ramming the Aadhaar Bill through the Lok Sabha without waiting for the Supreme Court to give its orders may result in unnecessary litigation, besides exposing lack of respect for transparent democratic procedures. Notwithstanding, genuine national interest may dictate that laws on data/digital privacy protection and cyber security be urgently enacted and linked with the Aadhaar Bill, before it becomes operational in the public sphere. Major General S.G. Vombatkere, VSM, retired in 1996 as the Additional DG, Discipline and Vigilance in Army HQ AGs Branch. The President of India awarded him the Visishta Seva Medal in 1993 for distinguished service rendered in the high-altitude region of Ladakh. He holds a Ph.D degree in Structural Dynamics from IIT, Madras. With over 470 published papers in national and international journals and seminars, his area of interest remains strategic and development-related issues. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Undermining Democracy: Stifling Academic Institutions by Ram Puniyani Following the death of Rohith Vemula in the Hyderabad Central University (HCU), one of the most prestigious universities of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has been targeted by the ruling Modi Sarkar. The frightening things which happened in the HCU were just the beginning of the attack on the autonomy of universities, on free thinking in a democracy. Rohith was forced to kill himself by the machinations of the ABVP, which had brought pressure through a BJP MP on the Ministry of HRD to get Rohith expelled from the hostel and stop his fellowship. Similarly the local ABVP unit brought pressure through its usual channels to intimidate and stifle the democratically-elected Students Union in JNU. It is alleged that in JNU some anti-India pro-Pakistan slogans were shouted. There are confusing versions as to who did so. The truth of the video has come out: it was doctored. On the pretext of that Kanhiaya Kumar, the President of the JNUSU, was arrested and the charge of sedition was slapped on him. Now Kumar is a member of the AISF, the student wing of the CPI, which is opposed to the separatist pro-Pakistan stance and in no way can he be a part of the type of slogan-shouting which is supposed to have taken place. The original video also makes this clear. He neither shouted the slogans nor can anybody be arrested on the charge of shouting the slogans. The constitutional position, as clarified by noted jurist Soli Sorabjee, is that incitement to violence alone can be termed anti-national. How come the Delhi Police entered the campus? The Vice-Chancellor, a BJP appointee, is indulging in double-speak on the issue. On TV he stated that he will be the last person to call the police into the campus. The investigation shows that he wrote letters to the police calling upon them to take suitable action. The Delhi Police, working under Home Minister Rajnath Singh, went on recklessly to put the charge of sedition against Kumar. The lawyers in the court indulged in violence against those who looked like JNU students. One BJP MLA was involved in mercilessly beating up a CPI activist. This MLA also said that had he got a gun he would have shot those raising anti-India slogans. One journalist was also attacked by BJP supporters. The same violence was repeated by lawyers the following day as well and when Kanhaiya was being brought to the court he was also beaten up. Now what is happening is a blatant attack by the RSS-controlled ABVP-BJP to crush the democratic secular voices in the country. As in the Rohith Vemula case, the ABVP has become emboldened to call all those opposing their politics as anti-national as it is getting the state support to intimidate the voices for social justice, that is, the progressive voices. BJP-affiliated organisations are creating a mass hysteria around the word anti-national. All those who dont endorse the RSS-promoted Hindutva nationalism are being called anti-national. Prashant Bhushan calls it a fascist onslaught. All this constitutes a big erosion of the values and practices which India has been nourishing. The RSS combine is seeing this as an opportunity to wipe out all the norms and ethos of democratic culture and dissenting voices. It is a matter of shame that the police lacks the spine and professionalism and arrests the likes of Kanhaiya Kumar. Rahul Gandhi, who went to the JNU campus and showed solidarity with the students, was greeted with black flags and stones were thrown at him in Lucknow. Those agitating said that they were very angry as Rahul was sympathising with anti-nationals. The MLA, who beat up the CPI worker, also said that anti-national activities were going on and so he was showing his anger against those who shouted the pro-Pakistan slogans. In TV debates the BJP spokespersons have been harping on the same slogans and the social media is resorting to a similar language. The argument has been uniformly advanced by the Delhi lawyers taking law into their own hands to those indulging in violence, from the Ministers and top BJP leaders to those resorting to street violence. The second observation is that JNU students have been demonised through the propaganda as being anti-national, and JNU being the den of anti-India activities. One recalls that all this demonisation of JNU started with this government coming to power. The RSS affiliates, VHP etc. have been taking marches to the JNU gate to protest against the anti-national JNU students and faculty. Both these arguments in a way show the deeper agenda. The anti-national rhetoric has been created to generate a mass hysteria against those disagreeing with the BJPs politics. The resorting to violence on this pretext clearly shows that this is a concerted effort to browbeat the practices and ideas which are not in keeping with the RSS-BJP mindset. This hysteria has been created to distract attention from the social movement building up around the death of Rohith Vemula. The all-round anger on the Rohith issue had put the BJP on the backfoot. The mass hysteria generated around anti-India slogans is leading to street violence. This is an attempt on the part of the BJP associates to wrest the initiative away from the movement which is building around Rohith. Apart from the attempt to abolish the autonomy of universities, this is also an offort to sidetrack the issue of Dalits. The latter has also been reflected in the resignation of three office-bearers of the ABVP in JNU. These office-bearers in their letter point to their dissatisfaction with the government-BJP-ABVP interference in JNU affairs and their attitude of undermining the Dalit issue as reflected in their approach to the death of Rohith. The demonisation of JNU again is on purpose. This institution has reflected the democratic spirit, the freedom of thought, and the progressive values, all of which are an anathema to the agenda represented by ABVP-BJP. They want to abolish the autonomy of academic institutions as reflected in their policies in the case of FTTI, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and HCU, to name a few. JNU was a particular target due to its outstanding contribution to the high level of scholarship and adherence to progressive secular values. The concerted move by the ruling dispensation and its political associates to create a mass hysteria around anti-nationalism and to erode the image of a progressive institution like JNU is an attack on the principles of democracy in the country. While hopefully the courts may give some relief to Kanhaiya Kumar, the issue remains as to whether the mass hysteria and street violence which has been unleashed on the pretext of anti-India slogans can be brought under control. The massive rallies of students demanding the release of Kumar, calling upon the government not to interfere in the autonomy of universities and opposing the demonisation of JNU drew a massive response. The ABVP and its family in a recalcitrant manner is mobilising its cadres all through the country to protest against anti-nationalism. Those who were part of the JNU students meeting at the university have condemned the anti-India pro-Pakistan slogans. The need is to take up the struggle for preserving the democratic values to the masses. The author, a retired Professor at the IIT-Bombay, is currently associated with the Centre for the Study of Secularism and Society, Mumbai. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Sliding Popularity of Right-wing Politics Hardly two months back nobody would have thought that PM Narendra Modis authority would be questioned by ordinary university students on campuses. The campaign which brought Modi to power in Delhi was so high profile that in the initial period of his prime ministership an atmosphere was created in which, what to talk of the common people, even his own party members, elected represen-tatives and Ministers couldnt question him. He was like a headmaster who believed only in one-way communication. The media rarely questioned him or his decisions. But from the beginning of 2016, in less than two years of his prime ministership, the aura built around Modi has been punctured, not once but on several occasions. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has a strategy since long to mould the peoples minds through the education process. By propagating a certain ideology it has built a base of its supporters. Since this ideology is founded on aggressive nationalism, the people trained in the RSS schools have a domineering personality which believes in direct action. They dont believe in the Indian Constitution nor do they respect law and order. For example, on December 6, 1992 the then BJP CM of UP, Kalyan Singh, gave an affidavit to the Supreme Court to the effect that he will not allow any damage to the Babri Masjid and then allowed it to be demolished by the Hindutva activists. It is surprising that no questions have been raised on his holding the constitutional post of a Governor today. The governments interference in academic institutions and its simultaneous opposition, to those bodies, which did not go down well with the academic community, started in the Film and Television Institute of India when Gajendra Singh was appointed its Chairman in June 2015. The students after a prolonged 139-day protest continue to oppose his appointment and refuse the offer of dialogue with him on this issue. Things flared up after the suicide of Rohith Vemula on the Hyderabad University campus on January 17, 2016 and started taking an ugly turn. Shameless interference by the Central Ministers, use of violence to subjugate the voices of dissent by ABVP or BJP members and manipulation of facts by those sitting in responsible positions like the VC became a pattern. No other political organisation uses violence so easily against others as the Right-wing. The police and government usually stand by and let them go on rampage as was recently witnessed in the Patiala House Courts. But the response to highhanded treatment by the government and university administrations has been equally strong. On January 22 three Dalit studentsRam Karan, Amrendra Kumar Arya and Surendra Kumar Nigamraised slogans against Narendra Modi and dented his overawing image for the first time at the convocation of the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University at Lucknow. Following this the BHU authorities were very circumspect and took extreme care that no untoward incident happened during Modis presence on the campus during the convocation. A Dalit Minister came in advance and held a meeting with Dalit students and professors to assuage any anti-government feelings they might have. In spite of this, about 200-250 members of the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Morcha, two of whom had earlier courted arrest in open defiance when they went to seek permission from the Varanasi DM to show black flags to Modi during his Varanasi visit, protested at the gate of the BHU and shouted Narendra Modi go back slogans. Then when Narednra Modi was proceeding towards the gate inside the BHU leading to the Ravidas temple, members of Bahujan Mukti Party raised Rohith Vemula Zindabad slogans and demanded punishment for the culprits responsible for his death. Here again Narendra Modi go back slogans were raised. During the convocation in the BHU one student, Ashutosh Singh, raised slogans demanding revival of the Students Union which has been suspended since 1997. He was slapped and overpowered by the police. These three incidents took place when the BHU was converted into a fortress on February 22, 2016 and every person and corner was under the security gaze. Imagine what would have happened if this security cover was not there. It is quite possible that Dalit organisations alone would have blocked Narendra Modis entry into the campus. Compared to the two terms of Manomohan Singh in which, what now appears to be major achievements, important Acts like the Right to Information, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence, (Mahatma Gandhi) National Rural Employment Guarantee, Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights), Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, National Food Security, Right to Education, Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending), Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation were enacted, the Narendra Modi Government hasnt really accomplished anything worthwhile to show. The Make in India or Startup India programmes have failed to take off due to lack of interest of the investors. Hence the RSS has found it convenient to fall back on its tested strategy of polarising the society on emotive issues like patriotism and anti-national activities. Usually university level politics is left to the student groups. Every political party of any worth has student groups on campuses. If the Congress has the NSUI, the BJP has the ABVP. Left parties, which otherwise are not very strong in State level politics, have a strong presence on campuses in the form of the AISA, SFI and AISF associated with the CPI(ML), CPI-M and CPI, respectively, and are able to win student union elections quite easily. There are even ultra-Left groups like the DSU which dont believe in contesting elections. In other words, univeristies have seen a plethora of groups believing in diverse ideologies that co-exist. Usually they dont engage in violent clashes with each other even though their ideologies may be contradictory. Sometimes they resort to violence but it is usually against the administration or government. No other political party has been so obssessed about taking control of academic campuses as the BJP. And they have made a mess of it. In addition to encouraging clashes between student groups, which sometimes become violent, by direct or indirect intervention through RSS-affiliated VCs or police, they have spoiled the academic atmosphere of institutions so much so that it has now started pinching their own people. Three ABVP officer-bearers in JNU, Pradeep Narwal, Rahul Yadav and Ankit Hans, have resigned citing differences with the RSS and BJP on Manusmriti and the Rohith Vemula incident. A Ph.D student at JNU, Neetu Singh, feels the BJP has let her down as people outside the campus now call her anti-national. Noted social activist and Magsaysay awardee Dr Sandeep Pandey was recently sacked this year from the IIT-BHU where he was a Visiting Professor on the charge of being a Naxalite engaging in anti-national activities. He was elected along with Prof Keshav Jadhav the Vice-President of the Socialist Party (India) at its founding conference at Hyderabad on May 28-29, 2011. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Lal, Neel and Kanhaiya by Nagender Rao Prime Minister Modis administration brought pseudo-nationalism as its core agenda after failing to keep its election promises. The current chief of the RSS established its command and control office in the HRD Ministry to supervise the educational institutions in the country. The Hindutva elements are firing shots against the students of Dalits, OBCs, and minorities under the cover of nationalism. In Kanhaiyas arrest, these forces made many mistakes and exposed themselves as ignorant people. They created doctored videos, morphed photos, sent messages from the fake twitter account of the Pak terrorist, Hafiz Saeed, to implicate Kanhaiya on sedition charges. A few TV channels, the Delhi Police, Home Ministry, HRD Ministry, Right-wing attorneys and some ex-servicemen unleashed unprecedented attack on Kanhaiya simultaneously. The mischievous persons did not realise that technology has a capability of exposing doctored videos, fake twitter accounts and morphed pictures. After India Today revealed the doctored video, then the pack of lies started collapsing. A contract-employee of the HRD Ministry cancelled her twitter account hiding it from the public. A similar case took place in the US. In 1986, the main person in the Iran-Contra scandal, Oliver North, deleted his e-mails and testified to the US Congressional Committee that he was not aware of the scandal. He was not conscious that the e-mail server can contain the information even though e-mails are deleted from the recipients account. He was found guilty for destroying evidence and sentenced to jail. The suicide of Rohith Vemula infuriated students and secular groups. Rahul Gandhis visit to the Hyderabad University changed the dynamics of the incident. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and many prominent personalities visited the campus and highlighted the vengeful attitude of the HRD Ministry. Instead of forgetting the incident and moving forward, HRD Minister Smriti Irani decided to teach a lesson to the students. Naturally, JNU attracted the attention of the Minister who was visibly annoyed. She took a page from the history of Hitler. The German dictator had blamed the Communists for the Reichstag Fire and acquired autocratic powers through the Enabling Act in 1933. He put opponents of the Nazi party in prison branding them anti-German. The same scene was scripted meticulously in India but could not be executed successfully because of strong Opposition parties, the media and courts. JNU was under attack for several reasons for a long time from the Right-wing thinkers. The admission process and composition of the students community was exasperating for the ruling party. The HRD Minister tried to stop fellowships to the scholars but they fought back and restored the fellowships. Vociferous attacks were started to discredit JNU on the ground that the university was running on taxpayers money but it was involved in anti-national activities. A few media channels actively participated in disparaging the JNU. Providing education to the students is the basic responsibility of the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been living on taxpayers money since 2001. His first contribution for the taxpayers was the Gajarat massacre in 2002. A fraction of the wealth of crony capitalists can run hundreds of JNUs. The Reliance Company acquired the Krishna-Godavari gas basin through manipulative techniques. In 2011, Reliance sold 30 per cent of its stakes to British Petroleum (BP) for Rs 4.6 lakh crores. Adani alone accumulated Rs 50,000 crores of wealth in the past two years. Successive governments are allocating land to crony capitalists for throwaway prices, displacing poor farmers and tribal people. Ruling parties never made the robbing of natural resources a topic of discussion but public universities where students of Dalits and tribal families can roam about without insults are being targeted. The eloquent speeches of Kanhaiya did not contain objectionable material to implicate him in sedition charges. Whatever may be the reason, the government targeted a wrong person. His arrest on sedition charges, assaults on JNU academics, students and journalists by attorneys in Patiala House Courts and subsequently exposure of doctored videos led to explosion of the volcano of dissent. Kanhaiya got the best defence attorneys in the country without paying a penny. In recent history, no other person garnered the support from different ideology groups such as Congress Party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM Aravind Kejriwal, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, BSP leader Mayawati and the two Left parties. Though he is from the CPI-affiliated students wing, the All India Students Federation (AISF), his personality expanded exponentially beyond the strength of the CPI. The question is: how is Kanhaiya connecting to every section of society hitherto not accessible to the dogmatic politics of Leftists? Communists made one of the biggest mistakes by not aligning with Dr B.R. Ambedkar in the 1952 Lok Sabha elections for social and political emancipation of the weaker sections. The elite class of the Communist leadership never understood the real pains and problems of the downtrodden sections but only gave slogans for the sake of public consumption. Recently, Hillary Clinton mentioned in the US Presidential debate that as a white woman she had a racial advantage compared to the black people and did not go through the painful experiences of black women. The Leftist leadership had the same disadvantage in understanding the problems of the disadvantaged people. Kanhaiya, a new phenomenon in Indian politics, is bringing the bahujan (neel) and Leftist (lal) forces together. He broke the stereotype of Left thinking within the framework of classical Marxism, invested it with Ambedkarism and gave it new content, slogans and agenda. In daily TV discussions, spokespersons of all non-BJP parties are advancing his arguments. Senior journalists Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai and others are defending his speech on different platforms. Secular and progressive people have found an anti-Modi messiah in him. In the Indian epic, Kanhaiya had a purpose of ending the rule of Kansa. The avatar of Kanhaiya was born on February 12, 2016 when he was arrested to fight back. Venkaiah Naidu consoled the worrying BJP leaders that people would listen to Kanhaiyas speeches until he joined the CPI to campaign in the coming Assembly elections. The BJP is betting on the disadvantages of the CPI to contain his message from reaching the masses. It is high time for the Left parties to reorient themselves from the perspective of the new awakened social forces in Indian polity. Kanhaiya has to decide his future course of action either to compartmentalise himself in a particular political party or build a mass movement with neel and lal groups against the Modi Government for dislodging its despotic rule in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the larger national interest. Dr Nagender Rao worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad until 1995. Currently he is living in the US. While in India he used to contribute articles in Mainstream. He has sent this article for publication now with a forwarding note which reads: Recent incidents in India being highly disturbing, I think no conscious person can take a neutral stand today. He can be contacted at e-mail: nagender1@hotmail.com Each man was a key player in the drama that played out in Western politics a few years ago when the rallying cry was to go and hunt down Ghaddafi. Ultimately, this is also a cautionary story about the presumed power of a hyper-intellect (Levy) versus the instincts of a more down-to-earth man who was at times considered more of a bumbler (Westerwelle). The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique and sometimes unchartered travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered. The Port of Rotterdam Authority, together with the Amsterdam Port Authority, Groningen Seaports, the Moederdijk Port Authority, the Port of Den Helder and Zeeland Seaports, is going to appeal against the decision of the European Commission which states that Dutch sea ports must pay corporation tax from January 1, 2017. Paul Smits, Financial Director of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said, We are not against paying corporation tax, but then it should apply to all European sea ports. This is a matter of principle for us. The foreign ports with which we have to compete do not pay corporation tax and, in addition, are even supported in various ways by their governments. Within Europe, it should be a question of whats sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. The payment of corporation tax will come at the expense of our investments in the port complex. The purpose of this cannot be to increase unfair competition. Last year, the Dutch legislature had made an exception in the law for port authorities: they did not have to pay corporation tax because they were not competing with private parties, but with foreign ports and with each other. The Netherlands did this because port authorities in, for example, Hamburg and Antwerp receive support from the government by respectively covering losses or co-funding port infrastructure. In January, the European Commission decided to overrule the special position of the sea ports in Dutch legislation. In the legal proceedings, the port authorities will principally allege an infringement of the principles of proper administration, such as equality and proportionality. The Port of Rotterdam Authority would have to pay about 60 million euros in corporation tax per year on the basis of the most recent annual figures. This comes on top of the dividend that the Port Authority pays to the Municipality of Rotterdam and to the State. The dividend amounts to about 90 million euros and is indexed annually. It is not dependent on the profits made. In addition, the Port of Rotterdam Authority also contributes regularly to the costs of public, national infrastructure in Rotterdam. For example, earlier this month the Port Authority announced that it will be contributing nearly one hundred million euros to the re-routing of four kilometers of public railway line. The first two U.S.-flag lakers are on schedule to depart the Port of Duluth-Superior Tuesday, March 22, signaling the start of the 2016 commercial shipping season at this, the farthest inland port on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway (GLSLS) system. Shortly after 7 a.m., the Edwin H. Gott, is scheduled to move from its winter berth at the Clure Public Marine Terminal first to fuel, then to depart mid-morning beneath Duluths famed Aerial Bridge en route to the CN Dock in Two Harbors to load iron ore pellets. Shortly thereafter, another ship in the Great Lakes Fleet, the Philip R. Clark, also will fuel and head to Two Harbors. Both vessels, with deliveries to make to steel mills on the Lower Lakes, will proceed across Lake Superior toward Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., to line up in a downbound queue to await the opening of the Soo Locks at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, March 25. The Welland Canal opened at 8 a.m. today; the Montreal/Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway opens Wednesday. The Paul R. Tregurtha, which spent winter layup at the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal, is scheduled to load coal there on Thursday before departing that evening for the St. Clair Power Plant in Michigan. Two additional vessels that wintered over in the Twin Ports the Kaye E. Barker and the American Century are scheduled to depart later this month; the Herbert C. Jackson, which is undergoing a major repowering project at Fraser Shipyards, wont sail until sea trials are completed in June. From the list of vessels heading upbound through the Soo Locks, it looks like the Port will welcome its first two inbound lakers over the weekend with anticipated arrivals of the Stewart J. Cort and the Burns Harbor on Saturday. The first Canadian laker should arrive early next week. Its difficult to predict with any certainty at this point in time the arrival of the Ports first saltie, which must still cross the Atlantic and transit the full length of the waterway. The Soo Locks provide a pivotal gateway for lakers some of which measure more than 1,000 feet in length to move raw materials like iron ore, coal, limestone, cement and salt between Lake Superior and Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie. It is one of a total of 16 sets of locks along the entire Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway that allow salties to move breakbulk and project cargoes in and out of North Americas heartland and deliver Midwestern grains to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Despite warm temps and virtually ice-free conditions across the Lakes, we couldnt compensate for the downturn in iron ore last year. Sub-par growth in China coupled with the dumping of foreign steel into U.S. markets caused a commodity recession across the board. Those declines in production at mines and mills are reflected in overall 2015 tonnage for the Port of Duluth-Superior being off more than 12 percent last year, said Vanta Coda, Duluth Seaway Port Authority executive director. There are still some formidable challenges along the Great Lakes, but nowhere near what the fleets were facing last year, he added. Our Congressional delegation led the charge in taking significant trade action in the past six months which has made huge inroads with unfair global trade practices. We all anticipate a slow start to the 2016 shipping season as headwinds still exist in commodity pricing, but the steel market and U.S. producers should begin to stabilize this year. Cyberhawk, the world leader in Remotely Operated Aerial Vehicle (ROAV) inspection and survey, and a pioneer in the conversion of drone-captured data into powerful asset information, is targeting expansion following agreement on a new 2 million funding package from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks Growth Finance team. The funding will enable Livingston-based Cyberhawk to accelerate growth, create jobs, develop its products and services and expand its global footprint, ensuring the company continues to lead the commercial development of the ROAV inspection market. Established in 2008, Cyberhawk is headquartered in Livingston, Scotland, with international offices in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The company led the creation of the drone inspection market, and has completed more than 25 world firsts including the very first onshore and offshore inspections for the oil and gas sector. Since then, Cyberhawk has enjoyed sustained growth and built a global client base in oil and gas, which includes all six supermajors, many national oil companies and independent operators. The expert team has carried out inspections across the UK, Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Oil and gas, however, is just one part of the picture. As well as years of experience in survey and inspection for the utilities sector, working with key clients such as SSE, last year Cyberhawk boosted its transport credentials with a framework award from Network Rail. 2015 also saw the company build on its extensive inspection experience in the wind sector with the launch of a commercial wind turbine blade inspection solution. Crucial to the new wind turbine inspection solution, as well as to work in other sectors, is the companys proprietary iHawk asset management software. iHawk was created to effectively convert drone-captured data into powerful asset management information in the cloud. Client asset information is intuitively accessed using a map-based interface and asset dashboards, which can be drilled into to see high definition photographic evidence behind each inspection rating. iHawk has evolved to accept data from other sources, such as helicopters and foot patrols, with the latter using Cyberhawks iHawk tablet hardware and software. Building on this inspection information, an iHawk maintenance management solution has been developed and is deployed to clients on field tablets. In addition to powerful software, engineering talent is key to effectively collecting and analysing the inspection data. Cyberhawks expert team has been built from engineers with experience in the companys key sectors and through a comprehensive graduate training program. Completing the operational teams are the most highly trained drone pilots in the industry, all of whom undertake internal certification and training which exceeds the UK Civil Aviation Authority standard for pilot certification by up to four levels, the fourth being a pilot who can inspect industrial structures in an offshore environment. Having previously received equity funding from Scottish Equity Partners and Scottish Investment Bank, the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise, Cyberhawk has become a successful business and the dominant company in its market sectors. Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks 2 million funding package, which will be used to support further expansion for Cyberhawk, was completed by Nick Edgar and Usman Ali from the Banks Growth Finance team. Cyberhawk currently employs around 50 staff, and numbers are expected to increase significantly over coming months as the company further expands its drone and software businesses. With North America a key target market for future growth, the company also plans to open a Houston office later this year. Craig Roberts, CEO of Cyberhawk, said: Capturing images with drones may be considered a relatively simple process in certain market segments, but turning that data into something which is of genuine value to asset managers is the real challenge for the industry. We consider ourselves pioneers in the conversion of drone-captured data into actionable management information and have delivered multiple projects, in volume, to each of our key markets. Drones deliver dramatic cost, safety and productivity benefits and, in combination with iHawk software, we have a compelling proposition for our target markets. Cyberhawks recent performance has been outstanding, and this funding comes at an excellent time as we embark upon a new phase of significant growth and expansion to maintain our world-leading reputation. Weve been impressed both by the flexible approach and understanding of our business and its potential, which the team at Clydesdale Bank have demonstrated in assisting our growth ambitions. Nick Edgar, Senior Director, Growth Finance at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, said: Cyberhawks management team has built successfully on the firms global track record of success in oil and gas by extending its services into other sectors such as utilities and renewables. There is clearly further potential for growth via the strong relationships which the company has already established in the rail industry. With plans also progressing for the firms move into the US market, we look forward to supporting Cyberhawk in this latest expansion phase for the business. Andrew Carnwath, associate at Scottish Equity Partners commented: Clydesdale Bank have demonstrated an ability to offer flexible funding in an efficient and timely manner. The funding will leverage growth equity provided by Scottish Equity Partners and Scottish Investment Bank and facilitate the next stage of Cyberhawks exciting growth story. A new battery storage solution for offshore wind energy will be piloted in the worlds first floating wind farm, the Hywind pilot park off the coast of Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Batwind will be developed in co-operation with Scottish universities and suppliers, under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Edinburgh on 18 March between Statoil, the Scottish Government, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and Scottish Enterprise. Battery storage has the potential to mitigate intermittency and optimise output. This can improve efficiency and lower costs for offshore wind. The pilot in Scotland will provide a technological and commercial foundation for the implementation of Batwind in full-scale offshore wind farms, opening new commercial opportunities in a growing market. Stephen Bull, Statoils senior vice president for offshore wind, said, Statoil has a strong position in offshore wind. By developing innovative battery storage solutions, we can improve the value of wind energy for both Statoil and customers. With Batwind, we can optimise the energy system from wind park to grid. Battery storage represents a new application in our offshore wind portfolio, contributing to realising our ambition of profitable growth in this area. Statoil will install a 1MWh Lithium battery based storage pilot system in late 2018. This equals the battery capacity of more than 2 million iPhones. The pilot will be part of Hywind Scotland, an innovative offshore wind park with five floating wind turbines located 25 km offshore Peterhead. The wind park is currently under construction and start of electricity production is expected in late 2017. A structured programme is now being established under the MoU to support and fund innovation in the battery storage area between Statoil and Scottish industry and academia. This programme will be managed by ORE Catapult and Scottish Enterprise. Bull said: We are very pleased to develop and demonstrate this concept in Scotland, which has a huge wind resource, strong academic institutions and an experienced supply chain. The agreement between Statoil, the Scottish Government, ORE Catapult and Scottish Enterprise represents a unique opportunity for government, researchers and industry to work together to develop new energy solutions for the global market. Scotlands Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said, The signing of this MoU will allow the signatories to work together in the development of the Batwind battery storage solution. This will help maximise the renewable generation of the Hywind offshore wind farm, whilst informing the case for energy storage and demonstrating the technologys ability to support renewables in Scotland and internationally. A recent industry and Government report, produced by the Carbon Trust, concluded that if the energy market was adapted to appropriately recognise the benefits of electricity storage to the wider system, this could lead to savings of up to 50 a year on an average energy bill and a system wide saving of up to 2.4bn a year by 2030. Andrew Jamieson, Chief Executive of ORE Catapult, said, Our partnership with Statoil represents a great opportunity to identify and support areas in which Scottish universities and the supply chain can contribute and learn from this innovative project. Innovations such as the integration of battery storage technologies are another key element in the future energy mix and will enable a greater penetration of renewable technologies in Scotland and support the development of next generation ideas such as floating wind. We are developing a programme that will match Scottish supply chain capabilities and research excellence with the technology challenges of developing innovative battery storage solutions, ensuring Scotland and the wider UK benefits from the economic opportunities presented by this internationally important project. Maggie McGinlay, Director of Energy and Clean Technology at Scottish Enterprise, commented, Weve worked with Statoil for a number of years to deliver the Hywind project, so its fantastic to remain involved in this next stage of battery storage innovation. This is exactly the kind of innovation in the energy sector were keen to encourage and support as it may have potential to advance industry growth in Scotland. Four F/A-18D Hornets with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 returned to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort March 16. The squadron has been deployed to the Western Pacific since October 2015 as part of the Unit Deployment Program. VMFA(AW)-224 arrived at MCAS Iwakuni Oct. 7, 2015, with more than 180 Marines and 10 F/A-18D Hornet aircraft. The goal of the UDP is to raise the overall readiness level of the squadron, produce and sustain qualifications for the pilots and to get the pilots what they need to properly operate the aircraft. We learn new and exciting things every time we deploy with a foreign military, said Lt. Col. Michael P. Shand, commanding officer of VMFA(AW)-224. There are only so many ways to operate a fighter squadron, and we all do it a similar way, further building trust and confidence in any future endeavors we might share. The UDP allows units to conduct training that would not be possible at their home bases. VMFA(AW)-224 participated in Exercise Island Warrior at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and conducted the Chitose Aviation Training Relocation exercise. The Chitose Aviation Training Relocation exercise involved dissimilar air combat training alongside and against the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to further support combined interoperability and Pacific theater security cooperation. We have a need to practice with other aircraft that are not F/A-18D Hornets, said Shand. Chitose ATR gives us an air-to-air training opportunity, and since we have several different generations of aircrew in the squadron, for some this is their first deployment. Many of the pilots fought against dissimilar aircraft for their first time. They trained against the F-15J/DJ Eagles from the JASDFs. The Eagles encompass different performance characteristics, forcing VMFA(AW)-224 to maneuver their aircraft in a different fashion. I believe the [the exercise] has strengthened over time and it gives UDP units an opportunity to strengthen and sharpen their skills as well, said Shand. Overall, this will continue to increase the readiness of Marine combat units across the theater. The Chitose Aviation Training Relocation exercise allowed the squadron to work on air-to-air abilities as well as one versus one, two versus two and beyond visual range training. The Island Warrior exercise had Marines building other skills. Island Warrior focuses on close air support and forward air control, said Maj. Dustin Cook, pilot and director of safety and standardization with VMFA(AW)-224. Before Island Warrior, the squadron participated in a series of similar exercises to develop greater operational readiness by honing their tactics, techniques and procedures. Every Marine in the squadron had the opportunity to hone their skills. We went to Guam and completed a lot of qualifications for our pilots, said Lance Cpl. Garrett Tallent, aviation ordnance technician with VMFA(AW)-224. The exercises provide good on-the-job experience by allowing us to load different types of ordnance. Tallent said this was his first deployment and he enjoyed adapting to a new environment and had great experiences on and off base. I enjoyed my time in Iwakuni, it was awesome being able to go out in town and experience the new culture, said Tallent. The rest of the Hornets and Marines are slated to return to MCAS Beaufort later in week. More Media Sgt. Matthew S. Parker (ret.), received a Silver Star medal on base March 18, 2016. The Silver Star is the third highest military combat decoration and was awarded to Parker for his bravery and composure during an attack in Afghanistan on May 21, 2011, while he was deployed as a rifleman with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment during Operation Enduring Freedom. Parker courageously assumed control as the ground force commander after several leaders had been injured, called in fire support and evacuated casualties. The award was presented by Maj. Gen. Brian Beaudreault, commanding general of 2nd Marine Division, who expressed his appreciation for what Parker did that day. You represented everything we want to teach in honor, courage, commitment and the warriors ethos and for that Im greatly indebted to you, Beaudreault said. You did everything we would want and hope for every Marine NCO leading a formation to do. Beaudreault said that much of the success of that day was due to Parker being able to apply his training when he needed to most. He knew how to coordinate air support, he knew how to coordinate high arms support, he knew how to maneuver forces, he knew how to employ heavy machine guns, and he knew how to employ the organic weapons systems relative to his squads and we won, Beaudreault said. We won on that day. Parker was not the only one to step up that day. Parker noted that several lance corporals took charge of higher positions, including his own, while he led the platoon. They led their Marines the way they were supposed to, Parker said, directed at the junior Marines who were in formation for the ceremony. I just want you to know I appreciate you. I didnt do anything special; I just did what I was supposed to do and Im lucky that I had good Marines who were backing me up. Parker enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2002 and was deployed in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2013, he deployed with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Sergeant Parker was medically retired in 2015. His personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon with one Gold Star, and Good Conduct Medal with two Bronze Stars. More Media The tornado that struck Ararat in Patrick County in late February was a reminder that severe storms can wreak havoc on the area, according to local emergency officials. They urge people to participate in the annual statewide tornado drill this week to be ready if a tornado strikes Martinsville or Henry County. In addition to damaging trees, the Feb. 24 twister in Ararat ripped a mobile home from its foundation, blew off the roof at one home and damaged the roofs of six others and destroyed several outbuildings and fences, among other damages, according to National Weather Service reports. A total damage estimate has not been provided. But that storm was mild compared to the tornado that struck the Fieldale and Whitby Acres areas of western Henry County in 2004, causing almost $53.8 million in damages. Other confirmed tornadoes that have touched down locally included one near Aiken Summit in 2010 and one near Martinsville Speedway in 1994. Henry County Public Safety Director Matt Tatum said that when he was growing up, it seemed like tornadoes seldom were reported in this area. But with changes in climate and weather patterns, it seems like the community now sees a tornado warning about every year, he said. People need to be prepared for tornadoes, Tatum said, because "they come very quickly and with very little notice, and they do a lot of destruction within a short period of time." The tornado drill, to be held at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, is designed to help people prepare. When the drill begins, an announcement similar to a real tornado warning will be broadcast on area radio and television stations and the NOAA Weather Radio frequency. In past drills, Martinsville has sounded its outdoor warning sirens citywide. Robert Scott, the citys emergency management coordinator, said officials have not yet decided whether to sound the sirens for Tuesdays drill. Henry County does not have a siren system. All public schools in Martinsville and Henry County will participate, and emergency officials plan to be at most schools during the drill to monitor participation and make any recommendations for improvements needed. Tatum and Scott said they recommend that businesses and people at home participate in the drill, or at least stop and think about what they would do if they find out that a tornado is about to strike. For example, prepare an emergency supplies kit and "think about where you would take shelter in your personal residence," Scott said. Emergency officials recommend that each home, school and business have a tornado safety area, such as a basement, interior room, closet or hall. Safety areas should be away from windows and doors so people do not come into contact with broken glass or other debris that often is blown around in a tornado. Also, safety areas should be away from structures outside walls that could collapse in a tornado. In a safety area, seek shelter under a sturdy piece of furniture such as a table or desk, if one is available for protection from flying debris or fallen roofs. Crouch in a fetal position to become less of a target for debris. Mobile homes, vehicles and buildings with large-span roofs, such as large retail stores and gymnasiums, are not appropriate shelters because tornadoes can easily destroy them. Leave such structures immediately if a tornado warning is issued. Officials advise that if no appropriate shelter is available, go outside, lie face down in a ditch and cover your head with your hands. They also advise not seeking shelter from tornadoes under bridges. High winds can suck a person out from under a bridge, even in narrow spaces. According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, tornadoes are the most violent type of storm and can occur suddenly as part of severe weather at any time of the year, so people should be prepared to act fast to protect themselves and their families if a tornado threatens. A "tornado watch" is issued by the National Weather Service when weather conditions in a specific area are favorable for tornadoes to develop. When a watch is issued, monitor NOAA Weather Radio or a local radio or television station in case a tornado warning is issued and broadcast. A "tornado warning" is issued by the weather service when radar indicates significant rotation in storm clouds or a funnel cloud has been observed by trained storm spotters or emergency officials even if the funnel is not reaching the ground. Seek shelter immediately if a warning is issued. Signs of an approaching tornado, emergency management officials say, include: Strong, persistent rotation or lowering in the base of clouds. Whirling dust or debris on the ground under a cloud base tornadoes sometimes have no visible funnel. Hail or heavy rain followed by dead calm or a fast, intense wind shift. Many tornadoes, especially in Virginia, are wrapped in heavy precipitation and cannot be seen. A loud, continuous roar or rumble that doesnt fade in a few seconds like thunder does. Small, bright, blue-green to white flashes at ground level at night, as opposed to silvery lightning up in the clouds. These lights are power lines being snapped by strong winds, perhaps those of a tornado. More information about tornado safety is available online at www.vaemergency.gov. The Virginia General Assembly passed a very brief and simply worded bill during this years session that would prevent localities in the state from regulating private drone use. The bill, though, is still creating debate. Some drone supporters say preventing localities from regulating private use of the aircraft encourages growth of the industry and simplifies enforcement. But some elected officials in the Roanoke and New River valleys argue that such a law undermines the publics safety and privacy. The bill, sponsored by Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, has wording that is similar to a 2015 opinion from Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring that the Federal Aviation Administration exclusively regulates and enforces all private aircraft activity in the country. The bill which awaits the signature of Gov. Terry McAuliffe passed with little resistance from state lawmakers. However, several council members in Blacksburg and Roanoke believe that municipalities should be given the freedom to avert potential safety and privacy concerns raised by drones. Roanoke Councilman Ray Ferris said common law states that property ownership is anything from the ground to the sky and directly underneath, as well. What the General Assembly is saying is, We control the sky over your property, he said. Its wrong on so many levels. They can fly over your property and theres not a thing you can do about it. And you cant go crying to city council or the board of supervisors about that because they wont be able to help you. Drone activity across the U.S. faces different regulations depending on the person or entity flying the aircraft. For example, businesses are not allowed to fly a drone at all unless they obtain an FAA exemption. Hobbyists can fly drones but have been given general guidelines from the FAA that include not flying the aircraft higher than 400 feet, remaining at least five miles away from airports and steering clear of groups of people and stadiums. Within the past few months, the FAA began requiring hobbyists to register their drones, a process that stamps each aircraft with a federally issued registration number. The move, which itself has drawn concerns over privacy, is intended to educate owners on airspace rules and make it easier for the FAA to track down negligent hobbyists. Attempts to reach an FAA representative for comment for this story were unsuccessful last week. Still, people in the unmanned aircraft industry say more or stronger regulations will be needed to better protect the public against negligent drone owners. If I was the average person, I could go order the drone off the Internet, go fly it and nobody would ever know, said Jayson Firebaugh, a pilot and owner of a drone business in Blue Ridge called Star City SkyCams. Its the uneducated person thats going to get themselves or somebody else in trouble, or possibly hurt. Firebaugh added: The general public has no idea if drones are even regulated. Firebaugh said he sees the FAAs registration requirement as a positive step. I dont think its a final step, but I think its a good step in the right direction, and would raise awareness, he said. Firebaugh, however, said he doesnt think the recent drone bill would degrade safety and privacy. He said enforcement might, in fact, be easier because authorities and hobbyists wont have to worry about different laws at each level of government. He said he hasnt examined the bill closely. But it seems to me that theyre leaving all drone regulation at the federal level, he said. The federal governments having a hard time regulating it as it is. Sending regulations down to the state level would make things much worse. The chance for conflicting information becomes a lot greater. Michael Sievers, a lawyer with clients in the drone industry, said the bill does simplify regulations, and added that more uniform laws make it easier for localities to attract drone businesses. I do think its good for the state of Virginia and localities as far as being conducive environments for businesses looking either to provide drone services or make use of those services, said Sievers, whos with Richmond-based legal firm Hunton & Williams LLP. Sievers said the bill prevents problems such as the creation of separate permitting requirements for drones in different Virginia municipalities. Thats how I view this, he said. Not as a casual intrusion upon the rights of localities, trying to cut them out of their role, but rather making sure we dont get too complex in the web of regulations around this emerging industry. State Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, who also represents Salem and parts of the New River Valley, echoed Sievers comments. Suetterlein voted in favor of the bill. We benefit greatly from having Dillon Rule, especially in regards to business and commerce policies, Suetterlein said. The Dillon Rule gives businesses greater predictability of policies theyre going to have if theyre going to expand to other parts of Virginia. So, the rules wont change on them drastically when they cross political subdivision lines, he said. The Dillon Rules bottom line: State law on a disputed matter trumps that of the locality. Roanoke Councilman Court Rosen, chairman of the councils legislative committee, said the bill really just re-enforces the Dillon Rule and the FAAs role as the sole authority on airspace. This law really doesnt do anything new, Rosen said. Whats on paper at the state and federal level, however, hasnt stopped attempts to regulate drones at the municipal level. In 2013, Charlottesville considered declaring the city a no-drone zone in response to local fears of government surveillance and invasions of privacy from aircrafts equipped with cameras. And even if drones arent necessarily breaking airspace rules, that doesnt mean residents wont be concerned about their safety or privacy, Ferris said. Municipalities, he said, should be able to proactively ensure no problems occur. Lets say we get complaints that drones are flying in a park or are being flown over back yards adjacent to a park, where children are playing in the back yard. [Theres] a concern that drones could crash or get pictures of the kids, Ferris said. They [the General Assembly] dont ... want us to put a stop to it. Thats really what the General Assembly is setting up. Roanoke Councilman Bill Bestpitch, vice chairman of the councils legislative committee, said its the municipalitys job to respond to local concerns. When theres a problem, those people are likely to come to us, the city council members, Bestpitch said. We sit there and have to look sort of foolish saying we cant do anything about it because the General Assembly says You need to go to Richmond and complain to them. Blacksburg Mayor Ron Rordam said he understands concerns from residents. It gets really scary sometimes, he said. Roanoke Vice Mayor David Trinkle said there may even be specific areas in cities and towns that the local government knows is not safe for drones, even if flying there is not necessarily illegal. It seems to me that it would be reasonable to enact a general regulation for drone use thats consistent with the FAA, he said, but it also seems completely reasonable for a locality to designate certain areas that can be drone-free or require special permits. CAMPBELL George Wade George Wade Campbell, 72, of Martinsville, departed this life on Friday, March 18, 2016, at his home. He was born in Pittsylvania County, on November 4, 1943, a son of the late Edgar and Nora Barksdale Campbell. Those left to cherish his memory include his daughter, Serena Barton, of Martinsville; two sisters, Nancy C. Price and Evelyn Campbell, both of Martinsville; two brothers, Jerry and Lonnie Campbell, both of Martinsville; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Memorial services will be held Monday, March 21, 2016, at 7 p.m. at Damacus Road Christian Fellowship with Pastor Stephen Campbell, officiating. Burial will be private. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Hines Funeral Services. TODAYS WORD is blurb (blurb). Example: A famous fashion magazine editor was asked to write a blurb promoting a new book on the history of high-heeled shoes in the United States. SUNDAYS WORD was epistemic (ep-uh-STEE-mik). Definition: Of or relating to knowledge or knowing: cognitive. Example: Professor Rich is convinced that the quest for epistemic certainty is a foolhardy one. The Martinsville Senior Center will sponsor a four-week greeting card-making class. The class will teach students how to make greeting cards for several different occasions, such as Mothers Day, birthdays and other special occasions. The first class will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, at the senior center. The cost is $8 for the four sessions. The registration deadline is noon on Friday, April 15. Call 403-5260 to register. Peter Howard, Rotary Area 7, will present the Paul Harris Fellowship award to several members of the Martinsville Uptown Rotary Club at the breakfast/meeting on Thursday. The meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. A recent study shows financial burdens negatively affect health and quality of life for many cancer survivors. The following information comes from www.news.vcu.edu. Cancer survivors with financial difficulties have a higher risk of depressed mood and psychological distress and are more likely to worry about cancer recurrence than survivors without heightened financial problems, according to a new Virginia Commonwealth University study. Hrishikesh Kale, a graduate student in the VCU School of Pharmacy, spearheaded the research on the public health impact of cancer-related costs, under the direction of Norman V. Carroll, Ph.D., a professor at the School of Pharmacy. The study was published last week in the journal Cancer, a biweekly, peer-reviewed scientific journal. The findings that survivors with financial problems struggle more with depressed mood and psychological distress, including with concerns about the chance of cancer recurrence, suggests that it is critical for patient care to consider these components, Kale said. "Cancer survivorship care programs can identify survivors with the greatest financial burden and focus on helping them cope with psychological stress, anxiety and depression throughout their journey with cancer," Kale said. "We hope that oncologists, clinical pharmacists and other health care providers will increase the extent to which they consider selecting treatments that are less expensive, but similar in effectiveness, discussing treatment costs with patients and involving patients in making decisions about their therapy." Heres another humor story submitted by Carl deHart: The little young lady of the house, by way of punishment for some minor misdemeanor, was compelled to eat her dinner alone at a little table in a corner of the dining room. The rest of the family paid no attention to her presence until they heard her audibly praying over repast with the words, "I thank thee, Lord, for preparing a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." News / Africa by Agencies Supporters of President Jacob Zuma at the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting ensured that the embattled president survived another day, reports said yesterday. The president's backers fought against those detractors who were expected to lead calls for Zuma's censure and possible recall, according to the report.The meeting came amid last week's revelations over the influence of the Gupta family on the government.Former chairperson of Parliament's portfolio committee on public enterprises, Vytjie Mentor, revealed that the Gupta family offered her the position of minister of public enterprises, on certain conditions. She also alleged that Zuma was in the next room at the Gupta's Johannesburg home when the offer was made.Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas then confirmed that the Guptas offered him the position of finance minister before Nhlanhla Nene was removed last December.The disclosures led to widespread controversy and calls for Zuma's head. However, Zuma supporters apparently plotted through the night on Thursday to defend the president at all costs, including "hanging out the dirty laundry of those gunning for the president", City Press reported.The campaign against Zuma appeared to lose steam and he received a standing ovation at the start of the NEC meeting in Pretoria on Friday. An ANC source said that it was important for the party to project unity amid the divisive media coverage over the last week.The Zuma supporters also successfully fought against an attempt to have his relationship with the Gupta family placed on the NEC agenda, and instead the issue of "state capture" was discussed.Meanwhile, the former head of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has fingered Zuma as having played a key role in driving state business to the Gupta family, the Sunday Times reported.The report said former GCIS head Themba Maseko claimed Zuma had arranged a meeting for him to "help" the Guptas. In the past week, Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor have lifted the lid on the purported extent of the Gupta influence.According to the report, Zuma phoned Maseko directly to ensure he met the Gupta brothers. This flies in the face of the president's assertions in Parliament that he had no knowledge of the family soliciting government favours or being involved in the appointment of Cabinet ministers.News24 reported last week that Zuma told the National Assembly he hired ministers, not the Guptas. "Go ask the Guptas, and Jonas, it has nothing to do with me. Where do I come in? Ask the people he said offered him the job," he said.However, Maseko said when he met the Guptas they asked the GCIS to spend state money on advertising in The New Age newspaper. The family is purported to have said that they could exercise influence over ministers to buy advertising in the newspaper.When Maseko declined a follow-up meeting, a heated exchange between him and Ajay Gupta is said to have ensued, with the latter saying: "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you."Maseko was later shifted from his position as GCIS CEO. 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. InfoBionic, a company out of Lowell, Massachusetts, was awarded 510(k) clearance by the FDA to introduce its MoMe Kardia wireless cardiac monitor in the U.S. The device can work either like an old fashioned Holter monitor or as a mobile cardiac telemetry system. It can be switched between the three modes remotely by a physician, depending on the type of monitoring thats expected to provide the best results. The MoMe Kardia is a single device that both records the ECG and accelerometry data and sends it back to the InfoBionics cloud storage via a built-in cellular phone transmitter. From there the patients physician can analyze the charts and readings in detail. It doesnt require any Bluetooth or WiFi setup and can be simply programmed, placed on a patient with a few accompanying instructions, and set off to do its electrocardiography. Unusual cardiac events are automatically recorded and theres also a button the patient can press if he or she suspects an arrhythmia. The company plans on releasing the MoMe Kardia to the U.S. market within the next few months. Product page: MoMe Kardia by Sara Guaglione , March 21, 2016 Technology media company IDG unveiled its first company-wide branding campaign last Friday, designed to unify its corporate identity to global marketers. That brings its brands, like CIO, Computerworld, Macworld and PCWorld under one house. IDGs new tagline is Insights, Intent & Engagement. IDG is speaking to the market with a single, powerful voice that better reflects who we are today: the new model of a media company, stated Josh London, CMO of IDG. He added that unifying the market globally made it easier for customers ... to influence and engage the most powerful audience of tech buyers in the world. The brand initiative will be introduced across digital, mobile, out-of-home, events and print. advertisement advertisement IDGs new branding reflects its evolution from a brand-driven publisher to a global media company, per the statement. Another goal behind the campaign is to retain and attract talent, London told Talking New Media. The company will distribute elements of the branding initiative to IDG employees, including brand boxes and posters. According to the TNM report, IDG hopes to expand its digital audience by reaching out to its technology audience. The company is already all-digital it shuttered its print edition of CIO in October 2015 in the U.S. and has one of the first ad networks for tech advertising. IDG has made the leap from traditional publisher to data-driven media and marketing machine, with nearly 90% of our revenues driven by our digital capabilities, explained CEO of IDG Michael Friedenberg. He added that the new branding will highlight the companys recent changes to its readers and customers. Gizmodo, Monday, March 21, 2016 9:05 AM When listing all the ways humanity is going to ruin the future, one that doesnt often come up is the sun being blocked out by a horde of drone advertising blimps. But that hasnt stopped one Swiss firm from working hard to make it a reality. Skye Aero is a project to build 10-foot helium-filled balloons, with small propellers attached to give better control than your average blimp. The benefits are a much bigger aircraftuseful when you want to advertise to peopleand one that wont crash the second it loses power, or bumps into anyone. Read the whole story at Gizmodo by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, March 20, 2016 The wide-ranging scope of the capabilities coming with The Internet of Things creates a relatively unlimited number of ways to create new and innovative methods to interact with consumers. These can range from new ways to incorporate robotic devices to leveraging drones for not only product delivery but also as a new advertising mechanism. Drones, commonly viewed as a future delivery mechanism, are now being seen as way to deliver super-targeted advertising. Engineers at Swiss firm Aerotain have created a helium-filled balloon with propellers that can carry messages like a large floating billboard to consumers based on their location. And robots, commonly seen as a great aid inside large manufacturing facilities, are now being introduced to the public as a way to deliver various goods to them. For example, the Dominos Robotics Unit is testing pizza delivery by robot in New Zealand. The 3-foot tall robot has a heated compartment and can drive itself 13 miles from a pizza store. Other similar prototypes are underway. And more smart things are starting to be connected to each other. For example, Amazons Alexa is being linked to Fitbit fitness trackers, so a consumer can ask Alexa for status check on their activity by simply asking the device when they walk in the door. Alexa also can be tapped for consumers who use Capital One to link into their financial information using just their voice. And travelers at Dallas Fort Worth Airport can look to their Apple Watch for information to help them navigate the massive airport. The Internet of Things is still in the early stages, but the capabilities are being created and fine-tuned so that consumer-oriented innovation can easily and rapidly follow. News / Education by Staff Reporter Lawyers have attacked President Robert Mugabe for officiating at the controversial Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (Zegu) in Bindura on Friday.The Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (Zaoga) run university is embroiled in a court battle over the land in which it is built.Mugabe offered the church more land for expansion for free and "wrote off" the $2 million the educational institution owes to Bindura Municipality.Lawyer and MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu said Mugabe's decision to officiate at a university with a pending court case had shown his disregard for the rule of law."It just shows utter contempt and disregard for the courts and legal systems in the country by Mugabe and his regime. In fact, this is another form of exerting undue executive and political pressure on the judiciary. It's very sad," he said."Remember, there could also be some family sentiments in the mix here since Mugabe's son-in-law is a member of Ezekiel Guti's church. The MDC-T is a God-fearing political party and, in fact, we hold Apostle Ezekiel Guti and his church in very high regard."Be that as it may, we are also ardent believers in the rule of law and respect for court orders. Disrespect for the rule of law and court orders is at the very root of founding a dictatorship."Human rights lawyer, Prayers Chitsa said Mugabe was not supposed to take sides in the dispute, particularly since the matter was before the courts, as this had the effect of subverting justice. by Richard Whitman , Columnist, March 21, 2016 If you live in New York, perhaps you've seen it. If you don't, you've no doubt heard about it. Back in January, Calvin Klein teamed with, among others, rapper Fetty Wap and actress Klara Kristen for a new campaign. One element of the campaign is a billboard on the corner of Houston between Crosby and Lafayette. On one side of the billboard, Kristen can be seen wearing a hiked-up skirt offering a full-on upskirt view. She is accompanied by copy which reads I seduce in #mycalvins. On the other side of the billboard there is a headshot of Wap with the copy, "I make money in "#mycalvins." Many have taken issue with the fact that Kristen's side of the billboard is all about looking sexy and using that sexiness to get what one wants while Wap's side of the billboard is making money, seemingly, through good old-fashioned hard work. One person who has taken issue with the billboard in Heidi Zak, CEO of lingerie brand ThirdLove. Zak has written an open letter (full text below) to Steve Shiffman, CEO of Calvin Klein asking him to remove the billboard. In part, the letter reads: "Its striking that almost a century after women won the right to vote, companies like yours are still propagating these offensive and outdated gender stereotypes: Men go to work and make money, while women are nothing more than sex objects." advertisement advertisement Along with the letter, Zak has released a video in which she condemns Calvin Klein and argues women "aren't defined by their underwear." She goes on to say, "I'm personally offended by the Calvin Klein billboard ad in New York City that highlights a dated gender stereotype; that men are the breadwinners while women are sex objects." The video features on the street interviews with woman who share how they feel about the billboard and the message it sends. Some of the comments include, "It's overly sexualized," "It's terrible," It's offensive," "It's pretty inappropriate," "It's obnoxious" and "It's a double standard." The video closes by urging viewers to head over to a Change.org petition to join the movement urging Calvin Klein to remove the billboard. Clearly Calvin Klein is doing this for the publicity and will milk it for all it's worth. When the brand finally does take down the billboard, they will issue the usual statement about how the billboard has reached the end of its run and was, all along, scheduled to have been removed versus it being removed in reaction to public outcry. Here's the full text of the open letter to Calvin Klein: March 18, 2016 Attn. Mr. Steve Shiffman CEO, Calvin Klein, Inc. Mr. Shiffman, Id like to talk about your new Spring 2016 campaign entitled #MyCalvins. In New York Citys Soho neighborhood, a mere 2.6 miles from your headquarters, your billboard shows a woman in Calvin Klein underwear with the caption I seduce in #mycalvins directly alongside rapper Fetty Wap, who is known for his anti-feminist lyrics and behavior towards his childs mother in the media, with the text I make money in #mycalvins. Is the message of Calvin Klein today that women are only good for seduction? Are we stuck in the 1950s? Are these the values of the Calvin Klein brand? Its striking that almost a century after women won the right to vote, companies like yours are still propagating these offensive and outdated gender stereotypes: Men go to work and make money, while women are nothing more than sex objects. It is egregious that Calvin Klein is posting this message for millions of impressionable young women to see and internalize as to what they should aspire to. See, you and I view the world very differently. I believe women can do anything, and that we should take every possible opportunity to teach and remind them of that. Anything less, in this day and age, is irresponsible marketing. Im a CEO, and I work hard. I make money just like Fetty and I do so while wearing underwear, just like all the other amazing women out there working every day. We should be illustrating that women do more than simply seduce. At ThirdLove we believe fit should come first. In fact, we believe the best bra is one you never think about. No matter the different roles a woman takes on during the day, her lingerie should make her feel confident, sexy and ready to be the best at her job, as a friend, wife or partner, mom, or CEO of a company. And Im not the only one shocked by your company. Your fellow New Yorkers had a lot to say: More Than My Underwear. For the sake of the tens of thousands of women a day, young and old, who walk past this billboard, Im starting a petition Change.org/MoreThanMyUnderwear. We are asking that your company do the right thing and remove this offensive billboard immediately. Women deserve more respect, and they certainly deserve more than what theyre getting from companies like yours. Sincerely, Heidi Zak CEO/Co-Founder, ThirdLove #MoreThanMyUnderwear by Thom Forbes @tforbes, March 21, 2016 Sherwin-Williams will acquire rival paint-and-varnish maker Valspar in a deal the companies say has an enterprise value of about $11.3 billion with estimated annual savings of $280 million and synergies that extend beyond the aesthetic. Sherwin-Williamss famous logo shows a can of red paint pouring over a globe with the slogan Cover the Earth. On Sunday, the paint maker took a step toward that goal, is how Michael de la Merced paints the acquisition in TheNew York Times. Sherwin-Williams manufactures products under the Sherwin-Williams, Dutch Boy, Krylon, Minwax, Thompson's Water Seal and other brands, reports Reuters Scott DiSavino. In addition to making coatings for the construction, industrial and transportation markets, Valspar sells consumer paints under the Valspar, Cabot Stain, Devine Color and other brands. advertisement advertisement The deal includes an unusual cut to the purchase price should regulators demand too big a pound of flesh, observes Liz Hoffman for TheWall Street Journal. If Sherwin-Williams is forced to divest businesses representing more than $650 million of Valspars 2015 revenue, the price it pays investors drops by $8 a share. A provision that allows Sherwin-Williams to walk away entirely if divestitures climb to $1.5 billion in revenue is more common in deals. Its a nuanced and creative approach to antitrust risk, which is usually dealt with more bluntly, as with the all-or-nothing walk-away right, Hoffman writes. At the same time, Sherwin Williams president and CEO John Morikis played down any suggestion that the antitrust challenges would be insurmountable, de la Merced writes. Were confident in getting regulatory approval, he said. Of the potential price cut, he added, This gives clear and greater certainty should it take a different path. An investor webcast, which can be accessed here, is scheduled for 8 a.m. ET The transaction, the biggest acquisition in Sherwin-Williams' 150-year-history, would create a global paint company with combined revenues of about $15.6 billion, adjusted earnings of $2.8 billion, and about 58,000 employees, Janet H. Cho reports for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Those figures include estimated annual synergies of $280 million in sourcing, selling, general and administrative expenses, and process and efficiency savings within two years after the deal closes. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is subject to approval by Valspar shareholders. It is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2017. Sherwin-Williams, which was founded in Cleveland in 1866, posted record sales of $11.3 billion in 2015, and profits-per-share were up 27% to $11.16, Cho reports. Valspar is an excellent strategic fit with Sherwin-Williams, Morikis says in the joint statement announcing the agreement, which represents Sherwin-Williams paying a premium of approximately 41% to Valspars weight average price for 30 days. The combination expands our brand portfolio and customer relationships in North America, significantly strengthens our Global Finishes business, and extends our capabilities into new geographies and applications, including a scale platform to grow in Asia-Pacific and [Europe, the Middle East and Africa], Morikis continues. Valspar chairman and CEO Gary Hendrickson described the acquisition as compelling because it delivered immediate and certain cash value to our stockholders, write the Financial Times Ben McLannahan and James Fontanella-Khan on CNBC.com, reporting that the deal is expected to close by the end of the first quarter 2017. Valspar is the fifth-largest North American manufacturer of paints and coatings, according to its company history. It traces its roots to Bostons Broad Street, where Samuel Tuck opened a shop called Paint and Color in 1806. After becoming varnish-maker Valentine & Co., it relocated to New York City in 1870. It became Valspar in 1932, merged with the Rockcote Paint Company and moved to Rockford, Ill., in 1958 and, after several more deals, combined in 1970 with privately held Minnesota Paints and moved to Minneapolis, While consumers might buy Valspar's Cabot stain products or its paint lines at Target, Lowe's, Home Depot or Ace Hardware stores, its products have covered everything from Coca-Cola cans to Yamaha grand pianos to aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis to naval submarines, writes Pat Pheifer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It has 25 manufacturing facilities in the United States and others in Europe, China and Latin America, Valspar spokeswoman Kimberly Welch tells Pheifer. There are 10,500 employees with about 600 in Minneapolis, where Sherwin Williams Morikis said it intends to maintain a significant presence. by Sara Guaglione , March 21, 2016 Hearst Magazines UK will add two new titles to Magzter, the largest digital magazine newsstand. Mens Health UK and Cosmopolitan UK will be available on Magzter Gold, the apps Netflix-like, All You Can Read subscription service. More Hearst Magazines UK will be added to Magzter soon. Hearst Magazines UK is the publisher of 19 magazine brands and five digital brands, including Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Elle and Harpers Bazaar. It is the largest digital magazine publisher in the UK with a digital audience of 15 million monthly unique users. All of Hearst Magazines titles from the U.S. have been available on Magzter since April 2013, and Russias Hearst Shkulev Media titles are also available on the app. advertisement advertisement Published 11 times a year, Men's Health UK is priced at 29.99 for an annual subscription on Magzter. Men's Health magazines from other countries, such as Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and Thailand, are also available on Magzter. The monthly Cosmopolitan UK is priced at 9.99 for an annual subscription on Magzter. Cosmopolitan magazine from countries like the U.S., India, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Slovenia, Chile, Philippines, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Indonesia are also available on Magzter. This isnt the first big UK publisher to strike a deal with the app. As Publishers Daily reported last week, Bauer Consumer Media UK added 44 titles to the Magzter, including Empire, Grazia, MCN, Heat, Car, Closer and Q. Magzter is best known for Magzter Gold, which allows users to binge-read as many articles as they want. Currently, over 3,500 international digital magazines are available on Magzter Gold. Vijay Radhakrishnan, president and co-founder of Magzter, previously told Publishers Dailythat he hopes to get all the publishers on Magzter on board with their Gold subscription service by the end of 2016. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 21, 2016 Google hopes to become the first American Internet provider to connect Cuba with the rest of the world by expanding WiFi and broadband access to the country's businesses and citizens. Cuba is one of the least digitally connection nations, but on Sunday U.S. President Barack Obama told ABC News prior to his Monday meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro that Google will start supporting the country's WiFi and broadband infrastructure. Fewer than 5% of the homes in Cuba have access to the Internet. "One of the things that well be announcing here is that Google has a deal to start setting up more WiFi and broadband access on the island," Obama said. "Change is going to happen here, and I think Raul Castro understands that." advertisement advertisement Cuba early last year launched its first public WiFi hotspots in its second-largest city, with help from ETECSA, the island's state-owned telecom company, but its $4.50 hourly fee was too expensive for most of its citizens. Obama and Castro plan to talk at Havana's Palace of the Revolution. He also will speak to some of the country's entrepreneurs. It is the first time in 90 years that a sitting U.S. president has visited Cuba. U.S. cruise ships in the Atlantic continually passing the island, but that could all change. Companies are not hesitating when it comes to moving in to support Cuba. Late last year U. S. airlines said they would begin to schedule flights in and out of the country from the U.S. Starwood Resorts announced during the weekend that it will refurbish and manage two hotels in Havana. Airbnb plans to open up all its listings April 2. Obama's historic trip to Cuba comes a couple of hundred days before American voters pick his replacement to lead the country. During his conversation with ABC News, he said the United States has a lot of work to do, such as bringing an end to the embargo currently in place against Cuba. Differences between the United States and Cuba still exist around human rights and individual liberties. It may not happen before the end of Obama's presidency. Searches on Google related to Obama's visit to Cuba Sunday spiked at about 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time Sunday. Puerto Rico showed the most interest, followed by Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Mexico. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 21, 2016 The Authors Guild is pressing the Supreme Court to review a decision that cleared Google of infringing copyright by digitizing books and displaying excerpts of them in its search engine. The authors organization argues that its long-running battle with Google presents questions about online copyright infringement that should be addressed by the country's top court. "At the heart of this conflict is a fundamental disagreement about how to apply the Copyright Act in the digital age -- an issue this Court must resolve, as more and more content is digitized and becomes susceptible to mass infringement," the Authors Guild argues in papers filed last week. The battle between Google and the Authors Guild dates to 2005, when the organization alleged that Google infringed copyright by digitizing millions of library books in order to make their contents searchable. The Authors Guild said Google didn't have the right to make copies of books under copyright, without the owners' permission. advertisement advertisement The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in October that Google's book project was "transformative," and therefore protected by fair use principles. "The purpose of Googles copying of the original copyrighted books is to make available significant information about those books," that court said in its ruling. The Authors Guild is now asking the Supreme Court to review that decision. "Google made unauthorized digital reproductions of four million books in copyright. That alone was an historic infringement," the Author Guild says in its most recent papers. "Google also gave libraries millions of unauthorized digital copies of books -- 'ebooks' that otherwise would have been purchased or licensed by the libraries." The authors group adds that Google also displayed verbatim excerpts in response to search queries. "Googles purposes for undertaking this whole operation, without paying a dime to the authors, were entirely commercial," the Authors Guild adds. For its part, Google asked the Supreme Court to refuse to hear the appeal. The company argues that the 2nd Circuit correctly ruled that digitizing books and displaying brief excerpts is protected by fair use principles. "The search and snippet view functions of Google Books have dramatically changed the ways readers can find books," Google argued in papers filed with the Supreme Court last month. "Users anywhere in the world can now search the collections of major research libraries across the country as well as abroad to find books relevant to their interests." The company adds that the Authors Guild has never demonstrated that its members lost any revenue due to Google's project. "Petitioners have not -- in nearly a decade of litigation -- introduced evidence of a single lost sale attributable to Google Books," Google writes. "In fact, the individual petitioners admitted in depositions that they have not lost sales or that they are unaware of any harm to sales from Google Books." The Supreme Court is slated to consider the matter at a conference on April 1. by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, March 21, 2016 Hope springs eternal but the Great Wall is pretty damn long too, and its anyones guess who will prevail in the end. Ever optimistic, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Chinas propaganda chief in his never-ending quest to gain access to the worlds largest online population, but the chances that Chinas control-obsessed government will admit the social network without heavy concessions (including censorship) are just about nil. Zuckerberg met propaganda chief Liu Yunshan on the sidelines of the China Development Forum in Beijing, where he also attracted social media attention with his brave decision to go jogging in the famously smog-filled city. This is Zucks second high-profile visit as part of his long-term charm offensive: previously, in October 2015 he made headlines by delivering a 20-minute speech in Mandarin during a visit to Shanghai. Currently Facebook, like Google and Twitter, remains banned in China, but Liu hinted at a possible relaxation of the ban if Facebook were to partner with Chinese Internet companies -- and, implicitly, submit to far-ranging censorship of content created by Chinese users. This would effectively create a two-tiered social network, with Chinese users using a heavily controlled version of Facebook separate from that used by the rest of the world. advertisement advertisement In typically opaque fashion, Liu encouraged Facebook to strengthen exchanges, share experiences and improve mutual understanding with China's Internet companies. In addition to his meetings with high-ranking officials, including a meeting with Chinas top Internet official, Lu Wei, at Facebook headquarters, Zuckerberg is a member of the advisory board at Tsinghua University, one of Chinas top academic institutions. In his personal life, Zuckerberg is married to Priscilla Chan, a Chinese-American. Currently, the Chinese social media market is dominated by home-grown companies, principally Sina Weibo, a microblogging site which combines aspects of Twitter and Facebook, while Baidu functions as a search engine akin to Google, and e-commerce giant Alibaba provides a counterpart to Amazon. Treating patients with a rare, genetic form of diabetes with therapies aimed at type 2 diabetes could be harmful, and there needs to be a review of treatment guidelines for such cases. Share on Pinterest The researchers suggest treating patients with a rare form of diabetes called MODY1 with drugs for type 2 diabetes causes insulin-secreting beta cells (green, with blue nucleus) to become stressed and die. Image credit: Mills Laboratory This was the conclusion researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, came to in a study published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry. Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY1) is a rare, genetic form of diabetes that is often misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes because the two forms share similar symptoms. MODY1 accounts for 3-5% of all patients with diabetes. However, the researchers suggest the underlying mechanisms of MODY1 are very different to type 2 diabetes, and treating it with drugs for type 2 diabetes appears to kill insulin-secreting beta cells, causing patients to move onto insulin injections much sooner. Within 10 years of diagnosis, many MODY1 patients find themselves having to inject with insulin as a way to keep their blood sugar under control. First author Dr. Benjamin D. Moore, formerly of Washington University and now at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains that drugs for type 2 diabetes make insulin-secreting beta cells very active, and adds: But the MODY1 pathway weve uncovered shows that stimulating those cells with those drugs can lead to beta cell death. That means these patients can become dependent on insulin injections much sooner. Rosacea, a chronic inflammatory skin condition, may be linked to Parkinsons disease through shared pathogenic mechanisms, according to new research published online by JAMA Neurology. Share on Pinterest The US sees around 60,000 new diagnoses of Parkinsons each year. Rosacea is a chronic skin disease, featuring redness and pimples on the face and sometimes the eyes. In time, it may also cause a thickening of the skin. Middle-aged and older adults, and especially women during the menopause, are more likely to develop the condition. People with fair skin are more susceptible. The causes of rosacea are unclear, but there is evidence that the activity of an enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase, which breaks down proteins, plays a role. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that Parkinsons disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimers disease. The Parkinsons Disease Foundation estimate that up to 1 million Americans have the disease, and that there are 60,000 new diagnoses each year. Early signs of Parkinsons include tremor, rigidity and difficulty walking; eventually, cognitive decline commonly occurs. Parkinsons mostly affects older people; the risk increases from 1% at age 60 years to 4% at 80 years. It is more common among males than females. Increased matrix metalloproteinase activity has been linked to both Parkinsons and other neurodegenerative disorders. Health experts today launch a world first as a major boost for people who suffer what is ranked the most painful medical condition known to humankind, with its pain described by a majority of female sufferers as worse than childbirth. A new fast track clinic opens its doors to sufferers of cluster headache, who often must wait for their next appointment with a consultant, despite the start of a bout, the period during which individual attacks occur, or worsening symptoms. Instead, the clinic at Guy's and St Thomas's hospital in London, will see them within a week, after referral from their family doctor, and offer treatment and support intended to get their cluster headache under control. It coincides with the first-ever awareness day on the condition, which affects four in 1,000 people and is as prevalent as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. The day is staged by OUCH (UK), the Organisation for the Understanding of Cluster Headache, a member and partner of the European Headache Alliance, and the European Headache Federation. The clinic follows close liaison between OUCH (UK), sufferers, supporters and the pain management centre at the hospital. The word "cluster" refers to a period of time, lasting weeks or months, during which attacks come on a daily basis, with an increased number associated with seasonal changes and light hours in the day, peaking at the equinox. People experience acute, sharp pain, usually behind the eye, together with other facial symptoms, such as a running or blocked nose, eye tears and facial swelling. Attacks, as many as eight a day, last up to three hours. Though most patients may have a remission period for a few months, without attacks, about 20 per cent face a chronic pattern of attacks, without any significant remission. While no specific medication has yet been developed for the condition, a number of techniques and treatments can ease the pain and help people through their bout of attacks. But the biggest issue for patients is obtaining a correct diagnosis and timely access to a headache specialist. Scott Bruce, a trustee of OUCH (UK), said: "As an episodic sufferer, being able to quickly and effectively seek assistance from specialist medical help is vital for good management of a condition that impacts greatly on my quality of life. "As a trustee, who assists well over 2000 individual sufferers in Britain, this service will mean so much to every single one of them and their families". Dr Giorgio Lambru, headache neurologist in the headache centre at at Guy's and St Thomas's hospital, said: "There is an urgent need to significantly improve cluster headache care. We are adopting a new clinical approach, with a patient-initiated clinic, and we hope to foster collaboration at all levels of care, so we can manage this devastating condition better." Dr Anna Andreou, research director of the headache centre, said: "The ultimate cluster headache treatment is yet to be found. However, a number of interventions, delivered in a timely fashion, can help to provide relief for such a devastating condition." Professor Dimos Mitsikostas, president of the European Headache Federation, said that more than 600,000 people in Europe live with cluster headache, with under half seeing a specialist and more than a third missing work, costing 7 billion a year. Professor Mitsikostas added: "Cluster headache is a brain disorder, requiring specific management, that only a specialist headache centre can offer. "Such centres are highly lacking currently and the condition often remains undiagnosed for years, before a patient can get the right treatment. "A fast-track cluster headache clinic is a great idea, since this is the major complaint of these patients. They need to be seen by an expert as soon as possible". Audrey Craven, past president of the European Headache Alliance, said: "We are pleased to support the launch of this fast track cluster headache clinic. "Cluster headache is one of the worst pains known to man and it is vital that all those affected have access to appropriate treatment and care, to manage this devastating disorder." Demonstrating the potential of precision medicine, an international study based at UT Southwestern Medical Center used next-generation DNA sequencing technology to identify more than 1,000 gene variants that affect susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Precision medicine is an emerging field that aims to deliver highly personalized health care by understanding how individual differences in genetics, environment, and lifestyle impact health and disease. SLE, commonly called lupus, is a serious, potentially fatal autoimmune disease that the National Institutes of Health reports affects nine times more women than men, and is more likely to strike young African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women. The disease often begins between the ages of 15 and 44. "SLE starts when the immune system attacks multiple organ systems in the body, which can result in a complex array of symptoms that are difficult to manage clinically and can lead to organ damage," said Dr. Edward Wakeland, Chair of Immunology at UT Southwestern and co-senior author of the study posted online recently in the journal eLife. "Our findings support the potential of precision medicine to provide clinically relevant information about genetic susceptibility that may ultimately improve diagnosis and treatment." The study also may have implications for other systemic autoimmune diseases, a category of diseases that affect multiple body systems and includes Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, he said. Dr. Wakeland and colleagues sequenced millions of DNA base pairs from more than 1,700 people, which allowed precise identification of the genetic variations contributing to SLE, he said. Specifically, the researchers identified 1,206 DNA variations located in 16 different regions of the human genome associated with increased susceptibility to SLE. They then showed that almost all of them (1,199) modify the level of expression of specific molecules that regulate immune responses, he said. In addition, the two-year study identified many of the specific regulatory variations that were changed in SLE patients and demonstrated that accurately identifying such so-called causal variants increased the accuracy of the genetic association of individual SLE risk genes with susceptibility to SLE. "Prior to our study, such a comprehensive sequence analysis had not been done and little was known about the exact genetic variations that modify the functions of the genes that cause SLE," added Dr. Wakeland, who holds the Edwin L. Cox Distinguished Chair in Immunology and Genetics. The scientists began their comprehensive sequence analysis using the DNA samples of 1,349 American Europeans (773 with SLE disease and 576 without) from sample collections at UT Southwestern, the University of Southern California, UCLA, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. They then determined the precise DNA sequences at SLE-associated genetic regions scattered throughout the genome. They found that SLE risk is associated with specific clusters of DNA variations, commonly called haplotypes, and that some haplotypes increased the risk for SLE while others provided protection from SLE. After identifying the sets of DNA variants that increased SLE susceptibility in Caucasians, they used multiple public databases, including the international 1000 Genomes Project (2,504 genomic samples from the global human population) to determine whether these haplotypes also were found in South American, South Asian, African, and East Asian populations. They discovered that the variants and haplotypes were distributed across subpopulations worldwide. Their findings indicate that many common haplotypes in the immune system are shared at different frequencies throughout the global population, suggesting that these variations in the immune system have ancient origins and persist in populations for long periods, Dr. Wakeland said. "We thank the many SLE patients and control participants whose sample contributions were essential for these studies," the researchers wrote. Dr. Wakeland and colleagues plan to continue the research by obtaining more DNA samples and expanding their analysis to additional SLE risk genes with the goal of obtaining a data set that can be used to predict an individual's unique risk of SLE, as well as the likelihood of benefiting from specific treatments. "It is feasible that this same type of genetic analysis will allow the clustering of SLE patients into specific groups, based on their genetic predispositions, which would improve clinical management and potentially allow the development of more targeted therapies," Dr. Wakeland said. Earlier this month, UT Southwestern announced that Dr. Wakeland, whose laboratory has long served as the institution's Genomics and Microarray Core Facility, will be leading a large DNA-sequencing initiative to address important clinical challenges. The new clinical sequencing facility, in collaboration with the Department of Pathology, will provide panel sequencing for cancer and other diagnoses, and eventually expand to whole-exome and whole-genome sequence analysis for a variety of patients. The laboratory will be established in the BioCenter on the East Campus. To commit full effort to this initiative, Dr. Wakeland will step down as Chair of Immunology, but will remain in this role until his successor is named. "This clinical sequencing core facility will generate laboratory data to be used for the evaluation of patient tumors. I hope we will someday expand to genotyping patients to identify potential susceptibility to autoimmune disease and many other conditions as the field of precision medicine develops," Dr. Wakeland said. News / Local by Nduduzo Tshuma ZANU-PF Politburo member Obert Mpofu on Sunday castigated war veterans' chairman for trying to undermine Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko's liberation war credentials saying the party would not tolerate mischievous elements trying to denigrate leadership.On Friday last week, war veterans chairman Mutsvangwa told the private media that VP Mphoko allegedly ditched his regiment in Mozambique to enjoy life with his then wife-to-be, Laurinda, who later became his wife in 1977. Mutsvangwa said Mphoko "went AWOL" from Zapu's military wing, Zipra, after he fell in love with Laurinda.However, speaking at the handover of a classroom block by VP Mphoko at Mbiriya Primary School in Tsholotsho, Mpofu said those either expelled or suspended from the revolutionary party for various transgressions had no business discussing party leadership. "When one is dismissed from Zanu-PF, they must not talk about our leaders. They should talk about their leaders that they've strayed to," said Mpofu.He said the party leadership had the backing of the people. "Who are you to talk about our leaders? I went to war in 1967, I found VP Mphoko already in the Zipra high command and then you've people who came yesterday talking ill about the VP who went to the war in the early 1960s," said Mpofu in apparent reference to Mutsvangwa."How do you speak about a person who is a VP? He was big then and he's big now that's why he's a Vice President. Speak about now. "We're proud of our leaders, no one should speak badly about VP Mphoko especially individuals who only came yesterday. We're tired of listening to them."Mpofu called on the party to ignore such characters saying responding to their rants was a waste of time. He reiterated that Matabeleland North province was not involved in factionalism as it does not benefit the party and the region in any way."When you talk about factionalism, you're saying here's a big bull but support that smaller one instead of the big one. In Zanu-PF our bull is President Mugabe who is our leader," said Mpofu.He also took the opportunity to correct media reports that suggested that he said there is no Ndebele speaking person with presidential qualities. Instead, Mpofu said he meant that there was no candidate in the region who can match President Mugabe.Mpofu, who was part of a team of senior Zanu-PF leadership that campaigned for Professor Jonathan Moyo in the Tsholotsho North by elections last June, paid tribute to voters for rallying behind the party leading to its emphatic history."I feel so proud of the people of Tsholotsho for what you did in June last year. We're here with the leadership to thank you for what you did and recording such a huge number," he said.VP Mphoko, who addressed a star rally alongside his counterpart VP Emmerson Mnangagwa in the constituency ahead of the polls, also paid tribute to the voters for backing the party saying that the constituency had finally got itself good leadership in the form of Prof Jonathan Moyo.Former member of the Zipra High Command, Retired Brigadier-General Abel Mazinyane told our sister paper Sunday News that VP Mphoko was consistent throughout the armed struggle and those questioning his credentials were too junior to understand the deployment of people of his rank.Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane, the last Zipra chief of military intelligence whose other duties were to track and apprehend deserters said he does not recall VP Mphoko being listed as a deserter.He said if VP Mphoko had abandoned the armed struggle in 1976 as suggested, there was no way he was going to display a Rhodesian helicopter which was shot down by Zipra forces in Zambia and shown to the United Nations delegates at a conference in Mozambique in 1978, attend the burial of Zipra commander Alfred Nikita Rogers Mangena in Lusaka also in 1978. At the 45th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research, researcher David Wong, University of California - Los Angeles, USA, presented a study titled "Saliva Liquid Biopsy." The AADR Annual Meeting was held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research. Researchers performed a prospective blinded study on 37 non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients to explore if saliva can be used to detect actionable epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in NSCLC patients at the Sichuan Lung Cancer Institute in Chengdu, China. The frequency of EGFR mutations is three times higher in Asian countries. For each patient, both pre- and post-biopsy/surgery, plasma and saliva were collected. Codes were removed from samples and blinded. Biopsy tissues were genotyped for EGFR L858R and exon 19del by digital PCR (ddPCR) while plasma and saliva were assayed for same EGFR mutations by electric field induced released and measurement (EFIRM). The results were statistically analyzed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center for concordance analysis with the tissue-based genotyping data. Saliva liquid biopsy (sLB) correctly predict both EGFR exon 19del and L858R status for all 37 pre- and post-surgery/biopsy saliva samples (AUC=1.0). Plasma from the same 37 patients' pre- and post-surgery/biopsy were measured by sLB with AUC=1.0 for exon 19del, and AUC=0.96 for L858R. Signals in saliva are cleaner than that in plasma for L858R. For exon 19del, both plasma and saliva have clean separation between mutants and wild types. This study confirmed the performance of saliva liquid biopsy for detecting epidermal growth factor receptor mutations from pre-biopsy plasma and saliva samples, providing confidence that sLB can be translationally and clinically validated. At the 45th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research, researcher Ricardo Teles, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA and The Forsyth Institute, Boston, Mass., USA, presented a study titled "Adjunctive Minocycline Microspheres Decrease Periodontal Pathogens around Implants with Peri-implantitis." The AADR Annual Meeting was held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of adjunctive Minocycline HCl Microspheres (Arestin) with debridement alone on the levels of 40 subgingival bacterial species in the treatment of peri-implantitis. Reseachers recruited 208 subjects (from 11 centers in the USA) with at least 1 implant with peri-implantitis and randomized to receive either mechanical debridement alone (n=104) or mechanical debridement followed by Arestin (1 mg) (n=104) at baseline and day 90. After clinical examination, subgingival plaque samples from the deepest site of each qualifying implant were collected using paper points at baseline and 30 days post-baseline. Plaque samples were analyzed for the levels of 40 subgingival bacterial species using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization technique. Clinical examinations were performed at baseline, 90 and 180 days. Significance of differences in changes in mean levels and proportions of subgingival species from baseline to 30 days was tested using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Significance of differences in change from baseline in subject-level average probing depth (mm) between treatment groups was tested using mixed models for repeated measures. The adjunctive use of Arestin resulted in statistically significantly (less than 0.01) greater reduction in the levels of 14 of the 40 subgingival species, including: A. gerencseriae, A. odontolyticus, A. actinomycetemcomitans, six members of the orange complex, all three red complex species, S. noxia and T. socranskii. In contrast, only six of the 40 species had changes in their proportions that were statistically significantly (less than 0.01) different between treatment groups. Clinically, a statistically significantly greater reduction (p=0.0035) in mean pocket depth in the Arestin group (-1.06 mm) compared to control (-0.78 mm) was observed at day 180. The use of adjunctive Arestin in the treatment of peri-implantitis resulted in significant additional reductions in the levels of multiple subgingival periodontal pathogens. Adjunctive Arestin resulted in greater peri-implant pocket depth reduction compared to mechanical debridement alone. At the 45th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research, researcher Lexie Holliday, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, presented a study titled "MicroRNA-146a is Abundant in Extracellular Vesicles Released by Osteoclasts." The AADR Annual Meeting was held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research. Recent data from Holliday and her team of researchers shows that extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by osteoclasts regulate bone cells in vitro. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that silence translation of target mRNAs. EVs can shuttle functional microRNAs from their cell of origin to target cells. MicroRNA (miR)-146a is induced by NF kappa B and represses NF Kappa B signaling by inhibiting translation of TRAF6 and IRAK1. Osteoclasts require constant NF Kappa B signaling to differentiate and resorb bone. In this study, the researchers aimed to identify microRNAs in osteoclast-derived EVs to identify potential regulators of bone remodeling. In this study, osteoclasts were produced by stimulating RAW 264.7 cells with recombinant Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor kappa B-Ligand. EVs were isolated using ExoQuickTM, positive/negative-stained and visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and tested by Western blotting for standard exosomal markers. MicroRNAs from osteoclasts and osteoclast precursors were isolated using the miRVana kit and profiled by microarray. RNA was isolated from EVs using SeraMiR Exosome RNA Purification kit and quantitative real time PCR was performed. EVs were predominantly between 30-70 nm in diameter by TEM and contained exosome markers CD63 and CD81. Microarray analysis showed that Let-7b-5p and miR-146a were at 160% and 210% higher levels in osteoclasts than precursors. In contrast MiR-689 and miR-290 were reduced to 15% and 3% of their precursor level in osteoclasts. Very little miR-689 or miR-290 was detected in EVs. Let-7b-5p increased 2-fold in osteoclasts. MiR-146a was very abundant in EVs and was at a 21.1-fold higher level in EVs from osteoclasts compared with precursors. MiR-146a is enriched in EVs from osteoclasts. The release of miR-146a in EVs may prevent repression of the NF kappa B pathway in osteoclasts. MiR-146a-rich EVs may regulate osteoblasts or other target cells. MiR-146a in EVs is a potential biomarker for the presence of osteoclasts. At the 45th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research, researcher Naoki Kakudate, Kyushu Dental University, Kyushu Dental University, Japan, presented a study titled "Evidence-Practice Gap for Sealant Application: Results from a Dental PBRN." The AADR Annual Meeting was held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research. In this study, the researchers aimed to examine dentist practice patterns regarding treatment recommendation of dental sealants and identify characteristics associated with this recommendation. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey in Japan. Participants were Japanese dentists (N=282) recruited from the Japanese Dental Practice Based Research Network (JDPBRN) who indicated that they do at least some restorative dentistry. Scenarios, images and questionnaire items were the same as those used in a previous U.S. DPBRN study. A series of three clinical photographs of the occlusal surface of a mandibular first molar, together with a description, were presented portraying increasing depths of cavitation. The researchers inquired about the treatment decision for each case, which had a 12-year-old patient with high caries risk. Chi-square tests were performed to assess the association between belief about the effectiveness of caries risk assessment and sealant recommendation. Multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the association between the decision to recommend sealants and dentist, practice and patient characteristics. Responses were obtained from 189 dentists (67 percent). In the hypothetical scenarios, dentists' recommendations of sealants for the 12-year old patient varied from 16 percent to 26 percent. Nineteen percent of dentists recommended sealants in the absence of dark brown pigmentation. Forty-eight percent of dentists (n=91) recommended sealants to more than 25 percent of patients ages 6-18 years. Multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that the dentist's belief in the effectiveness of caries risk assessment was significantly associated with the percentage of patients who would receive sealants. Dentist practice patterns for sealant treatment recommendation vary widely. Recommending a sealant was significantly related to the dentist having a higher belief about the effectiveness of caries risk assessment. Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. Advertisement Dan Brockman at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals carried out the surgery along with RVC surgeons who provided pre and post-operative care. Mabel was subjected to initial tests and the operation was carried out for six hours under anesthesia.Surgeons drained blood out of the central veins of the dog's body before it entered the heart and then returned to a major artery once it had been oxygenated by the heart-lung machine. Vets then injected a solution with a high potassium content into the arteries that go to the muscle of the heart. This fluid helped doctors to open the heart and inspect its structures.Doctors cut the fused ventricles and stitched it back properly so that blood flow will be normal. The operation has become a success as Mabel has recovered well after spending six days in the intensive care unit.Professor Brockman said, "The operation itself is risky, much worse than most other operations. In our hands, for this type of disease, we have about an 80 percent chance of getting them through the procedure. The owner has to gamble what life the dog has left against the promise of a more normal quality of life and life-span following the operation."Source: Medindia Advanced maternal age Aging of gametes Oocytes becoming over ripe Recent studies have shown gene polymorphisms that affect the metabolism of folate and homocysteine an important factor in trisomy 21 or downs syndrome. Chewing tobacco Use of contraceptive pill Advertisement Eyes slant upward and are placed further apart. Neck, ears and head are small. Hands are short with the fingers short. There are no creases in the palm except for a single deep crease. A distinct crease is found between the big and second toe. Developmental milestones are longer Speech and language learning takes increased time Lack ability to focus for long, poor attention span Show sudden impulsive behavior Hearing defects - 60 to 80 percent of children have hearing deficits. Congenital heart disease - 40 to 45 percent of children with Down Syndrome have congenital heart disease. Intestinal abnormalities - can be found at a higher frequency than normal population. Eye Problems - more common Thyroid dysfunction - more common Skeletal problems - noted at a higher frequency Obesity Leukemia Alzheimer's disease Seizure disorders Sleep apnea Skin disorders http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276977/ https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/down/conditioninfo/Pages/symptoms.aspx http://www.ndss.org/About-NDSS/Newsroom/Recent-News/World-Down-Syndrome-Day-2015/ https://worlddownsyndromeday.org/wdsd-conference An article published by Babu Rao Vundinti and Kanjaksha Ghosh titled " Incidence of Down syndrome: Hypotheses and reality" published in. 2011 identifies causes and risk factors associated with Down syndrome and include -People with Down's syndrome exhibit certain characteristic physical and well as intelligence and developmental symptoms. As this is a congenital condition , the symptoms are present from birth but are recognised better as the child grows up.Initially people with Down syndrome find it hard to grasp language skills but they soon learn enough to communicate for their needs. Over the years, people with the syndrome have shown remarkable ability to integrate within mainstream society, if they are given the right opportunity and support.The following are some of the associated conditions-People with Down syndrome are at an increased risk for -Many countries, including India, look upon people with Down syndrome with caution and do not let them into active mainstream society. However, they have shown tremendous courage in gaining recognition.: People with Down's syndrome are always pictured as being happy and completely unaware of emotions around them. This is far from true as they express the entire range of emotions including anger and sadness. They understand kindness and warmth and they respond to such emotions with similar responses.: A person with Down syndrome has many faculties and interest areas that can be tapped like becoming a dance exponent . Most people with downs syndrome enjoy arts and appreciate music and dance.: Some patients have a very mild delay in cognitive development but they may require additional time to comprehend situations. All it requires is patience to encourage them.: People with Down syndrome may require additional support while learning, which has more visual images. However, they should be included in normal schools.: Most people picture people with Down's syndrome as being sickly, however, advancements in medical technology have aided in promoting health.People with Down syndrome should be treated with care and should be made to feel normal. This will promote their well being and encourage them to look for meaningful relationships within society. Many people with Down's syndrome are being actively employed in banks, hotels and other places of business, allowing them to contribute to society.This World Down syndrome day 2016 seeks to highlight their active inclusion into society by creating special bonds of friendship within the community #MyFriendsMyCommunitySource: Medindia Recently there has been a series of reports in the Lebanese and Arab press that Hizbullah has begun withdrawing its troops from Syria, reports which the organization has repeatedly denied. The reports come against the backdrop of several important developments that have occurred in the region in the last few weeks: the decision taken by the Saudi-led Gulf and by most other Arab countries to designate Hizbullah a terrorist organization; the UN-sponsored talks in Geneva between representatives of the Syrian regime and opposition, which began on March 14, 2016 in an attempt to promote a political solution in Syria; the current ceasefire in the country that came into force on February 27 and includes most of the warring sides, and finally Russia's withdrawal of some of its forces from Syria. The following is a review of the recent reports on Hizbullah's withdrawal from Syria, and of the organization's denials: Lebanese Janoubia Website: Hizbullah Is Withdrawing Troops From Syria On March 14, 2016, the Lebanese Janoubia website, which is run by Shi'ite Lebanese journalist 'Ali Al-Amin, known for his opposition to Hizbullah, posted the following report, citing sources close to the organization: "Yesterday night [March 13], hundreds of Hizbullah troops that had been fighting in Syria began returning to their homes in the Southern Dahiya of Beirut, suddenly and without advance announcement." The website assessed that the main reason for the move was Russia's decision, declared by President Putin on March 14, to withdraw some of its forces from the country. It speculated further that Hizbullah's pullout from Syria was part of an agreement that had recently taken shape between Russia and the U.S. to promote a political process between the warring sides in Syria and to prevent any element from sabotaging this process. Hizbullah's withdrawal, said the website, suggests that Iran and Hizbullah are committed to this agreement, though they have not officially declared this.[1] The next day, the Turkish news agency Anadolu cited Al-Amin as saying that Hizbullah was likely "to withdraw its troops from areas [in northwestern Syria,] like the Aleppo [area], but not from Damascus and from regions along the Lebanese border, such as Al-Qalamoun and Al-Zabadani."[2] Hizbullah fighters in Syria (Image: Dailystar.com.lb) Hizbullah: These Rumors Are Groundless The same day, March 15, Hizbullah's military media bureau released a statement via Facebook to the affect that "these rumors [about a Hizbullah withdrawal] are groundless and are part of the failed psychological warfare to which we are accustomed." The organization added that the rumors are spread by "foreign news agencies and Arab media [that] work in coordination with the terrorist organizations," and urged other media "not to be fooled and not to spread these lies and rumors." It stated further that "the last word in Syria will still be uttered by [the forces on] the battlefield, which are making daily progress in isolating the terrorists and in thwarting the countries that support them."[3] Janoubia And Other Sources Reiterate The Claims Another report by the Janoubia website, on March 15, cited two sources (one described as "knowledgeable" and another as close to Hizbullah operatives) as confirming that Hizbullah had fully withdrawn from some of its positions in Syria and had taken up new positions elsewhere in the country.[4] Also on March 15, the Kurdish Syrian website ARA News cited Lebanese media activist Ahmad Salman as confirming the reports about Hizbullah's retreat. Salman assessed that the withdrawal was a result of popular pressure on Hizbullah inside Lebanon, and also of the attack on Hizbullah by the Gulf states and Arab countries that had recently designated it a terrorist organization.[5] According to a March 18 report in the Lebanese daily Al-Liwa, Lebanese security sources confirmed to senior Lebanese authorities the claims about a Hizbullah pullout.[6] On March 19, the London-based UAE daily Al-Arab reported, citing several sources, that Hizbullah had changed its deployment in Syria from offensive to defensive and had retreated from several fronts. The daily added that some troops had returned to Lebanon, while others had been transferred to different parts of Syria, including to areas with a Shi'ite majority. The sources listed two reasons for the move: the ceasefire that recently came into force in Syria; and concerns that, following Hizbullah's designation as a terrorist organization, its forces would be targeted by both opposition elements and by the jets of the international coalition. The daily also quoted Mustafa Ahmad Al-Sheikh, a high-ranking officer who defected from the Syrian army, as saying that, in addition to the Arab states, Russia too had exerted pressure, both military and political, against Hizbullah's activity in Syria.[7] Hizbullah Deputy Sec. Gen. Repeats The Denial: "Hizbullah Is Still In The Field" The flurry of reports prompted another denial from Hizbullah, this time by deputy secretary-general Na'im Qassem, who said on March 18 that "Russia's partial withdrawal [of its forces] does not affect the military forces that are supporting the Syrian army and its allies in the fight against ISIS, [Jabhat] Al-Nusra and their allies... Hizbullah is still in the field, as it was, and has not changed its moves, its [level of] readiness or its plan."[8] Endnotes: News / Local by Staff Reporter Two notorious burglars have been jailed for 17 years in prison each and they should rue their immoral association with a Masvingo commercial sex worker.Masvingo Mirror reported that the burglars stole various electronic goods in Rujeko, Mucheke and Zimuto Camp, a lot of which was recovered.Tendai Chorumbwa (30) and Tafadzwa Samunda (20) were found guilty of 36 counts of unlawful entry and theft of valuable property when they appeared before Magistrate Oliver Mudzongachiso.However, it is the detectives who cornered the two notorious thieves who should be hailed for a job that was exceptionally well done.The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had to apply to cellphone network providers NetOne, Telecel and Econet, for permission to eavesdrop the telephone conversations that went on during criminal activities.They cornered Melody a commercial sex worker who the thieves were in constant touch with.The detectives phoned and lured her by telling her that they were civilians who had her parcel given them by a cross border driver. The detectives agreed to meet her at Glow Petroleum filling in Masvingo. They then used contacts and conversations in the sex worker's phone to track down the suspects leading to their arrests at a night club.Chorumbwa and Samunda proved to be cunning thieves considering that they changed names when they visited different places.While in Mutare for instance, Samunda called himself Nakai Sango, Chorumbwa who comes from Murehwa called himself Farai Chikono.It is the State case that the two accused unlawfully broke into six houses in Rujeko suburbs and stole DVD players, cell phones, television sets, clothes bags, groceries and other electrical appliances on different dates between January and February 2016. In Mucheke, the duo unlawfully entered into four houses and stole several electrical gadgets. They even went to the extent of stealing goat meat that was preserved the refrigerator, tomato sauce and a loaf of bread.The daring burglars unlawfully entered into Zimuto camp, a residential place Police officers and stole property and cash from Mercy Jamela, a nurse.They took to their heels when they heard an alarm bell after they had removed zinc sheets from a boutique belonging to Valerie Chikozho, a businesswoman in Rhodene. The duo also ransacked the ceiling of the boutique and went away with three men's suits when the alarm responded.Police recovered several other stolen properties and equipment such as crowbars for committing burglaries. In Chivi, the pair stole plasma televisions, cash and other property using the same modus operandi.James Murambiza prosecuted.local news After the Siachen avalanche, the Indian Army once again faced natures wrath. A destructive avalanche hit the Indian Army post at Kargil at 17,000 feet on the 17th of March, 2016 and swept away two Indian soldiers. The avalanche was caused due to a minor earthquake. One of them, Sepoy Sujit was rescued the same day but sepoy Vijay Kumar K couldnt be traced. Indian Express While Sepoy Sujit was recovering in the hospital, the Indian Army carried out rescue operations for two days to find sepoy Vijay Kumar K despite the adverse weather conditions but to no avail. It was on the third day that the rescue team found sepoy Vijay Kumar Ks body, buried under 12 feet of snow. Army is in the process of evacuating his body from the area after which it will be moved to his native place where the cremation ceremony will take place with full military honours, a defence spokesperson said. Sepoy Vijay Kumar Ks demise is a terrible loss to the country. Lets spare a moment to pray for his soul to rest in peace. News / Local by Staff Reporter A somber atmosphere engulfed Maipisi village under Chief Mazungunye in Bikita last week where the remains of the late Director Civil Military Relations in the Zimbabwe National Army, Colonel Charles Matema and wife Patricia were interred.Masvingo Mirror reported that Col Matema died in a horrific road accident which also claimed his wife in Kwekwe on 26 February 2016.He was 57.The late Col Matema whose Chimurenga name was Jabulani was declared a liberation war hero.Speaking at the burial, Chief of Staff General Staff, Major General Trust Mugoba described the late Matema as a patriotic and dedicated soldier both during the liberation war and after."He was a freedom fighter who fought and won the war and delivered freedom to the people," said Gen Mugoba.Maj Gen Mugoba pledged the ZNA`s support to the five remaining children to ensure that they get adequate parental, moral and monetary support required for continuity.Born on 16 March in 1959 at Maipisi village, Col Matema attended Mazungunye Primary School before proceeding to Jersey Secondary School where he dropped from school to join the liberation struggle in 1975 in Mozambique where he received military training.At independence the late Col Matema was attested in the ZNA where he rose through the ranks to the position of Colonel.The couple is survived by five children, two boys, three girls and a grandson News / Local by Staff Reporter A faction of the Zimbabwe War Veterans Association that is aligned to Mandi Chimene has booted out Francis Zimuto who calls himself 'Black Jesus' from the association's national executive.Masvingo Mirror reported that Zimuto who is the secretary for environment and tourism was booted out during a meeting held at the Gutu- Masvingo turnoff (Roy) on Saturday.The war veterans who numbered more than 300 accused Zimuto of insulting the first family by attacking the First Lady Grace Mugabe whom he described as a stepmother because she was a second wife to President Robert Mugabe.They also accused Zimuto and the other fired war veterans of attending a meeting of war veterans in Chiredzi two weeks ago that endorsed embattled war veterans chairman Christopher Mutsvangwa who was fired two weeks ago by President Mugabe as the Minister of War Veterans.Booted out alongside Zimuto is Francis Nhando, who is the National Political Commissar. The dismissals were announced by the national secretary for lands in the association, Gorge Matenda."One of the major reasons for the expulsion is a meeting held last week where they criticised the appointments done by the President, and the fact that Zimuto openly criticised the First Lady," Matenda said.Matenda said the axe was going to descend on other members for the commission of the same offences."We are going to look at other members of the provincial and national executive and decide what we are going to do with them," Matenda said.The new interim vice chairperson of the war veterans association Gorge Mlala also confirmed the expulsions and encouraged the war veterans to get ready for provincial elections to select a new executive."There are those who think they can challenge the President and the first family and we told them to leave, Masvingo should now gear up for provincial elections to select a new executive," said Mlala. The Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis, met at the Foreign Ministry today with the Ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Athens, Dragan Bozanic. The meeting, which took place in a friendly atmosphere, reaffirmed the excellent level of cooperation and traditionally strong ties between the two countries. The discussion focused on the issue of the European perspective of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ambassador Bozanic referred to his countrys recently submitted application for accession to the European Union, and he expressed his warm thanks to Greece for it moves on this issue to date, as well as for its assistance, on a technical level, in providing the necessary know-how. Moreover, he requested further Greek support for his countrys efforts to achieve the opening of accession negotiations. Finally, reference was made during the meeting to the potential for establishing direct seasonal air service between Athens and Sarajevo. N. KOTZIAS: Good morning. I must say that today, which, for our Ministry, from the standpoint of our internal operation, is a difficult day, it is a great pleasure to have my friend Ditmir in Athens. I welcome his visit to Athens as a follow-up to my own visit to Albania. Ditmir is a friend of Athens, both from the standpoint of our relations and due to the fact that he lived here, with many friends, he studied European Law, and he knows our city well. Since our last meeting at which we agreed that we must meet more frequently we have stepped up the relations between our two Ministries. Our Secretaries General met recently. We want to resolve the problems that come from the past. We want to resolve them creatively, to the benefit of both sides and in cooperation with our societies, so that we can deal more with what we can do for the future and how we can upgrade the Balkan region overall. As you know, since the 1990s we have had a friendship agreement, which we want to renew; we want to upgrade it and put a number of issues into it. My colleague and I talked at length about matters confronting our diplomacy, and I think that we have made a good start towards seeking solutions on matters of mutual interest, as well as towards promoting solutions on issues that have to date been the subject of disagreement or divergence. We also talked about Albanias course of accession to the European Union, about the implementation of the five points that have been set by the Commission and the Council. We talked about the importance and the rights of the Greek minority in Albania, just as we talked about the importance of our Albanian fellow citizens here in Greece: bridges of friendship and understanding between the two countries. We talked about the economic relations of the two sides, and we will continue our discussion this afternoon. And we will also continue it in the immediate future. We have found common codes of communication, criteria for the solution of our problems. Our criteria are international law, European culture, and the needs of our peoples as well as our states. Once again, Ditmir, I want to welcome you. You are always welcome here in Greece, and we are pleased that we can have creative discussions, because the work and duty of Foreign Ministers is not to list problems, but to solve them. Thank you again for coming today, on a beautiful day, and for coming with your wife, who, from what I know, is very familiar with Greece, having studied in Thessaloniki. D. BUSHATI: Thank you. Thank you for the welcome. I would like to start by expressing my condolences to you on the death of one of your most distinguished diplomats, your late Ambassador to Spain, who was also, at one time, the Ambassador to Albania. I express my condolences to his family and his colleagues. As my counterpart Nikos said, today we had the chance to discuss apart from issues that concern our region, security issues, refugee issues, issues concerning strengthening cooperation in the security sector bilateral issues, as well. I believe that there is mutual understanding with regard to the different nature of the problems we are facing in the context of Greek-Albanian relations. These are issues of grave importance that have been bequeathed to us by the past, but also issues that concern our common future. We have endeavored to prioritize these problems and discuss, first, the philosophy of the manner in which to solve them, the parameters of this solution and the foundation on which we will base ourselves, because our countries are neighbouring countries, they are strategic partners, they are members of NATO, they are countries that share common interests in the Mediterranean and the Balkans. And, naturally, it would not be odd to say that that the solutions we are seeking are based on international law and the European spirit. Moreover, I believe we are headed towards the finalization of the mechanism through which we will try to resolve these matters, not simply through frequent meetings on the level of Ministers, Secretaries General and existing committees, but through the renewal of an institutionalized joint platform. We are committed to creating this mechanism, at the soonest possible time, so that any obstacles to our common course whether they be from the past or of the present can be dealt with by us, with an eye on the future, and so that we can resolve them one at a time and conclude on a package agreement. We will thus encourage the development of Greek-Albanian relations, as Nikos said. The duty of Foreign Ministers is not simply to identify problems. I can say that there is no taboo in our relations. Our relations on an institutional level and on a personal level are very good. Even when we look at issues from different points of view, we see that all of the matters must be settled not just the ones of grave historical importance, but also current issues. They have to be settled so that we can free up the positive energy between Greece and Albania. I believe that we are both clear. A more consolidated relationship between Greece and Albania will have a positive impact on the present situation prevailing in the region. We talked about Albanias European perspective. I have said repeatedly, and I highlight now what I have said in Albanias Parliament, in the meeting with the President of the Hellenic Republic. We thank Greece for the assistance it is giving us on our European course. We will never forget the fact that Albania was granted candidate-country status during the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union, even though, following the Lisbon Treaty, the role of the Presidency is limited. But we are grateful that we were granted the status in question during the Greek Presidency, and from that perspective we will do more positive work and we will resolve the problems one by one. Thank you. JOURNALIST (EFIMERIDA SYNTAKTON): Mr. Minister, we heard general declarations, but we didnt hear anything specific. Are there specific differences, at this time, that we are working to resolve, like the EEZ issue, for instance? Do you have anything specific to tell us on that? Has there been any progress? Thank you. D. BUSHATI: I dont think there is any doubt about the following: Just as there are issues on which there is full agreement, there are also issues on which we are at the stage of sketching out a solution. A solution based on international law and mutual benefit. In public opinion, there is often talk of those issues on which we havent managed to find solutions, but not so much is said regarding the issues that unite us. Regarding the issue you mentioned, it is true that this issue is part of a discussion of principles regarding how it can move towards resolution and what mechanism we need to find so that we can resolve this issue in accordance with the institutionalized rules of international law. It is in our interest as well as Greeces for us to move forward on this issue. It is an issue that concerns our future. It is an issue that is part of the broad range of important plans that will be implemented by the European Union in the Adriatic-Ionian region, in the sector of economic development and in the energy sector. The issue of the EEZ and the continental shelf would be a good chance for us to free up positive energy so that we could make possible the implementation of these European plans. From this podium, I have spoken of the sea as an area of potential, as a point of contact, and not as a zone that separates us. Across the range of issues we discussed today, we conversed in this spirit. In the spirit of finding a mechanism, without imposing on one another, in full understanding. And I believe that when we have found a solution, there is no doubt that we will announce it publicly. N. KOTZIAS: Foreign Ministers are for resolving problems, not for announcing their thoughts. There are those who misunderstand this, because they think that the function of Foreign Ministers is to make statements to the media from morning to night. What we agreed is that there is a mechanism, there is a method for resolving any problems that might arise in a manner that serves everyones interests. This method, this mechanism makes us optimistic. JOURNALIST: Mr. Foreign Minister of Greece, I would like to ask whether Greece, whether and when you will take to Parliament the annulment of the state of war between the two countries. Mr. Foreign Minister of Albania, I would like to ask whether Albania will open its borders and how it will be able to assist on the issue of refugees, to alleviate, as much as possible, what is happening with the refugee crisis in Greece. N. KOTZIAS: Greece is not at war with Albania. This is shown by the 1987 statement from the Ministerial Council, it is shown by Albanias membership in NATO, it is shown by the Friendship Agreement of 1996. If there are legal issues that, for the Albanian side, require further recasting, as I said, there is a mechanism and a method for all the issues to be resolved. With regard to the refugee issue, I dont think we should see it as a problem in the relations between Greece and Albania. Dont forget that Greece is hosting 650,000 Albanians. So Albania, too, has extensive experience of the movement of populations. And I think that the spirit in which we dealt with the problems then is the spirit in which Albania is confronting the current problems; problems which, based on the logic of the agreement in Brussels, should be curbed and not grow, and thus not provoke fears that Albania will suffer the same problems. I think it is in our thoughts to develop the cooperation between the Interior Ministries, between our police directorates. This is another sector in which the Foreign Ministers will contribute towards better cooperation between other institutions of the Greek and Albanian public sectors. D. BUSHATI: Regarding the question you raised, I can say that Albania will honor all of the commitments it undertook as a candidate country for accession to the European Union I am referring to the commitments of last October so as to contribute, with the capabilities it has, with the limited economic resources it has, to resolving the problems of the refugee crisis in the framework of a common European solution. Albania has shown resolve in this direction, and since the beginning of this year we have strengthened our cooperation, especially with Italy, in order to avoid or to avert the side effects the refugee crisis might have with regard to irregular migration issues, which in previous decades were a social burden for the Mediterranean and our countries: Albania, Italy and Greece. News / National by Stephen Jakes Mthwakazi Republic Party has expressed reservations about Primary and secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora's claims that in Mashonaland and Manicaland the government has started teaching Ndebele at school amid concerns he was trying to hoodwink the people in Matabeleland so as to trick them to accept the teaching of Shona in local schools.Khumbulani Ndabezitha Luphahla MRP Lupane District official said they visited Fatima High School in Lupane where Dokora was addressing a meeting with school heads and SDC members."In this meeting Dokora tried to spread his ZANU PF propaganda to our Mthwakazi people saying in Manicaland and Mashonaland they have started teaching Ndebele as a compulsory subject. He said those children taught Ndebele are also not allowed to speak Shona or English during their Ndebele or Tonga day," he said."By doing this, Dokora is trying to fulfill the 1979 Zanu pf Grand Plan through destroying our language and also our identity since language carries identity. Dokora is also trying to convince us as Mthwakazi to accept his bribe and allow Shona language to be taught among Mthwakazi Schools."He said however,as Mthwakazi they can't tolerate this because we consider it as a matter of sublime, mysticism and nonsense, that is a concept of misnomer."As MRP we asked him why he is spreading venom to us as Mthwakazi by deploying his Shona teachers in our schools. As a man in a pool of propaganda, Dokora tried to run away from the truth mentioning stupid things like the creation of School Development Account. In this case, how can schools create those accounts whilst they are suffering from hunger and also being oppressed by the Shonas?" he said."Though CIOs acted as if they are parents and supported Dokora but almost 90% of those who attendant supported us though they were overpowered by the Gukurahundi fears."He said MRP Secretary General asked on why the Deputy Minister of Education Paul Mavhima about why are they busy blaming foreign countries, nations instead of dealing with their Education problems in Matebeleland."In response to this, Mavhima said he cannot answer such a question like this because its about Zimbabwean policy issues and then refereed this to Dokora. Surprisingly, Dokora also ran away from almost all of SGs questions and suggested that in Mthwakazi there are lot of difficulties. He also spoke about the so called National pledge, wish we believe its meant to brain wash our kids with Zanu PF Propaganda," he said."And this. Is how we feel about all this? This opening part was designed to capture the attention and allegiance of an increasingly christianised society, and ensure a sacred subservient to the whole string of hidden evil that follows. Christians have a tendency to follow as holy anything done under God's name,....here Zanu PF is taking people for a free ride." News / National by Stephen Jakes Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisaion and Irrigation Development Joseph Made has urged the Grain Marketing Board to speedily settle the former workers outstanding money and asked the worker to stop picketing at the company.Speaking in parliament Made said he may not foretell what a labour dispute between the workers and the parent Ministry might turn out to be."Specifically, you have pointed out the issue of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and I would want to say former GMB workers and their management had a disagreement. Litigation took place and the courts made a determination on the dispute,|" he said. "I believe that when the dispute was dealt with, there was an agreement between the employees and the GMB management. An agreement was deduced into writing. The issue has now been resolved. GMB was requested to increase the amount that they were paying to the workers. As Government, we supported this settlement whereby GMB would quickly pay the outstanding wages for the workers. The courts also ruled that the employees should not picket at the GMB premises."He said that is his response as the responsible authority in his capacity as Minister that they will be able to fulfill what we have promised so that they reach closure on this issue. News / National by Stephen Jakes Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa has told parliament that the government was investigating $15 billion diamond scam following the President Robert Mugabe's revelations that the amount was siphoned in the diamond mining activities at Chaidzwa.Chinamasa made the remarks when being asked by parliamentarians as to what was being done over the scam."The Mines and Mining Development, Walter Chidhakwa answered that question and said he was going to try and see how this money disappeared. He will present a report upon conclusion of investigations. He promised to table a report to the august Senate on this matter," he said."The reason why we got involved in the Chiadzwa issue was because things were not moving well, that is why we took the steps that we took. Going forward, I would like to promise Hon. Senators that we do not expect what happened yesterday to recur. As you are aware, there is only one company run by the Government that is mining diamonds."He said they have already started and the government was happy about what is being done."At the moment, we are at the stage where we receive reports on a daily basis. They inform us of how many carats they would have got on a daily basis," he said. "I believe that what you have asked will never happen again because the matter has been rectified. As I have already said, it takes time for people to come to an agreement. There have been some disagreements and squabbles in as far as the mining of diamonds is concerned. It is not that the $15 billion is the amount but we still have to investigate to see how much it was and who took it."But MDC-T senator Morgan Komichi blamed the executive for sleeping on duty while the looting was occurring."Minister of Finance and Economic Development, $15 billion is a lot of money that could have covered our national debt of $10 billion and the issue of sanctions could have ended. We could have been left with $5 billion that could have been used in this country. This occurred during the watch of the Executive," he said. As much as Fort Morgan's small town feel reminds many of their rural villages back home, some say they will feel like outsiders until they get what has so far eluded them: a permanent mosque. They are renting two small rooms for a makeshift version, for now. They say they've tried to buy property to build a mosque but believe no one wants to sell to them. "If we can own a mosque here, we will be more a part of the community," said Abdinasser Ahmed, a local Somali leader and public schools teacher who fled war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia, in 2003, arrived in Fort Morgan in 2009 to work at the plant and is now a U.S. citizen. Some longtime residents say they don't want one in their city of 12,000, a step too far especially at a time when fears of terrorism have grown following the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California. Putting a mosque "right in the center of town" would be a symbol "as if to claim the town," said Candace Loomis, who runs a coffee shop and whose grandparents settled this country of sweeping horizons in a two-room sod house. Divisions have been exacerbated by rhetoric on the Republican presidential campaign trail, including talk by Donald Trump and others about banning fellow refugees and Muslims from the U.S. Each Islamic State-inspired terror attack, each domestic mass shooting, adds to the pain of the East African community here, Ahmed said. It's a continuing challenge for refugees who fled violence themselves to integrate into a society whose citizens worry about that very same violence at home. "If Donald Trump came here I would tell him: 'Don't attack the refugees.' We are all refugees. Everyone came from someplace else," said Abdikadir Abdi, a Somali refugee who settled in the city six years ago and helps run the lone halal grocery store. Residents say they want to be welcoming. They know they need foreign workers in a community with an aging, and dwindling, local-born population. But hesitations remain, especially about Muslim refugees. "There's a general feeling out there of, 'Let's slow this train down a bit,'" is how Morgan County Sheriff Jim Crone described local attitudes toward the security of the U.S. refugee resettlement program. "It's a sense of: 'We don't mind people coming here. Just be part of the process.'" More than 9,500 African refugees and asylum-seekers among 50,000 from around the globe settled in Colorado or moved here from other U.S. states in fiscal years 1980-2014, the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement reports. Most went to Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins; so-called "secondary migrants," like those in Fort Morgan, come from those and other U.S. cities, including Minneapolis. Like most immigrant communities in early stages, the Somalis have largely kept to themselves, fueling suspicion among some of the majority white population that they don't want to assimilate. Most of the East Africans live in a crowded apartment complex on the other side of the railroad tracks from downtown. The federal and state governments, Morgan County's school district, Cargill, churches and social agencies have poured substantial resources over the years in settling the refugees and building bridges with the community. The most intensive focus is in county schools, where 800 out of 6,000 students take English as a second language Cargill has set aside room for Muslim prayers. A third of Cargill's 2,100 workers are East African. In December, 150 East African workers walked off the job because they thought they were being refused prayer time. Cargill insisted they weren't and fired the workers after they stayed away three days. The company has since rehired 10 workers, but an advocacy group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has stepped in and filed discrimination complaints. The incident escalated because of language. Many older Somalis don't speak English, making it difficult for One Morgan County and other service organizations to build bridges with the white community and the Hispanics who have been here for generations. "We have worked hard to build relationships," said Michaela Holdridge, One Morgan County's executive director. "But there can be a lot of misunderstanding." What happened in San Bernardino solidified for a lot of residents their worries about how the U.S. vets refugees, Crone said. "Some people will throw the racist card to that attitude," he said. "That's not what it's about. It's about a lack of social structure in their homelands. To ignore that kind of stuff is just not proper. But that doesn't mean you're going to treat them any different." Jodi Walker runs Kids at Their Best, which works with children in high-poverty areas. She said most of Fort Morgan was unprepared for the sudden arrival of East Africans and that assimilation would accelerate if more citizens got involved. "This is where the Latinos were 25 years ago," Walker said of the Somalis. "This is where the German-Russians were 100 years ago. This is the same story here, and it takes time, it takes education, and it takes kids." Since 2010, Ahmed has specialized in teaching math, English, translating, citizenship and other classes for East African middle and high school students. It's a special calling for Ahmed; he remembers his own grade schools were destroyed in Mogadishu. "The youth here are starting to get everything speaking English, using cellphones, mixing with the community through their classmates," Ahmed said And that was only by chance, according to interviews, police reports and court-martial records obtained by The Associated Press. An officer responded to a call late on a Friday night in March 2014 about a suspicious vehicle parked in a cul-de-sac outside an apartment complex. Hazelbower, his pants down to his knees, was in the car with a girl, barely 14. She was unharmed. Hazelbower's case is a window into an obscure but significant aspect of the U.S. military's legal system. Deserters suspected of serious crimes are to be prioritized for capture based on the severity of the offenses. But the Army never searched for Hazelbower and the U.S. Marshals Service was not called in, even though marshals have arrested more than 200 deserters over the past five years alone. In fact, there was a lack of urgency to locate Hazelbower despite strident warnings from his superiors at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the records show. The military's version of an arrest warrant described him as a "sexually violent predator" and a known drug abuser. Also, he had gone AWOL before. "CAUTION - ESCAPE RISK" is stamped in bold letters on the right side of the document. The Army declined to discuss Hazelbower's court-martial and why service officials chose not to pursue him. Army spokeswoman Tatjana Christian said the service typically does not conduct searches or pursuits to physically apprehend deserters "due to jurisdictional issues unique to each military installation." She declined to say what those issues are. "We can't really speculate on what happened in the specific case of Hazelbower," Christian said. Hazelbower, 24, is confined at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He declined to comment for this story through his civilian defense attorney in Kentucky, James Phillips. Had anyone looked, Hazelbower may not have been hard to find. After fleeing Fort Campbell, he had gone home to Lanark, Illinois, a small town two hours west of Chicago. Lanark Police Chief Matt Magill and other local law enforcement officials said they were never asked to search for him. Hazelbower ran into legal trouble while he was still in high school after the parents of a girl he had been dating accused him of stalking her. In July 2009, they secured an emergency order of protection to keep Hazelbower away from their daughter, according to records filed in the Carroll County, Illinois, circuit court. Hazelbower, 17 at the time, and the girl attended the same high school. After she broke off the relationship, he would park his car outside their house late at night, the family alleged in the petition. He would gun the engine, squeal the tires and shine the headlights in the windows of their home. "I feared for her safety," said Branty Harris, the girl's father. A county judge dismissed the order in October 2009. Hazelbower enlisted in the Army two years later and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, a sprawling installation in southern Kentucky near the Tennessee border. He was listed as AWOL on Jan. 10, 2014, a few weeks after Army Criminal Investigation Command agents informed him he was suspected of forcible sodomy and sexual assault. The victim, 15 and from Kentucky, testified at Hazelbower's court-martial that she met him on a social networking site. He went by the name Jason Bower and his profile listed him as 16 years old. She said he drove to a remote area on Fort Campbell where he assaulted her. Frightened and unsure of where she was, the victim testified that she stopped resisting because the more she struggled the tighter he gripped her. In late February 2014, after the Army classified Hazelbower as a deserter, the service was informed of a second alleged victim. The sheriff's office in neighboring Montgomery County, Tennessee, had established probable cause to believe that he had raped a 14-year-old girl several months earlier, Army Criminal Investigation Command records show. She also had met Hazelbower online. Military prosecutors said Hazelbower had sent her messages over Skype telling her that he enjoyed raping her, according to court-martial records. But it would be several more weeks before Hazelbower was caught in Illinois. Just after 10:30 p.m. on March 29, 2014, Winnebago police responded to the suspicious vehicle call. An officer ran Hazelbower's name through a law enforcement database and found he had an outstanding warrant for military desertion. The girl in the car with Hazelbower told police she had been communicating with him through a social networking service and this was the first time they had met in person. In her statement, she said Hazelbower grabbed her hand and placed it on his exposed penis. When she attempted to pull away, he held her wrist tighter. Once in custody, Hazelbower gave Winnebago police permission to search his cellphone and they discovered text messages showing he was pursuing still another teenage girl in Illinois. He showed up at her aunt's home, where she was staying. On the porch, he kissed her and touched her bottom. Hazelbower wanted her to get in his car. She refused and he eventually left. For the two incidents in Illinois, Hazelbower pleaded guilty in the civilian court system to aggravated criminal sexual abuse and indecent solicitation of a child and received 30 months of probation. Hazelbower was then returned to the Army. By that time a third sexual assault victim from the Fort Campbell area had been identified, although the court-martial records don't state when the authorities first learned of her. She was 15 and lived in Kentucky, according to the documents. He pleaded not guilty in military court to all the charges. But he was convicted by a military judge in May 2015 of child rape, possession of child pornography, sexual abuse of a child, desertion and other charges. For those crimes, he was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Hazelbower's family and friends wrote Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky, the commanding general at Fort Campbell, and urged him to reduce the sentence to no more than 20 years. Volesky upheld the sentence handed down by the judge. But Hazelbower could do less time if he eventually is paroled. In the military justice system, he will be eligible for release from prison after serving one-third of his term. In a long, handwritten note, Hazelbower also pleaded to Volesky for leniency and described himself as a victim. He said since enlisting in the Army, he had become a sex addict and an alcoholic and was suffering from depression. Yet the Army had ignored his problems, he said. "I was literally laughed at," Hazelbower told the general. "How could I be completely to blame?" FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) A new species of butterfly could provide clues about Alaska's geological history and its changing climate, according to a University of Florida researcher. Research by lepidopterist Andrew Warren suggests that the newly discovered Tanana Arctic butterfly evolved from the offspring of two related butterfly species, the Chryxus Arctic and the White-veined Arctic. He thinks all three species lived in the Beringia region before the last ice age, reported The Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/1pyeusq ). Scientists have been seeing the Tanana Arctic butterfly for more than 60 years, but its similarity to the Chryxus Arctic led them to believe it was the same species. Warren noticed its distinct characteristics as senior collections manager at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. The Tanana Arctic has white specks on the underside of its penny-colored wings, giving it a "frosted" appearance, and it is larger and darker than the other species. It also has a unique DNA sequence that is very similar to that in nearby populations of White-veined Arctics, said Warren, leading to the hypothesis that the new species is a hybrid. More field research is needed to find out whether the Tanana Arctic also exists further east into the Yukon. Arctic butterflies live in environments that are too cold and extreme for most other butterflies and can survive in part thanks to a natural antifreeze their bodies produce. "Once we sequence the genome, we'll be able to say whether any special traits helped the butterfly survive in harsh environments," said Warren. He plans to return to Alaska and look for the butterfly next year. Warren wants to collect new specimens in order to fully sequence the genome, which could reveal the species' history and show whether it's truly a hybrid. The Tanana Arctic lives in spruce and aspen forests in the Tanana-Yukon River Basin. Because butterflies react quickly to climate change, the new species could serve as an early warning indicator for the remote region. "This butterfly has apparently lived in the Tanana River valley for so long that if it ever moves out, we'll be able to say 'Wow, there are some changes happening,'" Warren said. "This is a region where the permafrost is already melting and the climate is changing." GOSHEN A man who shot and wounded another man outside the You You Asian Restaurant and Bar in the Town of Wallkill because he News / National by Staff Reporter More than 5 000 households in Chitungwiza are accessing water and sewer services for free as they don't appear in the council books.Presenting oral evidence during the question and answer session at Chitungwiza chambers on Chitungwiza workers' committee representatives said council was rendering water and sewer services for free to the property owners.By regularisation of the illegal houses, the workers' committee representatives said council could improve on service delivery."We appealed to council to find a way of broadening its revenue base by including in the roll, houses which were built illegally as council is rendering its services for free," said Urban and Rural Workers' Union chairman Mr Aaron Mhonyera.Water Aligned Union of Zimbabwe chairman Mr Mwamuka Hunda added: "Council could impose a penalty of $1 000 to the residents and regularise the houses instead of exposing the owners to land barons who continue to fleece them."The workers' representatives argued that Chitungwiza Residents Association was influencing residents not to pay their rates, leading to the decline in service delivery.Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Irene Zindi (Zanu-PF) in response said: "The houses are a potential source of revenue for the municipality, since council is already giving the owners services such as refuse removal and water connections. I understand there is a team now going after every house so that they are on the council's register."Land barons should be brought to book because they have made a lot of people suffer. They made people part with their hard earned cash for residential stands which are not recognised." Officials have identified the recruit who died Friday at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina Raheel Siddiqui, of Taylor, Michigan, was pronounced dead on March 18, Parris Island spokeman Capt. Gregory Carroll said. He had arrived at the location on March 7 and was subsequently assigned to Recruit Training Regiment. The circumstances of Siddiqui's death weren't released. The incident remains under investigation by Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is working with military authorities at Parris Island, Carroll said. "Our most sincere and deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Siddiqui," he said. "The Marine Corps is in contact with the family to ensure they receive our support." About 17,000 Marine recruits come to Parris Island every year for the legendarily difficult Marine Corps boot camp. --Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Almost 100 people mostly from Haiti who were rescued from an overcrowded boat off the Florida coast had no food or water for... The Marines who set up the first stand-alone U.S. firebase in the campaign to defeat ISIS came under attack again Monday following the combat death Saturday of Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin from rocket fire in northern Iraq. "There was some small arms fire this morning" aimed at the new Firebase Bell and troops of the Iraqi Army's 15th Division near the town of Makhmour, which has become a staging base for the projected assault to retake the ISIS stronghold of Mosul, said Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for Combined Joint Task-Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. The small arms fire from a squad-sized unit of ISIS fighters was "ineffective" and no casualties resulted. Two ISIS fighters were killed "and the rest ran away," Warren said, but their ability to infiltrate Iraqi lines to get close to the Marine firebase, coupled with the rocket fire Saturday that killed Cardin, suggested that they had zeroed in on the new outpost. In a video briefing from Baghdad to the Pentagon, Warren said that the presence of Firebase Bell on the frontlines did not represent an "escalation" of the U.S. war effort, which has been limited to a train, advise and assist role on the ground, but he would not rule out that the Marines would support the Iraqis when they move towards Mosul. The Marines' presence was temporary and "their mission now is to provide force protection. When Iraqi forces begin to move, then we'll talk about what our forces are doing associated with that," Warren said. Warren said a company-sized force of about 200 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit began moving ashore from the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in the Persian Gulf about two weeks ago into the area near Makhmour, about 60 miles southeast of Mosul. The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) was supported by the amphibious transport dock USS Arlington (LPD-24) and the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD-51). The Marines brought with them four 155mm howitzers artillery pieces to provide force protection mainly to the approximately 100 Special Forces advisers who have been in the area for several weeks to help prepare Iraq's 15th Division to move on Mosul. "They're staging, preparing, getting ready for battle," Warren said of the Iraqis, "so we have advisers there" to help "synchronize air and ground operations when that time comes." "This is the first time we have established a spot that is only (for) Americans" in the campaign against ISIS in Iraq, Warren said. The U.S. has set up similar firebases at Taqqadam and at the al-Asad airbase in southern Anbar province, but Firebase Bell was the first to stand alone with its own perimeter. The firebases at Taqqadam and al-Asad were within the confines of large Iraqi bases while Firebase Bell was set up a few hundred meters from Iraqi troops, Warren said. The mission of the Marines at Firebase Bell was "no different from what we're doing in Taqqadam and al-Asad -- they're able to fire back very quickly when the enemy shoots," he said. "They've got some very powerful cannons with them," Warren said of the 155mm howitzers. "They will fire defensively," but "if they seem something that's a threat to them, they'll make a decision." The Marines also do not have to get permission from the Iraqis to shoot, Warren said. ISIS fighters fired two rockets, believed to be Katyushas, at Firebase Bell on Saturday, Warren said. One landed without effect but the second landed inside the firebase, killing Staff Sgt. Cardin, he said. The Marines launched counter-battery fire but the initial assessments were that the ISIS fighters had already moved out of the area, Warren said. Cardin, a 27-year-old field artilleryman, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 26th MEU based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He had deployed once before to Iraq and three times to Afghanistan. Gen. Robert B. Neller, the Marine commandant, said on Twitter there were "heavy hearts" across the Marine Corps. "God bless the family of SSgt Louis F. Cardin -- killed in Iraq 19 Mar. Semper Fidelis," Neller said. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command, also paid tribute to Cardin, saying his "service and his many important contributions will long be remembered by his fellow Marines, his teammates at United States Central Command, and a grateful nation." He added, "Our gratitude and heartfelt condolences go out to this young man's family and friends." The deployment of the Marines to Makhmour did not increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the 3,870 that have been agreed to by the Iraqi government, Warren said. Warren would not give the exact number of U.S. troops now in Iraq but said "we're within the cap." The Pentagon and the Marine Corps had kept the deployment of the Marines to northern Iraq secret until the attack that killed Staff Sgt. Cardin. Warren said information on the deployment had been held back by commanders in Iraq for security reasons to allow the firebase to become established before its presence was announced. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Training is continuing as scheduled for Marine recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina after a recruit died at the base March 18. The cause of death of Recruit Raheel Siddiqui, 20, of Taylor, Michigan, remains unclear. A spokesman for the depot, Capt. Gregory Carroll, told Military.com that Naval Criminal Investigative Service was investigating the tragedy and the investigation could take three weeks or even longer to complete. Meanwhile, he said, Siddiqui's unit saw no pause in training. "The event occurred on training day four and training day six happened today," Carroll said, noting that the recruits had also trained as scheduled on March 19, a Saturday. Sunday is a scheduled rest day from training. While Carroll said Siddiqui belonged to Recruit Training Regiment, he declined to release his battalion and company. There was no unit-wide stand-down or discussion following the tragedy, Carroll said. "The leadership talked to those who needed to be talked to," he said. Male Marine Corps recruits from the Eastern United States and all female recruits go through Parris Island's 13-week boot camp to become Marines. Siddiqui arrived at boot camp March 7, 11 days before his death, officials said. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Everything You Need to Know About the Amazon Military Discount, Tips and Tricks The Amazon military discount is a promotion Amazon.com has given around Veterans Day for its Amazon Prime service. Dear Ms. Vicki, My boyfriend is in the military. We have been dating for three months, so our relationship is fairly new. We talk a lot about our plans for ourselves individually and our plans for where we want our relationship to go. He's a great guy and, honestly, I feel like I'm falling in love with him as each day goes by. We recently discussed moving in with each other and I was super excited, but now I'm having second thoughts. In the three months we've been together, he went to the field for two weeks, he went to his home town for Christmas break for another two weeks and now he's in California for training for a month. I kind of feel like I don't know him, but then I also feel like I'm falling for this guy. He also just told me that he might be deploying in June. I asked him if he planned on getting out the military since he just got his bachelor's degree. He said he was going to get out and go back in as an officer, but then he changed his mind and now he's in the process of transferring to become a warrant officer. He likes the military so he doesn't plan on getting out any time soon. I'm just confused. We've only been together three months and he's basically been gone the whole three months. I can't imagine where we'll be three years from now. We talk a lot on the phone and do video calls, but I don't want that to be our whole relationship, but that's his life. -- Are We Moving Too Fast? Dear Too Fast, I think it's wonderful that you are getting to see what a long-term relationship or marriage will be like with this great guy. It sounds like he has his eyes and heart set on a military career. A military career will be filled with transitions to new places, military schools and trainings, field exercises and even long deployments. I can tell that you are thinking, "how in the world are we supposed to maintain a relationship if he is away all of the time?" Well, many military marriages and relationships manage to make it work. On Military.Com and SpouseBuzz, you will find a wealth of information that will help you understand exactly what your boyfriend is experiencing and also what military spouses experience. You will be a part of this life, too, for as long as the two of you are together. If you stay on this journey with him, you will need support from loving family and friends. I won't make you think this is easy or even that you will like military life. You may not like it. But I do believe that love plays a major factor. Now for your questions: Honestly, I don't think you should move in with him. First, you just met him. Yes, he seems like a nice guy, but you just don't know him very well yet. Second, women write me frequently to tell me about how they met and quickly moved in with a military guy only to have him leave for a school or for another duty station and never return. These women write to me because they've been left with a pile of debt that their once-great guy now won't help pay. Are you moving too fast? You probably are because you have so many questions. This says that you have a lot to discover and learn about each other. It's OK to take your time. Let me know what you decide to do. -- Ms. Vicki MINDEF Website is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance from 23 October 2022 0000hrs to 23 October 2022 1200hrs. Updates will be posted on the MINDEF Facebook and Twitter pages during this period. For NS-related queries, please contact NS Call Centre at 1800-3676767 (or +65 6567 6767 from overseas). For MINDEF website-related queries, please contact digitalmedia@defence.gov.sg. For media queries, please contact the Duty Media Relations Officer at +65 9228 6190. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Thank you. News / National by Staff reporter Joseph Msika, the late Vice President left behind an estate valued at $320 000 after serving for almost a decade as President Robert Mugabe's deputy. Msika died aged 85 on August 5, 2009, due to renal failure and hypertension.His estate was opened for inspection two weeks ago, where lawyer Tazvitya Mapfumo was appointed executor.According to the late VP's last will signed on June 18, 2009, the estate comprises four immovable properties, some shares on listed companies, farm implements and a private company, Gumtree.Beneficiaries of the estate include his wife, Maria, whom he married in Botswana in 1946, their three grown-up children Lucia, Shelton and Maxwell, and other close family members listed on the will. The Red Sox could trade from their considerable catching depth, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. Blake Swihart projects as their starter, while Christian Vazquez has looked good defensively after having Tommy John surgery last year. Theres also veteran Ryan Hanigan, as well as Sandy Leon, who MacPherson notes isnt on the 40-man roster but is being paid commensurate with a front-line depth option. At some point, MacPherson suggests, youngsters Swihart and Vazquez will likely be the Red Sox top two catchers. That would imply that Hanigan could be a candidate to be dealt, with the Astros and Rangers as potential trade partners. Hanigan hit a decent .247/.337/.328 last year, has a reputation as a good defender and framer, and is only owed $3.7MM in 2016, so he could be an attractive target for teams in need of catching help. Heres more from the American League. The Rangers have announced that theyve optioned high-profile youngsters Joey Gallo , Jurickson Profar and Nomar Mazara to Triple-A Round Rock. Gallo has wowed minor-league fans with his power and hit 29 home runs between three levels in 2015, but he struck out in over 40% of his plate appearances in the big leagues and at nearly as high a rate at Triple-A. Profar was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the game by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus prior to the 2013 season, but he missed all of 2014 and most of 2015 with shoulder issues and has only recently begun playing shortstop again. Mazara, an outfielder, batted .296/.366/.443 in a 2015 season split between Double-A Frisco and Round Rock. Via MLB.com, he ranks as the Rangers third-best prospect, with Gallo ranking first. have announced that theyve optioned high-profile youngsters , and to Triple-A Round Rock. Gallo has wowed minor-league fans with his power and hit 29 home runs between three levels in 2015, but he struck out in over 40% of his plate appearances in the big leagues and at nearly as high a rate at Triple-A. Profar was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the game by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus prior to the 2013 season, but he missed all of 2014 and most of 2015 with shoulder issues and has only recently begun playing shortstop again. Mazara, an outfielder, batted .296/.366/.443 in a 2015 season split between Double-A Frisco and Round Rock. Via MLB.com, he ranks as the Rangers third-best prospect, with Gallo ranking first. Tyler Kepner of the New York Times profile on new Angels GM Billy Eppler describes Epplers earlier days as assistant GM of the Yankees. In particular, Kepner gives Eppler credit for many of the Yankees smaller but effective moves, like their 2014 stretch-drive trade for Brandon McCarthy and their 2008 offseason deal for Nick Swisher, neither of which cost the Yankees much. I think you demonstrate that to the people interviewing you, like, Theres other moves that the Yankees make,' says Eppler, who had previously interviewed for the Padres and Mariners GM jobs, as well as interviewing for the Angels job when it previously went to Jerry Dipoto. Its not just the $150 million guys and nothing else. There are other moves; they just dont grab the attention in New York. The Rangers have reportedly been in the market for a catcher in recent weeks, but that search has apparently been put on the back burner. On Sunday, Texas GM Jon Daniels indicated that he will not be adding another catcher between now and Opening Day, as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes. At this point I anticipate both our catchers are in camp, Daniels said. We are open if there is a true improvement to the team, but were not going to change for changes sake. Daniels admitted that he has talked a little bit with rival teams about acquiring a catcher, but Sullivan gleans that the asking prices for Derek Norris and Jonathan Lucroy have simply been too high. Ultimately then, the Rangers will head into April with Robinson Chirinos behind the dish and a handful of veteran catchers jostling for the No. 2 job. But, aside from Bobby Wilson, Chris Gimenez, and Michael McKenry, Sullivan notes that 2010 sixth-round pick Brett Nicholas has looked strong in camp and could also find his way on to the roster. Daniels says that the team wasnt sure what they had in Nicholas but his performance as of late has the club viewing him as a big league-capable catcher. On the other hand, Nicholas can be stashed in the minors whereas the teams trio of veterans probably cant. Gimenez is out-of-options and Wilson and McKenry have opt-out opportunities if theyre not on the big league roster. In a perfect world, the Rangers would probably prefer to have Lucroy or Norris to shore things up behind the plate, but they are not presently willing to meet the demands of the Brewers or Padres in order to make a trade happen. The salaries of both players ($4MM and $2.9MM), respectively, are also factors. Even though those are relatively modest sums, the team is already said to be well over their projected payroll thanks to the Ian Desmond signing. DETROIT, MI - The teasers from automakers show a wide variety of taillights and silhouettes coming to Manhattan this week for the 2016 New York International Auto Show. Press preview days are Wednesday, March 23 and Thursday, March 24, though at least two automakers - Honda and Mazda - also have events set for Tuesday, March 22. The show opens to the public March 25 to April 3, and more than 1,000 vehicles are expected to be displayed in what is one of the premier, annual automotive showcases in the U.S., alongside the LA Auto Show and, of course, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Before the show opens to the public, we'll see some important debuts, including but not limited to the following: Acura Acura will unveil the redesigned and re-engineered 2017 MDX luxury SUV. Buick Buick is expected to reveal a refreshed-for-2017 Encore, its compact SUV. Chevrolet Chevrolet is expected to reveal two new vehicles, one of which it took the wraps off of ahead of the show: The 2017 Sonic sedan and hatchback. According to Automotive News, the other debut will be a Camaro ZL1, a 640-horsepower, track-ready take on the Chevy's signature pony car. GMC The General Motors truck brand will show off the 2017 GMC Terrain Nightfall Edition, a blacked-out version of the its compact SUV. Honda Honda will unveil its Civic Hatchback Prototype for the first time in North America. The Japanese automaker first revealed it earlier this month in Geneva. A Civic sedan was unveiled in September, followed by a shorter Civic Coupe in November. The company still plans to also introduce a high-performance Si model and the first-ever Civic Type-R model for the U.S. market. Hyundai/Genesis Hyundai's new Genesis luxury brand will reveal the Ioniq, which the company says is an advanced, alternative-fuel compact vehicle that will launch later this year. Hyundai said the car will be available with three different powertrains: electric, plug-in gasoline/electric hybrid, or gasoline/electric hybrid. Lincoln Ford Motor Co. representatives have confirmed an all-new Lincoln vehicle will be revealed, and company president and CEO Mark Fields will be on hand for the occasion. Maserati The Levante, Maserati's first-ever SUV will make its North American debut. Mazda Rumors surround a hardtop Miata MX-5, though there has been no confirmation from Mazda. Nissan Nissan has released a teaser "regarding the company's presence" at the show, but has said little beyond that. There is some speculation that the company will be releasing a new or significantly updated GT-R supercar, and based on the taillights of the car in the teaser image, it seems like a decent bet. Porsche Porsche is expected to reveal a more affordable, four-cylinder version of its Macan crossover. Subaru Subaru will show off the 2017 Impreza, which the company said has been completely redesigned inside and out. Both a sedan and a five-door hatchback will be revealed Wednesday afternoon. Toyota Toyota said it is "rolling out the next mechanical marvel in the Prius lineup" at the New York auto show. Its' expected to be a plug-in version. The Japanese automaker will also debut a "significantly enhanced" 2017 Highlander mid-size SUV. 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. Laura Bell Bell's Brewery Inc. marketing director Laura Bell is ready for another great summer of Oberon. (MLive.com file) A sure sign of spring in Michigan is Bell's Beer Oberon release day, which is happening today, Monday March 21. It's practically a state holiday, with fun celebrations happening around the state. How did this little wheat beer from Kalamazoo become such a big deal? "I get asked all the time, how did you make it such a thing?" Laura Bell, co-owner and Vice President for Bell's Beer said. "We didn't. Our amazing customers did. This wasn't our intention, but it has been so cool to watch it grow, and watch their enthusiasm grow. All this excitement is really a unique situation." Each year, Oberon is released with much fan fare. There are special release parties around the state, free swag handouts, many comp days taken, and overall, a rejoicing that Michigan has made it through another winter. All this fun is a lot to plan, and usually the day after the big release, they literally start the planning for next year. "I mean we start thinking about next years launch right away. Especially with creating the theme for next year. Oberon is a year round project." Laura Bell explained. This years theme is one that should speak to many Michiganders, as it's a classic beach scene. Designed to invoke the feeling of a familiar beach town, with out being specific. "Somewhere that seems like you've been there and want to drink Oberon on that beach." I haven't been to many beaches where I don't want to drink an Oberon, so this theme is a winner. This is the Oberon mini-keg design for 2016. Every spring when Oberon is released there is always an outcry that the recipe has changed, that it's not the same as when it was called Solsun, or that it's just not as good. Keep calm, friends. They still make Oberon with the same recipe as they did in the beginning. Other things have changed, however. Laura explained, "Obviously, we are in a different brew house. And with 20 years of brewing beer, our quality control has gotten better, our process has gotten better. But remember that we are dealing with an agricultural product, and the hops and malts are slightly different each year. But we do brew it the same way every year." I asked Laura about my theory that our palates have changed in 20 years with the onslaught of big, hoppy craft beers (including the top ranked Bell's Two Hearted Ale). Could it be that the beer is the same, but it's beer drinkers who have changed? "For some people, their lupulin threshold has shifted, because hoppier beers have created palate changes. But I also think that when you are drinking a beer, depending on what you are doing or where you are, you create a memory of it. The beer is the same but how people react to it is different" Agreed on both counts. We are used to much bigger, bolder, bitter beers now than we were 20 years ago. But many of us also have very fond memories of Solsun, and of being in the know of a craft beer, and enjoying it with friends. Oberon is still a great example of a wheat beer, exactly as it should be. The question of whether to add an orange slice or not came up. Laura's answer was just about perfect. "If the beer comes with an orange slice on it, I'll eat it. But I don't put it in the beer." Her dad, founder Larry Bell, tells people that if it makes them happy, go for it. I've always felt the beer doesn't need it, but I might. Vitamin C never hurt anybody. With plenty of release parties to choose from, which one was Laura going to attend? The same one she's been going to for about 10 years now, and one that holds a special place in her heart. As a student at Michigan State University, Laura said she probably spent a little too much time at Crunchy's East Lansing. It's still one of her favorite places to pour Bell's beer, and she tapped the first kegs of Oberon Sunday night there. Oberon is now number two in the Bell's portfolio in terms of sales, after many years of being number one, despite only being available six months out of the year. Two Hearted is now the biggest seller for the company. But only Oberon has a release date that takes a year to plan, generates this much excitement around the state, and lets Michiganders know that winter is done, and summer is on it's way. Amy Sherman is on the Life + Culture Team for MLive. She covers food, beer, travel and Michigan's Best along with John Gonzalez. Email her at asherma2@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Periscope. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Tillerman & Co., a 5-month-old investment firm, announced its first transaction with the acquisition of Jackson Flexible Products, Inc., a Jackson-based supplier of custom rubber parts used in the aerospace industry. Tillerman acquired the company from its founder Ronald Jakubas, who started the company in 1969 to supply Aeroquip Corp., now a division of Eaton Corp. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Jakubas, who plans to retire, met with several buyers interested in consolidating Jackson Flexible's operations into their own locations, according to a news release by Tillerman & Co. Jackson Flexible employs about 30 full-time workers. "Instead, Jakubas chose to sell to Tillerman & Co. because it was committed to keeping the company in Jackson," the news release said on Monday, March 21. "We are pleased to keep jobs in Michigan and preserve the heritage of this exceptional manufacturing business," said Tillerman Partner Remos Lenio. Jackson Flexible supplies more than 3,500 parts to more than 120 customers across a variety of industries. Most of Jackson Flexible's parts use proprietary formulations that meet the most demanding performance standards for temperature tolerance, flexibility, chemical resistance and appearance, according to the news release. "For nearly a half-century, Jackson Flexible has been designing specialty compounds and high-performance parts for customers with the most stringent specifications, including FAA-certified applications," Lenio said. "We intend to build on that tradition by bringing Jackson Flexible's expertise to new customers in the medical, oil and gas, rail, energy and other industries." "Our goal is to triple sales in the next five years and bring in additional employees as needed," Tillerman partner Philip Blanchard said. "We need to transform the company from mom and pop attitudes into something that's going to grow into a larger company Tillerman partnered on the transaction with Jackson Flexible's general manager Timothy Dickerson, who will serve as chief executive officer of the company. "We are excited to work with Tim and the entire team at Jackson Flexible Products," said Blanchard. "We plan to invest in R&D, new equipment and marketing so we can bring new opportunities for growth to our employees, customers, suppliers and the Jackson community." A chemist, Dickerson brings 15 years of technical sales experience to his new position. He also served as vice chairman of the American Chemical Society's Rubber Division and serves on the advisory board of Ferris State University's respected Rubber Engineering Technology program. Dickerson is a graduate of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. "In many ways, this initial transaction epitomizes our acquisition strategy at Tillerman & Co.," Blanchard said. "Half of our investors (in Jackson Flexible) come from the Jackson area," he said. "We plan to find other middle-market and lower-middle market companies that we can help develop and grow, while also preserving the legacy of their founders and keeping the jobs in the Midwest. Our deal with Jackson Flexible is just the beginning." Tillerman & Co. was created by Lenio and Blanchard, partners who had formed Hartwick Capital of Grand Rapids in 1999. That company was acquired by DW Associates, a business consulting firm. As they make acquisitions, Blanchard said they plan to bring in private high-net-worth investors who share their dedication to Michigan manufacturing companies. Jim Harger covers business for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+. ANN ARBOR, MI -- More than a dozen people were transported to the hospital over the weekend as students and residents celebrated St. Patrick's Day in Ann Arbor. Huron Valley Ambulance transported 13 people from the University of Michigan's central campus to the U-M Health System between midnight Friday, March 19 and 5 p.m. Sunday, March 20, said Joyce Williams, HVA spokeswoman. One person was in unstable condition and 12 were in stable condition during transport, she said. HVA transported five people from Hill Street. Because St. Patrick's Day fell on a Thursday this year, college-age party-goers also celebrated the holiday over the weekend. Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? With apologies to Jack Benny, the answer for Chelsea High School senior Abe Cone was "print, print, print." Cone was selected from more than 300,000 entrants as one of eight visual art Gold Medal Portfolio recipients in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. He will be honored at a ceremony at the famed New York venue June 2nd along with the other winners. "It's really an incredible honor," Cone said. "It's going to be an amazing experience." Cone prepared a unique portfolio for the competition, made up of eight painstakingly detailed linoleum prints he carved, inked and pressed over the past year. "You have a lot of people doing incredible work with painting and drawing, but those are the art forms everyone knows and everyone sees," Cone's art teacher Geo Rutherford said. "Things like print-making or fiber sculpture, those are the ones that aren't as common, that you don't see as much, but can be just as amazing." Rutherford--who will accompany Cone to New York along with fellow art teacher Laura Naar--said she studied print-making in art school but doesn't often get the opportunity to teach it. "I sort of just threw it out there at the end of a drawing class that [Cone] was bored in, and he made his first print and it was just so impressive," she said. "He has a natural talent for it." Cone draws his designs onto linoleum and then uses small v-shaped wedges to carve out the material. It can take three to four hours just to carve one square inch of the intricate designs. "I was working three to six hours a day on these over the summer to make sure they'd be done in time for the competition," Cone said. "It's a lot of work and it has to be done very carefully." Cone--who has a background in drawing and painting--had to learn to reverse his thinking when he learned to make prints. "It's the opposite of what you're used to because you're creating the empty space," he said. "Everything that's carved out doesn't show up at all, it's what you leave behind that makes the print." Once the carved print is ready, Cone carefully places a layer of water-based ink onto the linoleum to transfer its image onto paper. "It's basically like a big stamp," he said. "And then once you have it inked up enough you put it onto the press and then you put a piece of paper on top of it and another plexiglass sheet and then you run it through the press." After making his initial prints on a small press in the Chelsea High School art room, Rutherford brought Cone to Eastern Michigan University to use their press for his competition portfolio. Pressing at a high level requires precision to ensure proper timing, weighting and ink levels. "A linoleum print is not like a wood block or other print because it will actually wear down or can be damaged by the press if something goes wrong," Rutherford said. "So you only have a small number of prints you'll be able to make, and if you hurt the original piece then you'll have even fewer." Cone's eight pieces--printed on paper costing $6 per sheet--feature animals in various states of life, death and dissection. "My work fits into this conceptual idea of humanity's interaction with the environment," he said. "It's something I'm very passionate and interested in, it doesn't get enough coverage in my opinion and people don't care about it enough." In February 2015, Cone submitted just one print and won a regional Gold Key award for printmaking in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition. Rutherford met with Cone and his family to encourage him to create a portfolio for the regional "Best in Show" prize. Six of Cone's eight prints were awarded Gold Keys and his portfolio did more than capture Best in Show. With nearly 320,000 entrants across the country, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the biggest art competition in the United States for high-school aged students. Cone's portfolio and the work of the other awardees will tour for two years, including displays at Art Prize in Grand Rapids and the U.S. Department of Education. There has not been a gold medal recipient from Michigan in the last five years. Past awardees include Ann Arborite Ken Burns, Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Robert Redford, Richard Linklater and Lena Dunham. In addition to the prestige of the award and the opportunity for his art to be shown across the country, Cone received a $10,000 cash scholarship prize. He said the money, along with other scholarship offers he has received, helped convince his parents to let him apply to art schools. "At first they weren't really keen on the idea at the beginning," he said. "But now they're very supportive." Cone plans to study art in college but hasn't decided where he'll attend school yet next year. He is considering the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Maryland Institute College of Art, the Rhode Island School of Design, Yale and the University of Michigan. UPDATE 12:53 p.m.: Eastbound I-94 is reopened. ANN ARBOR, MI -- Eastbound I-94 is closed near Huron Street in Ypsilanti Monday morning. Michigan State Police confirmed three vehicles were involved in a crash at 10:08 a.m. March 21. Washtenaw County dispatch said the expressway is closed, and Michigan Department of Transportation cameras show traffic is backed up on 94 west of U.S. 12. Huron Valley Ambulance transported one person to the University of Michigan Health System in stable condition. Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com. dioxane_022916_RJS_12.jpg Ann Arbor Township Supervisor Mike Moran speaks before the Ann Arbor City Council on Feb. 29, 2016. (Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News) ANN ARBOR, MI -- Ann Arbor Township Supervisor Mike Moran is one of many local officials tired of the status quo when it comes to the Gelman dioxane plume spreading through the groundwater in Ann Arbor and Scio Township. At recent meetings, Moran has expressed interest in getting the toxic plume -- which already has poisoned people's wells and poses threats to more people's drinking water -- designated as a federal Superfund site. That could get the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency involved in overseeing a more aggressive cleanup of the pollution. "I have lost my confidence that the state of Michigan is willing to do what needs to be done to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion," Moran said last month. The dioxane plume spreading through Ann Arbor and Scio Township. "I think we are likely to get a more concentrated and effective effort from the U.S. EPA than we've gotten from the state of Michigan." Moran, who has been Ann Arbor Township's supervisor for the past 13 years, is now asking his township board to take the next step. The Ann Arbor Township Board of Trustees will discuss the issue when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 21. On the agenda is a resolution supporting a petition to the EPA to designate the Gelman plume as a Superfund site. "It's a scary proposition," Moran acknowledges. "It's not one that we take lightly, and it's not one we'll take alone. We'll be working with the city and with the county and others. But I've come to the conclusion that something has to be done here, and it's not happening with the people we're playing with so far." Since 1980, the EPA's Superfund program has helped manage the cleanup of some the nation's worst hazardous-waste sites. "The EPA has different abilities," Moran said. "They have different powers. In fact ... the Michigan statutes don't even contemplate a cleanup. We don't look for a cleanup in this state anymore. We look to 'manage the risk.' Well, our risk is getting out of control and it's time for us to do something." The Ann Arbor Township board already approved a resolution in November 2013 that gave Moran authority to engage with the DEQ and EPA in terms of seeking possible solutions to get the plume under control. Whether the city and the county would join Ann Arbor Township in pursuing Superfund status remains to be seen. Matt Naud, Ann Arbor's environmental coordinator, couldn't immediately be reached for comment on Monday. Moran said his township, just north and east of Ann Arbor, has a lot of residents who are dependent on well water, don't have access to city water, and are threatened by the northern migration of the plume that originated decades ago from the former Gelman Sciences property on Wagner Road, just north of Liberty Road. There also are some city water customers in Ann Arbor Township and Moran is concerned about the long-term threats to the city's water supply, too. The biggest fear is that the plume could travel north to Barton Pond, the city's primary drinking water source. "Some indications are that the plume is, in fact, moving north," Moran said, adding there's no certainty about what will happen once it reaches the river, and there's still a possibility it could travel under the river into Ann Arbor Township. "Nobody really knows," Moran said. "And that's part of the problem and part of our concern is that we've been working with DEQ for the 13 years I know, trying to get some clear understanding of where this is going and make some predictions, and we're not getting that kind of support." But there is some movement at the state level now. Following years of pressure from local officials and activists, the DEQ recently proposed tougher standards for dioxane in Michigan. If approved by state lawmakers, the allowable concentration of dioxane in drinking water or groundwater would be lowered from 85 parts per billion to 7.2 ppb. That would provide a legal remedy to people with dioxane in their water at concentrations higher than 7.2 ppb. 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. While the numerical dioxane standards are expected to change once again this year, going back down to the single digits, the state isn't proposing any kind of a switch from a risk-management approach to full-scale cleanup for pollution sites. Dioxane, an industrial solvent, was used by Gelman Sciences and dumped into the environment here between the 1960s and 1980s. By the DEQ's own calculation, the plume has contaminated three square miles of groundwater here, continuing to slowly spread every year. Pall Corp. acquired Gelman Sciences in 1997 and is operating under a consent judgment hashed out over the years in Washtenaw County Circuit Court, doing some pump-and-treat remediation to remove dioxane from the ground. But many local officials and residents want to see a more aggressive cleanup, and they argue Pall Corp., which was acquired by Danaher Corp. for $13.8 billion last year, has the financial resources to do so. 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 and at the very least better track where the plume is found in single-digit concentrations. Local leaders and residents also are hoping that will provide an opportunity to fight for more aggressive cleanup of the plume. Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed fiscal year 2017 budget also includes an extra $700,000 for better monitoring and other activities related to the plume. Mike Gebhard, a professional geologist and application specialist for Washtenaw County, said there does seem to be a definite change in approach to the Gelman plume from the state following the Flint water crisis. He said he has mixed feelings about petitioning for Superfund status and changing the regulatory oversight from the DEQ to the EPA. He said there are no guarantees about what that would mean, and there are stories about EPA sites that don't go as the community hopes with the federal government in control. He said Superfund designation would take the matter out of Washtenaw County Circuit Court and move it into federal court. As the regulatory agency in charge, the EPA could put greater pressure on Pall Corp. and try to get the company to do more, Gebhard said. He argues it shouldn't be the case that Michigan taxpayers have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars addressing the plume when there's a responsible party. Another question that's been raised is whether being a Superfund community would be bad for the area's reputation and hurt property values. Gebhard notes the Gelman plume already is a state-regulated contamination site. He thinks it's possible the prospect of a better cleanup under the Superfund program could have a positive effect on property values. Ann Arbor resident Vince Caruso, a founding member of the local Coalition for Action on the Remediation of Dioxane and a member of the Allen's Creek Watershed Group, said both CARD and ACWG support a Superfund petition. Caruso and his wife, Rita Loch-Caruso, a toxicologist and environmental health professor at the University of Michigan, along with other residents and local officials, in 2013 submitted a petition to have the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry conduct a health effects evaluation related to the plume. "They said they were not going to do it at that time, but they were going to keep an eye on the situation," he said. "They may still come back. They kind of left it open, to some extent." The ATSDR is a federal public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi, state Rep. Jeff Irwin and City Council Member Mike Anglin joined in signing the ATSDR petition. Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com. News / National by Thobekile Zhou A truck load of armed riot police descended at MDC-T Harvest House offices this afternoon allegedly hunting for people who assaulted a Zanu PF supporter on Saturday.About 15 members of their staff have been rounded up including three female students.Midlands's senator, Morgan Komichi is said to be among the arrested.The victim is alleged to have passed through Harvest House, the MDC-T's headquarters in Harare while wearing a 21st February Movement t-shirt and a cap that had President Robert Mugabe's picture.Kenny Chabwana, a Zanu PF campaign manager for Makoni North constituency escaped death by a whisker after he was brutally attacked by MDC-T supporters.His crime was allegedly passing near the MDC-T headquarters while wearing a 21st February Movement t-shirt.National Party spokesperson, Obert Gutu twitted saying "Police have sealed off MDC headquarters, Harvest House, right now. Allegedly looking for people who assaulted a Zanu PF supporter on Saturday". BrentPierceSentencing.jpg Brent A. Pierce Jr. at his sentencing hearing on Monday, March 21, 2016. (Cole Waterman | The Bay City Times) Brent A. Pierce Jr. BAY CITY, MI -- A Bay City man is going to prison for slicing a man's neck and for a drive-by shooting. Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran on Monday, March 21, sentenced 24-year-old Brent A. Pierce Jr. to terms of 32 months to four years, 40 months to five years, and 46 months to 10 years in prison. The terms are concurrent, meaning he will have to serve at least 46 months. The judge gave Pierce credit for 302 days already served. Pierce in November pleaded no contest to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a concealed weapon and single counts of discharging a firearm from a vehicle, discharging a firearm at or in a building, felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a weapon with unlawful intent. The judge later allowed him to withdraw his pleas, but then reinstated them in February. Pierce's attorney, Marcus Garske, described Pierce's crimes as "an unfortunate and unique set of circumstances" stemming from a long history between Pierce and his victim, Edward Roksiewicz. He asked the judge for leniency, stating Pierce has three children and has some psychological issues that he needs help working through rather than straight incarceration. Pierce declined to comment when Sheeran afforded him the opportunity. Bay County Prosecutor Kurt C. Asbury advocated for Pierce to receive prison time, citing the violent nature of the offenses and his criminal history. Roksiewicz was present in the courtroom, but did not address the judge directly. Asbury informed the court Roksiewicz told him he would not like to see Pierce go to prison. Sheeran took this into consideration, but said Pierce's actions could have cost Roksiewicz his life. On Monday, May 24, police responded to a 911 call at 215 S. Henry St., the residence of 62-year-old Roksiewicz. Roksiewicz, holding a handkerchief to his neck, told officers Pierce had cut him during a fight that took place on Frank Street near Marquette Avenue, according to court records. Roksiewicz went on to say Pierce and another man had followed him from the Big Lots store at 1001 N. Euclid Ave. to Frank Street. Roksiewicz exited his car and Pierce and the other man exited their vehicle and assaulted him, he said. Pierce fled before police arrived. Later that evening, police were dispatched back to Roksiewicz's house due to reports of a drive-by shooting, court records show. Witnesses said the shots came from a black S-10 pickup truck, according to court records. No one was injured in the shooting. A police sergeant saw the suspected truck go past him and pursued it. The driver left the truck on foot and ran into Veterans Memorial Park, court records state. Witnesses told police they saw a man throw something in the Saginaw River, according to police reports. Police located and arrested Pierce. He told them Roksiewicz punched him first, but he then Roksiewicz in a headlock and held a knife against his throat, but didn't cut him. He admitted he later retrieved a 9mm handgun and fired up to five times at Roksiewicz's house, court records show. The Bay County Sheriff's Office Dive Team recovered a handgun from the Saginaw River the next day, court records show. Pierce previously served prison time on a conviction of assaulting, resisting or obstructing police causing injury. A Saginaw County judge sentenced him to 14 months to six years' imprisonment on June 9, 2011, and the Michigan Department of Corrections discharged him on Feb. 22, 2013. PINCONNING TWP, MI -- An area man was ejected from his vehicle during a rollover crash in northern Bay County. About 2:40 a.m. Monday, March 21, Bay County sheriff's deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash on Huron Road (M-13) near Joseph Drive in Pinconning Township, reports Undersheriff Troy Cunningham. They arrived to find a 2011 Kia Sorento rolled over in a ditch on the west side of the road. The Sorento had been traveling north on M-13 when the driver lost control, Cunningham said. The Sorento veered across the road and flipped into the ditch, ejecting the driver through the windshield, Cunningham said. The driver, born in 1979, was transported to Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, Cunningham said. The driver was the vehicle's lone occupant. He was not wearing a seat belt and alcohol appears to be a factor, Cunningham said. Northern Bay Ambulance and Pinconning-Fraser Township firefighters assisted deputies at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Eastern Michigan from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening. Six or more inches of heavy, wet snow and high winds are expected. Mid-Michigan enjoyed its last sunny day for a while Monday, March 21, with cloudy skies, rain, sleet and snow in the forecast for at least the next three days. Watch out for possibly heavy snow to develop this week. MLive Chief Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa says a Winter Storm Watch was issued Monday for parts of West Michigan Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening, extending east to Mount Pleasant. Torregrossa said a Winter Storm Watch might also be issued for the East part of Michigan to include Bay City, Saginaw and Flint. In the watch areas, 8 or more inches of snow could be possible, he said. Tuesday will start out cloudy all day, according to the National Weather Service office in White Lake. The low will be 28 degrees and the high is expected to reach 53 degrees. Rain may begin in the afternoon Tuesday and change over to snow after midnight, the Weather Service says. Temps will drop overnight to 33 degrees. Wednesday, snow will continue, with a high of 38 degrees. The snow will fall through Wednesday night and into Thursday, according to the forecast. Thursday will have a high of just 28 degrees. The sun may return with partly cloudy skies on Friday, with a high of 36 degrees. BAY CITY, MI -- A 27-year-old Reese man is facing his latest drunken-driving charge after his Jeep rolled over in a Bay County ditch on St. Patrick's Day. About 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, Bay County sheriff's deputies responded to a one-vehicle crash on East Kinney Road near Cotter Road in Merritt Township. A 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee had been reported in a ditch containing 2 feet of water, court records show. While deputies were on the way, Bay County Central Dispatch advised them the Jeep's lone occupant had escaped from the vehicle and was running eastbound from the scene, court records show. Before deputies arrived, a responding Hampton Township police officer nabbed the fleeing person, identified as Spencer C. Palmreuter, court records show. Deputies observed Palmreuter's eyes to be watery, glassy and bloodshot, that he smelled of alcohol, and that his clothes were wet and muddy, court records show. When they asked him why he fled, Palmreuter reportedly responded, "I ran?" Palmreuter went on to tell deputies he was at a friend's Bay City home and had consumed seven or eight beers. He said he was on his way home when he lost control of his Jeep and crashed it into the ditch, court records show. When deputies asked if he would be willing to attempt some field sobriety tests or breathe into a Breathalyzer, Palmreuter replied, "No, it's my right as a United States citizen to refuse any test." Palmreuter volunteered he was on probation in both Bay and Tuscola counties on drunken-driving charges. At 6:41 p.m., he ended up giving a breath sample to deputies' alcohol-testing Datamaster. The result indicated his blood alcohol level was 0.25 percent; two minutes later, a second test yielded a result of 0.24 percent, court records show. In Michigan, a person is legally intoxicated when their blood alcohol level reaches 0.08 percent. A person is considered super drunk at 0.17 percent. Palmreuter on Friday, March 18, appeared in Bay County District Court for arraignment on single counts of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, third offense, driving while license suspended, denied, or revoked, failure to report an accident, and failure to stop at the scene of a property damage accident. Palmreuter is to appear for a preliminary examination before Chief District Judge Dawn A. Klida at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 7. DETROIT, MI-- Colorfully costumed parade-goers marched down 2nd Ave. in Detroit's Midtown Sunday afternoon to usher away the Nain Rouge. Nain Rouge, french for 'red dwarf,' is Detroit's evil folkloric imp that haunts the city. The symbolic scapegoat dates back to the torment of Detroit's founder Antoine Cadillac in the 1700s, and the city's burning in 1805. The Marche du Nain Rouge, in its seventh year, gathers Detroiters together each spring to banish the Nain from the city. The Mardi Gras-style parade was packed full of colorful characters. From flame throwing clowns, a gold cockroach art car, dogs in tutus to campaign signs putting the Nain as Trump's VP. See the photo gallery above to see photos from the 2016 Marche du Nain Rouge. DETROIT, MI -- A Grosse Pointe Park woman accused of renting out human heads that were infected with HIV, hepatitis B and other diseases, has reached a plea deal in the federal court case. Elizabeth Rathburn, 56,who ran International Biological Inc. with her husband, Arthur Rathburn, 62, pleaded guilty to wire fraud as part of a plea deal with the federal government. The couple rented body parts for use in medical research and training. "According to the plea agreement, Elizabeth Rathburn admitted to providing human remains to a customer of IBI's falsely representing to that customer that the remains were free of certain infectious diseases, when in fact she knew the remains had tested positive for Hepatitis B and HIV," U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade's office announced in a statement. She'll be sentenced July 18. The Rayburns procured donated human bodies, dismembered them, and provided parts to medical and dental professionals for a rental fee, according to federal prosecutors. The husband and wife at times got body parts at a discounted cost, when they came from people who died of infectious diseases. And they're accused of renting out those parts without notifying clients of the infections, according to the indictment unsealed in Detroit federal court in late January. Both were charged with nine counts of wire fraud. Arthur Rathburn is also charged with transportation of hazardous materials and making false statements to the U.S. government. In one instance, eight human heads, one of which came from a person who died of bacterial sepsis and aspiration pneumonia, were wrapped in trash bags and piled into a camping cooler for delivery via Delta Cargo in February 2012. Federal investigators accuse Arthur Rathburn of falsely telling the government that the heads were embalmed, and that a pool of blood found at the bottom of the cooler was Listerine. In another case, the couple's company provided body parts to the American Society of Anesthesiologists for an October 2012 conference in Washington D.C. Federal agents later seized records from the company that listed the body parts as having tested positive for both HIV and Hepatitis B, prosecutors alleged. And the American Society of Anesthesiologists provided the government a Sept 25, 2012 form in which International Biological asserted "all specimens have been tested negative for HIV, Hep A, B & C." "This alleged scheme to distribute diseased body parts not only defrauded customers from the monetary value of their contracts, but also exposed them and others to infection," said McQuade in a statement. "The alleged conduct risked the health of medical students, dental students and baggage handlers." Detroit FBI Special Agent in Charge David Gelios said the case is a consequence of the "poorly regulated willed-body-to-science industry." "We recognize that thousands of donor families, medical doctors and affiliated personnel across the country have been adversely affected by these illegal acts," he said. "This investigation does not stop here. We continue to work with our state and federal partners to conduct a full and rigorous investigation." The Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Arizona attorney general's office were involved in the investigation of the Grosse Pointe Park couple. DETROIT, MI -- Police have released video and surveillance images of a bizarre shooting that took place in the parking lot of a gas station about 4:20 a.m. Sunday. The shooter, a woman donning a frilled miniskirt and red boots, appears to use her underwear as a makeshift holster from which she pulls out a handgun that she fires wildly into another vehicle, striking the driver multiple times. He survived the injuries. Detroit Police Officer Nicole Kirkwood said the woman was arrested about 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Charges were pending Monday afternoon. Police say there was a "heated argument" between the occupants of a blue Dodge Charger and two men who can be seen in the surveillance footage pulling into the Mobil gas station at 15510 Fenkell in a green Pontiac Grand Prix. A shirtless passenger in the Grand Prix has his head down and appears to be sleeping. The shooter spots the men, ducks into the Charger and slips the firearm up under her miniskirt. She and another man approach the Grand Prix's open window, the woman with her arms crossed. The man hunches over and begins talking to the occupants. Another man rushes into the video frame and shoves him to the ground as the woman hikes up her skirt and unveils the handgun. "The driver, stunned by the shots, lunges the vehicle forward, knocking down one of the males from the blue Charger," Detroit police said in a statement. "Subsequent to a brief struggle, one of the males from the Grand Prix was able to wrestle the gun away from the female, at which point both vehicles fled from the area. "The victim was privately conveyed to a local area hospital." Police say the gas station is part of Project Green Light, an effort to improve safety at gas stations throughout the city. Participating gas station who work with Detroit police to meet certain standards, including the installation of high-quality surveillance systems, are able to attain the Project Green Light designation. LAPEER COUNTY, MI - Some swift police work may lead to charges against four teenagers following a burglary at a Lapeer County church. Sheriff's deputies were dispatched around 10:15 a.m. March 19 to Country Christian Church, 5677 N. Lapeer Road, in Deerfield Township after a custodian noticed someone had illegally entered the building. Deputy Troy Covert noticed someone has used a rock to break a window, and once inside caused extensive damage to numerous offices that had been locked. Pop and candy for the church's upcoming Easter event was stolen, along with a camcorder, speakers, and microphone systems. Covert was able to identify four juveniles and recover all the property taken from the church. "Deputy Covert conducted an excellent investigation and quickly apprehended the parties responsible," reads a statement on the incident from the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department. "Deputy Covert is an example and reflects the dedication and commitment that Lapeer County Sheriff's Deputies have for our community." The investigation has been presented to the Lapeer County Prosecutor's Office for formal criminal charges. The names of the suspects are not being released because they are minors. FLINT, MI - Two dozen workers may lose their jobs if the state does not give Genesee County $1.1 million it has spent responding to the Flint water crisis. County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jamie Curtis said the county has borne costs for the water crisis even though it played no role in the decision to switch the city's water supply. "It's the right thing to do because Genesee County did not participate in any way shape or form in the decision for Flint, Michigan to use the river," said Curtis during a news conference on Monday, March 21. "When (Gov. Rick Snyder) makes the statement that 'all levels of government have failed,' that's incorrect. Genesee County didn't fail." Flint's water is in the national spotlight after elevated blood lead levels were discovered in some Flint children after the city changed its water source from Lake Huron water purchased from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in April 2014, a decision made while the city was being run by a state-appointed emergency manager. State regulators never required that the river water be treated to make it less corrosive, causing lead from plumbing and pipes to leach into the water supply. Even though the city reconnected to the Detroit water system in October, local officials have advised Flint residents not to drink city water unless they are using a lead-clearing filter. Curtis said the county response was underway before an official emergency declaration in October. "Genesee County has been taking care of its residents long before we declared the emergency Oct. 1 when we were trying to find out information from the state DHHS, the DEQ, the CDC and Flint, Michigan as to whether or not the water was part of causing the legionella disease in our community." So far, no definite link has been established between legionella and the water switch. The Genesee County Sheriff's Office has spent $439,404 to implement and manage the emergency operation center, commissioners said in a letter sent to Snyder. "There's a concern that some people will have to be laid off," said Sheriff Robert Pickell. Curtis said the board has reached out to state lawmakers seeking reimbursement, but haven't made progress because of the Republican-controlled legislature. He also said Genesee County will be able to manage spending in relation to the crisis going forward. Genesee County wants a state appropriation separate from what has already been allocated to Flint because Curtis said the county doesn't want to take funds away from current aid. "When we receive the letter we'll review the request and take it under advisement that the county wishes to be reimbursed from the funds available to the state under current resources and limited federal aid," Snyder Spokesman Ari Adler said in an email to The Flint Journal. If Genesee County's fund balance is depleted, Curtis said, it also may impact it's bond rating as the county prepares to build its $60 million water treatment plant. "It is not right or just that Genesee County should be saddles with such enormous expenses when the cause of the problem was at the state level and could have and should have been avoided," the commissioner's letter to Snyder said. The Genesee County Health Department also has spent $572,901 for ongoing activities associated with preparing its emergency plan, testing and screening. "The last department we want to see have a deficit is the health department," said Commissioner Brenda Clack. "This is a man-made disaster and we cannot afford to deplete the health department." Dominic Adams is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. FLINT, MI -- Multiple options for the Flint area's mid-week forecast are on the table, and none of them are pleasant. The possibilities exist for a drenching rainfall, wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet, or anywhere from a few inches to double digits in snowfall for the area from Wednesday into Thursday. "The one thing we know for sure is it's going to be a sloppy mid-week period," said Bryan Tilley, meteorologist for the National Weather Service's office in White Lake. Forecasts show a range of possibilities, Tilley said, but the area along Interstate 69 is expected to see rain beginning Tuesday night, changing over to a snowy mix around noon Wednesday and then all snow by the evening hours. The forecast currently calls for 3-5 inches of snowfall by noon on Thursday, Tilley said. A winter storm watch has already been issued for counties in western lower Michigan beginning Wednesday afternoon. "I guess probably the biggest question mark is how much colder air is able to get into our area before the system arrives," he said noting Interstate 69 is "on the tipping point of where the sensitivity of the forecast is greatest." If a low pressure system moving into Michigan shifts a few miles one way or the other, Tilley said it could make all the difference in more rain, a mix of precipitation or up to double-digit inches of snow. "The thing we are trying to determine is if it's going to be a snowy slop or a rainy slop," Tilley said. News / National by Staff reporter One person died on the spot while four others were seriously injured when two commuter omnibuses collided head on along the Harare Bindura highway, just three kilometres from the tollgate this evening.Four others were seriously injured in the accident.When the news crew arrived at the scene, the injured were being ferried to hospital while the two vehicles had been reduced into wreckages.Eye witnesses say the driver of the white commuter omnibus that was travelling towards Harare with four passengers on board tried to overtake but misjudged leading to a head on collision.The same driver died on the spot.The other vehicle was travelling from Harare to Guruve with about six passengers.Those injured were taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A petition to legalize portable fire pits is revving back up in hopes of lifting a city ban before summer. Daniel Geurink started this petition last year to allow backyard campfires. He has support of his city commissioners in the First Ward, though it's not clear if a majority of Grand Rapids leaders favor a change. "I'm hoping we can champion that cause and get something passed," said First Ward City Commissioner Jon O'Connor, who took office in January after winning an uncontested election to replace Walt Gutowski, who was term-limited. "It's America. lt's an American tradition to be able to sit in your backyard with friends and enjoy a fire." RELATED: 'Silly' backyard bonfire ban challenged in Grand Rapids Grand Rapids city ordinance currently prohibits recreational fires along with open burning of leaves, yard waste and garbage. Outdoor food cooking is legal only in gas and charcoal grills. Recreational blazes pose a fire hazard and create smoke that can disturb neighbors, according to the fire department. City firefighters respond to about 300 "illegal burns" annually. Geurink wants Grand Rapids to allow wood fires in above-ground containers as long as they are controlled, attended when lit and at least 10 feet from all decks and combustible structures. His petition has about 2,000 signatures. "I just came to the City Commission with a problem and didn't have a solution (last year)," Geurink said. "We've done our homework this time. "We've used the surrounding cities as a guide. Our hope is to pass this by Memorial Day so this summer we can enjoy some backyard fires." Neighboring Kentwood allows portable fire pits when they're at least 15 feet from a building, deck or fence. Wyoming allows backyard fires in commercially-manufactured pits that have a lid, and requires them to be at least 20 feet from combustible material. Among larger area cities, Kalamazoo and Muskegon allow fires no larger than 3 feet wide, so long as fires are attended and at least 25 feet from structures. Grand Rapids City Commission in 2004 was prepared to permit portable fire pits that stand off the ground and have a lid or chimney, but then-Mayor George Heartwell changed his mind and the existing ban was upheld by a 4-3 vote. Heartwell at the time said fire pits would be fine "if we could keep the smoke in our back yards." Lacking that, the pits pose a health hazard to neighbors, he said. Second Ward City Commissioner Ruth Kelly echoes that concern. "Smoke travels so it can't be contained in one family's backyard," Kelly said. "Smoke-filled air flows and, therefore, can enter another's home and affect their air quality, much as second-hand smoking does." Matt Vande Bunte writes about government and other issues on MLive. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. News / Press Release by Luke Tamborinyoka Zanu-PF abused the State institutions of the police and army in a desperate bid to scuttle Morgan Tsvangirai's three-day tour in Mashonaland East over the weekend.The ruling party went to great lengths to instill fear in the people particularly at Kotwa growth point in Mudzi and at Mutoko growth point where Tsvangirai addressed rallies last Friday. At Kotwa, the army had earlier warned people not to attend the meeting while a food distribution function was organized near the venue of the rally to sway starving citizens from the MDC meetings. In any case, the food was brazenly being distributed in a partisan manner as Zanu PF party cards were a requirement at the food distribution function presided over by party functionaries.At Mutoko, officers from the Central Intelligence Organization also intimidated people and put up a poster of Robert Mugabe at the venue of the meeting. The police said they would arrest anyone who removed the poster, hastily stuck up by intelligence officers just before President Tsvangirai's scheduled meeting.Despite this desperate bid to intimidate the people, the residents of Kotwa, Mutoko Hwedza and Chivhu where the President held his rallies were resolute that no amount of intimidation would work in 2018. At Kotwa and Mutoko, some residents listened to the MDC leader from shop verandas as they feared reprisals from Zanu PF officials if they chose to listen to Tsvangirai.While the people of Mashonaland East remained resolute and unstinting in their support for change, it was clear that the fear factor is strong in the province. Zanu Pf as a party remains keen on harvesting from the fear they planted in the province in 2008.Mashonaland East is the home province of Itai Dzamara and Cephas Magura, an MDC supporter brutally slain in Mudzi while Tsvangirai was attending a SADC summit in 2012.Despite the overt fear implanted in the people and the intimidation by State security agents particularly in Mudzi and Mutoko, Zimbabweans in Mashonaland East said they will bury the ghost of fear by voting for change in 2018. For more than a decade, U Saw Dar Shwe has been fighting a battle against a Thai tin mining company which he says has irreparably destroyed his land. A smallholder areca palm farmer and ethnic Kayin, U Saw Dar Shwe has repeatedly refused compensation from Myanmar Pongpipat Company, the operator of Heinda tin ore mining project in Tanintharyi Region, deeming the figure too low. Instead he has taken the company to court, to demand higher compensation K50 million in return for losses incurred by waste water to his 13-acre plantation in Myaung Byo village. Myanmar Pongpipat has been operating the mine since 1999. The problems started when the company blocked the nearby Myaung Byo creek with a barrier, causing water levels to rise. Eventually the creek broke its banks and thick waves of sediment and waste from the mine were deposited into houses, plantations and sources of fresh water. In 2012 the floods were worse than in previous years and caused irreparable damage. Four acres of U Saw Dar Shwes plantation were destroyed, he said, yet the company ignored his requests for compensation on the grounds that his land is not part of its project. That same year, he decided to take his complaint to the Ministry of Mines. The following year officials from the ministry visited Tanintharyi Region from Nay Pyi Taw to assess the project. The ministry asked the company to improve its waste management system, according to documents seen by The Myanmar Times. It also told villagers that the Union ministry could not grant compensation and referred them to the regional government. Since then, U Saw Dar Shwe says he has seen no justice. In January 2015, he visited Myanmar Pongpipat again and asked for K50 million. The company relented somewhat and offered K2 million, he said, an offer that remained unchanged during two further attempts at negotiation. Attempts by The Myanmar Times to find a way to contact the company were unsuccessful. A local group formed to tackle issues arising from the tin mine, including the local township administrator, surveyors and officials, have valued each areca plant at K50,000 meaning that U Saw Dar Shwes 564 plants would be worth K28.2 million. The company values each plant at K7000. The company didnt want to pay the amount determined by the team, and I was not satisfied with the offer [of K2 million] so the negotiations were cancelled, U Saw Dar Shwe told The Myanmar Times. Last October he enlisted the help of a civil society organisation called Takapaw to take the company to court. The compensation offered does not cover my losses, so I refused to agree. If they pay me K50 million, I will give them my land. After a decade of [being buried beneath] sentiment, its no longer good enough to farm. The Kayin State minister, two officials from Myanmar Pongpipat and officials from the regional mining ministry asked U Saw Dar Shwe to attend the Dawei district court on Febuary 10 to settle the case for K3 million, he said. I cant receive such low compensation. They have said they can pay no more than K3 million even after devastating more than 9 acres of my land. I have refused, and will not stop in my efforts to charge the company. Nine other villagers have been suing the company and the mining ministry for three years, according to Ko Thant Zin, coordinator at the Dawei Development Association. In 2014, residents of Myaung Byo village released a joint statement announcing they had filed a lawsuit against the Thai company and its joint venture partner, No 2 Mining Enterprise under the Ministry of Mines, alleging that the area around their village has been plagued by environmental issues since the company began operating in the area. Many species of plants and animals went extinct and many of our plantations, houses, wells and religious buildings were destroyed due to waste and sediment disposed by the company, it said. U Aung Kyaw Oo, general manager for Tanintharyi Region at the No 2 Mining Enterprise, told The Myanmar Times that the ministry has warned the company to conduct its operations responsibly. He witnessed negotiations with U Saw Dar Shwe and confirmed that the two sides could not agree. They will settle the matter legally. We do not have the right to force the company to give as much compensation as residents ask for, he said. Yet he did not appear to see the problem, arguing that during 16 years of operation, the mine has damaged just a fraction of the total production area. Moreover, Myanmar Pongpipat gives 35pc of the mines proceeds to the government, he said. This is not the sort of project that will stop at once when a resident protests about some issues. If you look at the profit the mine brings to the country, [the damage to farmland is] not such a big deal, he said. Mining involves digging up the soil and cannot be done with zero damage. A group of sickle-wielding vigilantes made its way through Myanmars northern Kachin State in January and February, clearing poppy fields nearly ready to be harvested in a quest to end production of the illicit drug. The mission turned farmers whose livelihoods were being cut down into angry and, at times, armed adversaries. Pat Ja Sans anti-drug campaign refocused attention on a problem that has long plagued Myanmar, the second-largest producer of raw opium in the world. Though opium production in Kachin State was estimated to have decreased by 17 percent last year from roughly 5100 hectares in 2014 to 4200ha in 2015 it still accounts for 7.6pc of the nationwide total, according to numbers from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime. Each Kachin family has a problem with opium. They get angry about opium. Their families are broken and many young people have HIV, said Reverend Samson Hkalam, general secretary of the Kachin Baptist Convention, which backs Pat Ja San. In 1999, the government of Myanmar committed to a 15-year plan to eliminate illicit crop production, but the deadline has since been extended to 2019. The consequence of this plan, according to experts, is a repressive opium eradication policy which landed many small-time drug offenders in jail and saw swathes of poppy fields eradicated. But the problem remained. The futility of these policies is most visible when the monsoon rains recede and opium poppy blossoms in the green hills of Kachin, Shan, Chin and Kayah states. With few other means of survival, the poppy farmers continue to replant their crop despite the threat of destruction. [The farmers] investment is probably not from their own savings but from loans. When you eradicate more you push the farmers to grow more because they need to compensate [for their losses], said Sai Lone, a representative of the Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum. The farmers pay a high price. Farmers cultivate opium in mountainous areas where not many other crops will grow, or at least cant compete with the income generated by poppy. According to a 2012 UNODC survey, the average yield of dry opium per hectare is about 19 times that of rice in mountain areas. The large majority of opium farmers are not rich and grow it for their survival. Therefore, they should not be treated as criminals, Myanmar opium farmers said in a statement released in September last year. Many opium-growing communities face huge challenges, particularly from drug addiction, which often tears families apart. There is a lack of rehabilitation options and counselling for drug users and limited healthcare to deal with consequences of the addiction, like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. The volunteer drug eradicators of Pat Ja San which loosely means fighting against drugs in Kachin have become notorious for military-inspired tactics used against drug addicts. The group faced heavy criticism last year when a video was circulated on social media showing alleged members flogging addicts to deter them from using. But the groups current eradication campaign has gained widespread local support, including from civil society groups. We commend and support community-led anti-drugs campaign (Pat Jasan) in Kachin and Shan State as their non-violent measure is decent and targeting the common enemy of mankind conscientiously where State failed to take effective measures, according to a recent CSO statement. Equality Myanmar, led by human rights activist U Aung Myo Min, was one of the over 200 organisations that are part of the CSO Forum that issued the statement. U Aung Myo Min told The Myanmar Times that even though he supported Pat Ja Sans goal to eradicate opium, he did not support all the means they use to achieve it. We cannot tolerate it, despite their noble goal, he said. He said that the statement included a clause that explained the CSOs position on the issue of human rights. We recommend Pat Ja San leaders and concerned community leaders refrain from the harmful act/activities vigilantly and strongly encourage developing strategic leadership and direction, the groups said in the statement. Experts say that Pat Ja Sans approach will disproportionally harm farmers. UNODC does not support eradication without alternative development for the farmers, said Troels Vester, country manager for UNODC Myanmar. There is still much work to be done to address the underlying causes of illicit cultivation. Sustainable results in reducing illicit cultivation can only be achieved when the socio-economic conditions of communities and the livelihoods of rural households have been improved, Mr Vester said. Sai Lone of the Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum warned that a crackdown on opium could also lead to an increase in the production of amphetamines. A 2009 report by the Transnational Institute refers to this phenomenon as displacement, when the campaign against one drug leads to the rise of an equally or perhaps even more dangerous substitute. They target farmers and lose sight of the whole picture. Lots of people are involved and the problem is not just opium. Over 30 years of eradication did not work, Sai Lone said. But previous opium-replacement programs in Myanmar, undertaken by international organisations and China, have also failed to take hold. Kachin States opium farmers were impoverished under Chinas 2006 Opium Replacement Fund, which encouraged monocrop cultivation of mainly rubber, according to a 2012 TNI report, which describes it as morphing what was once known as the Golden Triangle into a rubber belt. It said the program risked further marginalising opium-growing communities because profits ended up in the pockets of Chinese businesses, not with the farmers. Some Kachin maintain that for the moment, at least Pat Ja San is the communitys best hope, because the government does not do anything to stop the drug trade and its impact on communities, while the authorities are involved in the trade themselves. This group did not come up out of nothing. They have been trying to do all these things by legal means but, if you go to the police, they are selling it themselves, said a Kachin community leader who asked not to be identified. A week-long stand-off in January between the vigilantes and the authorities, who had first provided the group with protection and then refused to let them continue, only increased rumours about officials involvement in the trade. The case of Pat Ja San ended up in parliament in February, with an urgent proposal to support the anti-narcotics campaigners approved with an overwhelming number of votes. Later that month, the Kachin vigilantes while under government protection were attacked with stones and, reportedly, guns and grenades. Dozens of Pat Ja San volunteers were injured. The Christian anti-drug squad alleged their attackers were members of a pyithu sit, or Peoples Militia Force, and the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), an ethnic armed group that became a Border Guard Force in 2009. According to Rev Hkalam, land near the Chinese border that is controlled by the NDA-K is rented out to Chinese business-owners who then hire day labourers to grow poppy on the fields. Aid organisations working in Kachin State said the ownership of the poppy fields that Pat Ja San aimed to destroy was mixed. In some places, Chinese businesses hired local workers, and in other areas local farmers grow opium and then sell it, mostly to Chinese buyers. Most opium fields in Myanmars Kachin and Shan states are located in areas where government-allied militias operate. The government turns a blind eye to their involvement in the narcotics trade in return for their help to fight against the countrys plethora of ethnic armed groups. While the farmers struggle under harsh eradication campaigns, leaders or people connected to several government-sponsored militias in Shan and Kachin states were elected to parliament in the November 8 polls, including some heavily implicated in the drugs trade. Militia leaders walk around freely and sit in parliament, while opium farmers face eradication and extortion, said Tom Kramer, a researcher with the Transnational Institute. U Zahkung Ting Ying, a representative of the NDA-K, which was allegedly involved in the attack on Pat Ja San, is an elected Amyotha Hluttaw representative. With previous eradication campaigns seemingly futile and targeting mainly impoverished farmers, the exposure of the trades bigger players has made Pat Ja Sans anti-drug campaign a success, said a Kachin community leader. They have achieved their purpose, he said. They have shown the world who owns the fields and who is protecting them. Opinion / Columnist The mission statement of Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT) reads: "To rebuild national cohesion through promotion of tolerance and peaceful co-existence in communities." Its vision is to see a peaceful Zimbabwe which celebrates diversity and peaceful co-existence in local communities. What a noble project!Before reading the activities of HZT on the ground, one would be deceived to think that the trust is indeed a noble project that seeks to promote peaceful co-existence in Zimbabwe. The term itself is a grave misnomer, considering what the trust is really promoting on the ground. It is not at all for peace.HZT was founded in 2008 when the political situation in Zimbabwe was tense and its existence was justified then. As a result, the trust attracted funding from the West to embark on the peace building project. It flourished. Following the inclusive government, the country reverted to its peaceful mode, rendering most of the opportunists Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) redundant. HZT is one such an organization that was affected and ever since then, it is struggling to survive.It is this redundancy that has forced the trust to throw its founding values out of the window in pursuit of anything that can make it survive. This includes propagating falsehoods that seek to soil the good name of Zanu PF and other members of society. Unfortunately some of the lies that it spreads are in stark contrast and defeats the major purpose of their existence.During the weekend, HZT produced a report in which it alleged that Zanu PF was persecuting members of the newly formed Zimbabwe People First led by Dr Joice Mujuru. Among other allegations, the trust said traditional leaders and the police were roped in to identify ZPF supporters for victimization and exclusion during the food handout exercise spearheaded by government.As they were manufacturing such a malicious report, President Robert Mugabe was assuring the nation during the official launch of the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University in Bindura that no one would be denied food."We got the same feeling, needs and demands and so even as we struggle against each other politically, the hunger that we feel within our own party is the same hunger being felt in the MDC," said President Mugabe.This statement exposes HZT big time. President Mugabe is the supreme leader of Zanu PF. What he says is final. We therefore wonder which Zanu PF is being referred by HZT that is allegedly using food aid as political tool against the opposition members. After all, the distribution of food is not being done by Zanu PF for it is not a political matter. It is the government that has that responsibility and government knows no opposition. Even the opposition members contribute to the national fiscus from which money for the purchase of the maize was drawn from.It is, therefore, a criminal act to discriminate people in food distribution on political grounds. HZT would do well if they reported such people to the police. Rushing to the media does not help anyone because they do not have the capacity to solve such issues.Such lies have a potential of sparking uproar in the communities. One wonders how that information promotes peace within communities. A hungry man is an angry man. Those lies can instead promote antagonistic relationships within the communities, more so when those lies are magnified by the media. Hopefully HZT is aware of what happened in Rwanda because of careless statements that were carried by the media.Zanu PF does not see any threat from ZPF to an extent of employing such foolish tactics. In any case, it is the MDC-T that must be rattled by the emergence of ZPF because it is eating into its (MDC-T) support base.In its mission statement, HZT indicates that it targets victims and perpetrators of political violence. Now that the country is calm with no victims and perpetrators of political violence, HZT has to manufacture same in order to regain relevance. Even in intra party conflicts, it has become convenient for organizations like HZT to blame it on Zanu PF.The Standard, a sister paper of the Newsday, which carried HZT report, has a story that vindicates Zanu PF. It reported that Mujuru party intensified campaign. If there was persecution as HZT reported, how are the campaigns being intensified? "The Zimbabwe People First yesterday held an incident free rally in Harare," reported the Standard. In all earnest, how can Zanu PF be rattled by a party that amass a crowd of only 500 people at its best, some of whom are just observers.Therefore, HZT is advised to stick to its founding values and promote peace in the country. Alternatively, it must change and declare its new vision of causing disharmony in the country and fighting in the corner of the opposition. Ethnic Taang activists have accused the military of detaining more than 100 villagers in northern Shan State this month on suspicion of supporting the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Several thousand people have been displaced by fighting between the TNLA and the Tatmadaw, with local organisations describing military operations to root out suspected TNLA sympathisers village by village. Activists said they had compiled a list of more than 100 villagers detained between March 6 and 18 from settlements in the three townships of Kutkai, Namhsan and Kyaukme following offensives by the Tatmadaw. U Khan Myint, chair of the Taang Literature and Culture Organisation, said villagers in Kaung Lain in Kutkai were asked to attend a Tatmadaw meeting on March 9 and 24 were subsequently arrested. They havent been honest with the villagers. They said it was just a meeting of the village and then they detained people. Locals suffer from feelings of insecurity, U Khan Myint added. We went to the battalion commander [of Brigade 66] to ask for the release of the villagers. He replied they will free 13 villagers but have to investigate the others, he told The Myanmar Times. Villagers released by the Tatmadaw were said to have been asked questions such as Do you have contact with the TNLA? Do you support and how do you support the TNLA? Some said they were beaten while interrogated. These are illegal acts against the people. Such actions make people feel insecure. Local people are living in fear, said U Mong Oak Khine, a Taang activist who ran in the 2015 elections. Mong Thein Win, a teacher and Taang youth activist, also said people were beaten on suspicion of having contact with ethnic armed groups. Villagers fear every armed group. No one dares to reject what armed groups demand. The Tatmadaw is intentionally targeting locals for persecution, he said. The accusations could not be independently verified. However, the Tatmadaw has employed a similar strategy in Rakhine State, where dozens have been detained and put on trial under the Unlawful Associations Act for alleged links to the Arakan Army. Colonel Myat Min Oo of the Tatmadaws true news unit declined to give specific information on the reported detentions in northern Shan State. However, he said that if it was true that soldiers had committed illegal acts then action would be taken against them according to the law. According to information collected by the Taang Student and Youth Organisation, 20 villagers were detained from Ngot Nga in Kutkai township on March 6, and 16 were later released. On March 10, a total of 37 people were detained in Pan Lot and Kwinslan villages in Kyaukme township, and two in Anaunkkain in Namhsan. A further 64 villagers were said to be detained on March 16 in four villages in Kyaukme, named as Par Lain, Pan Lone, Kyauk Phyu and Kwinslan. The organisation says it is still trying to collect the latest information on arrests and releases. U Robert San Aung, a prominent human rights lawyer, said such mass detentions were disgracing the Tatmadaw. Tatmadaw leaders should control the battalions and commanders who have committed lawless activities that can ruin the Tatmadaws image. If they [battalion commanders] have suspicions about people, then it is the job of police officers to investigate, he said. The European Union says it will stop funding the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) from the end of this month and has sought assurances that assets procured with EU money will not disappear. As a major donor to Myanmars peace process over the past five years, the EU expression of concern over what will happen to these assets follows reported moves by senior officials of the MPC, including its chair, government minister U Aung Min, to set up their own institution. The state of uncertainty hanging over the MPC looks set to continue for some weeks as Daw Aung San Suu Kyis incoming government works out how to handle logistics and personnel involved in the peace process. The MPC remains deeply distrusted by the ethnic armed groups outside the ceasefire pact signed last year. Roland Kobia, EU ambassador to Myanmar, confirmed that EU support to the MPC would end on March 31, with the possibility for extension should there be interest. He told The Myanmar Times that the EU in recent weeks had been in close contact with key decision-makers in the National League for Democracy as well as MPC executive director U Kyaw Soe Hlaing in order to secure a smooth handover of the MPCs responsibilities and its institutional memory. These discussions are still ongoing. Pending a final decision on the future of the MPC by the new administration, the EU has made clear our position vis-a-vis the current MPC executive director that any assets procured with EU funding should remain at the disposal of the MPC or any institution succeeding the MPC, as is standard procedure everywhere in the world, the ambassador added. The Myanmar Times reported last week that two senior MPC officials had launched an initiative to set up an independent think tank using the assets of the MPC, which are state-owned. A government insider said the proposal had got support within the Presidents Office, setting off alarm bells within the international community in the run-up to the NLD government takeover. The BBC Burmese service reported that U Aung Min who failed in his bid to win a seat as an independent in last Novembers elections was preparing to establish a Center for Peace and Development, which would be joined by U Tin Maung Thann, special adviser to the MPC. The government source told The Myanmar Times that U Kyaw Soe Hlaing was also part of the think-tank plan. He could not be reached for comment. Other senior figures in the MPC still hope to be taken on by the new government. Farewell tours have begun. Senior adviser U Hla Maung Shwe last week posted images on Face-book of celebrations with wine in Norway, also a major donor. Bye Bye Norway! Thank a lot for everything, he wrote. The MPC released a statement on March 17 to clarify its position. It noted that it was established by a presidential decree in October 2012 to facilitate the peace process and received support from international donors. The assets procured with donor funding are regarded as state-owned property. A final decision as to what happens to the MPC and the associated assets will be taken by the new government. The MPC is in close contact with decision-makers from the NLD in order to make sure that the handover is as smooth as possible, the statement said. Diplomats remain concerned, however, whether all assets will be transferred, noting that the land and buildings in the MPC compound were assigned by the state, although Japan helped fund some of the infrastructure located in one of Yangons hottest property areas. The international community, particularly the UN, also became heavily invested in the MPC from a political perspective. When the nationwide ceasefire agreement was completed last October, international donors acted as official witnesses to the signing, endorsing the pact as a major achievement although only a minority of ethnic armed groups participated, and offensives by government forces have escalated since. In our assessment, the MPC has played a crucially important role in facilitating the negotiations with Myanmars many ethnic armed groups. Reaching agreement on bilateral ceasefires with more than a dozen ethnic armed groups and concluding negotiations on the text of a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement are major achievements unprecedented in the countrys history. Alongside the ethnic leaders involved in the negotiations, Minister U Aung Min and the MPC have been instrumental in this endeavour, the EU said. The possible demise of the MPC, however, will not mean the end of international funding for the peace process. The Joint Peace Fund, a new multi-donor trust fund coordinated by the EU, has attracted tens of millions of dollars in commitments. North Korea has replaced its ambassador to Myanmar. The move came after former ambassador Kim Sok Chol was recently blacklisted by the United States Department of the Treasury over alleged involvement in his nations illicit weapons trade. Mr Kim had been ambassador since 2007, when the two countries resumed diplomatic relations. Pyongyangs Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced that the country will be sending Jong Ho Bom to fill the post. The Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it had agreed to the appointment of the new ambassador. It offered scant details into Mr Jongs background, saying that he joined the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992 and has since served in various capacities. From June 2014 to December 2015, he served as deputy director general of the Protocol Department at the [North Korean] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it said. Mr Kim was sanctioned just days after Myanmars November 8 election, with the US Treasury Department saying in a statement that he operated as a facilitator for Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID), which it classified as North Koreas primary arms dealer and main exporter of goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. KOMID was sanctioned by the United Nations in 2009 and the US reinforced sanctions against it last year. According to the US Department of the Treasury, Mr Kim was paid by KOMID for his assistance and arranges meetings on behalf of KOMID, including a meeting between KOMID and Burmese defense-related persons to discuss financial matters. Andrea Berger, deputy director of proliferation and nuclear policy at the Royal United Service Institute, told the South Korean media outlet NK News that North Korea likely recalled its former ambassador and appointed a new one to avoid an uncomfortable and highly public incident with the new civilian government in Myanmar. North Korea and Myanmar have long had controversial military ties, with the pariah state sending a flow of arms to the Tatmadaw for decades until diplomatic relations were severed in 1983 following an attack on Yangons Martyrs Mausoleum. North Korean agents detonated a series of bombs in an attempt to assassinate visiting South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan. He survived because he had not yet arrived at the site, but Deputy Prime Minister Suh Seok-jun, Minister for Foreign Affairs Lee Beom-seok and ambassador to Myanmar Lee Gye-cheol were all killed, along with other officials and journalists. Formal relations did not resume until 2007. Since then, the weapons question has been of major concern to international observers and governments. The US has asked Myanmar to completely sever ties with Pyongyang amid fears of collaboration on nuclear technology. In 2013, it sanctioned military officials and private companies allegedly linked to arms trading with North Korea. The Magwe Region parliament has formed a committee to scrutinise the management of the countrys largest pagoda festival. The annual Shwesettaw Pagoda festival in Minbu township runs from February to Myanmar New Year in mid-April, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, who camp in bamboo huts beside Mann Creek. However, the festival is the subject of perennial complaints of price-gouging. Critics say the root cause is the organising committees lack of transparency over tenders for the provision of services at the remote festival site. Feature: A woman in a Mann Creek world at Shwesettaw festival On March 16, the Magwe hluttaw formed an Observation and Coordinating Committee for holding Mann Shwesettaw Pagoda Festival to address the complaints. The six-member committee is headed by U Nay Myo Kyaw, the representative for Minbu 2, while U Kyaw Htay from Magwe will serve as secretary. All elected MPs in the Magwe Region Hluttaw are from the National League for Democracy. Pilgrims visiting Shwesettaw Pagoda have been frustrated for a long time, said U Nay Myo Kyaw. They face bad services and poor management. We can see that there is a lack of transparency about the festivals management and finances. This committees term will run for just 30 days, until the festival concludes at Myanmar New Year on April 17. Translation by Khine Thazin Han The National League for Democracy, which has shed little light so far on its broadcast media policy, has said existing television companies will have to reapply to keep their broadcasting licences while all companies in the private sector will be given an equal chance to compete. U Aung Shin, member of the NLD information and central committees, told a Yangon conference at the weekend that Skynet and Forever Group, which obtained licences under the current government, would need to reapply. The new NLD government would give all media companies an equal chance in applying for licences in the broadcasting sector which, unlike print and online media, has been kept under tight control. U Aung Shin also said the next government would not interfere in or influence state-run media but would make the switch to public service media and the private sector. But he said the policy was not finalised yet. Private media companies at the conference, organised by USAID and the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), pressed for changes in policy that currently favour the government, the military and their close associates. U Ye Htut, the minister for information with two weeks left in office, said a weak point of former president U Thein Seins government had been failing to complete changes from state-run broadcasters to public service media because of what he called technical problems in drawing up the law. He admitted that the broadcasting law drawn up by the Ministry of Information needed changes. Our government had a lot of challenges that people didnt trust us with. The NLD government will face high expectations for change that will also be hard to meet in a short time, he said. U Aung Than Soe, former director of the Union Attorney Generals Office, said during a debate broadcast by DVB that the broadcasting law was not acceptable for implementation. He said that U Thein Seins government had allocated ministries and ministers to implement and monitor the broadcasting law but that some positions had been removed by the incoming NLD government in its ministry reorganisation plan. U Khin Maung Win, DVB deputy director, estimated that broadcast media would account for US$165 million out of a total of $220 million in media advertising revenues this year. But ad spending would amount to billions of dollars a year within the next decade, he said. The new government has to manage the licences of broadcast media with equal chances and fair share to the newcomers, he said. He said article 42(a) of the current broadcasting law discriminated against smaller companies by requiring them to start operations within one year or lose their licences. We need to find the solution to survive in the market because we havent got the same level playing field to compete with government-owned media, he said. U Sithu Aung Myint, chief editor of Mon Tae Nay Journal, said the broadcasting law should guard against political manipulation. Obviously we still have no freedom of broadcasting now. The law and by-laws have to be changed to benefit the public, he said. Turn the other cheek: Thats the response a Christian student group is urging in the face of planned protests by nationalists over the appointment of a non-Buddhist politician as vice president. The Myanmar Student Christian Movement said in a statement that fellow Christians should neither oppose nor respond to the nationalist campaign against Henry Van Thio, who was confirmed as vice president through a vote in parliament on March 15. The hitherto unknown ethnic Chin lawmaker from the National League for Democracy was nominated by the Amyotha Hluttaw for the presidency. He finished third in a run-off against Pyithu Hluttaw selection U Htin Kyaw and military nominee U Myint Swe, garnering 79 votes. The decision to nominate Henry Van Thio was widely welcomed by ethnic minority groups and political commentators as a step in the direction of national reconciliation. However, as The Myanmar Times reported on March 17, Buddhist nationalists have been angered by his nomination and are seeking permission to stage a protest in Yangon. We cant accept that someone from another religion has been appointed vice president. We wont be silent. We will request in a democratic manner for him to be taken off [the position], said U Agga Dhamma, founder of the Buddha Goenyi organisation, which was established in 2012 and is based in a village in Hmawbi township near Yangon. In contrast, the MSCM offered its congratulations and gratitude to parliamentarians and the NLD. It urged its followers to show metta the Buddhist concept of loving kindness toward the nationalists, even if they stage a protest against Henry Van Thios selection. We urge everyone to forgive their behaviour, the statement said. Also known as University Christian Work, Myanmar SCM was formed in 1913 to offer religious support to Christian students studying at universities and institutions in Myanmar. Senior monks on the national Sangha council have decided not to formally protest a decision to merge the ministries of Culture and Religious Affairs, but say they remain unhappy at the planned change. The composition of the incoming National League for Democracy government was revealed to parliament on March 17, with the number of ministries cut from 36 to 21. The previously stand-alone Ministry for Religious Affairs was joined with the Ministry of Culture. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee on March 18 voted down a proposal to write to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw to express opposition to the merger and call for a review. The decision was taken on the final day of a meeting in Yangon that began on March 16. The proposal was submitted by a member of the Seventh State Sangha Central Working Committee, who said that the issue was important for the majority of Myanmar citizens. However, the full committee, which includes 300 monks, rejected it on the grounds it would constitute intervention in government policies. Buddhist monks dont like this action by the new government but the Sangha also dont want to intervene in the administration of the new government, said Ministry of Religious Affairs director U Tun Nyunt. He said that a particular complaint was that the new ministry would be referred to as the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, and not the other way round. Senior monks really disliked that because it makes the Religious Affairs ministry seem less important than Culture, he said. The meeting did not touch on the selection of a Christian lawmaker, Henry Van Thio, as one of two incoming vice presidents. Buddhist nationalist groups say they plan to protest the appointment because he is not Buddhist. During the hard years of military dictatorship, relations between Britain and Myanmar were often tense. The BBC would get rough treatment from its Myanmar counterparts. Sometimes it was even accused of broadcasting a sky full of lies. When Senior General Than Shwe made the big decision to move government from Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw we understand that one of his justifications was the lingering colonial hangover. Even today, everywhere you look in parts of Yangon, there are indications of the former British presence. Those who appreciate shambolic post-imperial vibes rejoice in Yangons old buildings and streetscapes. And, for all their resentment, it was only on rare occasions that Myanmars dictators worked actively to destroy the British heritage of bricks-and-mortar. What was far more prevalent was the effort to eradicate foreign ideas associated with colonial meddling. Local institutions were discouraged from unscripted interaction with their counterparts from Western democracies. Its history of colonial rule meant that Britain was often singled out for critical scrutiny, in particular for its ties with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Throughout these difficult times, the British government naturally sought to keep some channels of interaction open. Notwithstanding the difficulties they faced, I was always impressed by the unwavering British commitments to Myanmar. The countrys diplomats were well trained, many with seriously sharp language skills and a deft command of local politics. Outside that official stream, British businesspeople, academics, analysts, journalists, humanitarians and activists also kept up the tempo of interaction. It helped that the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London maintained the worlds best Burmese-language program. Among Britains Myanmar specialists there are quite a number who have gone on to become very prominent figures over the past half-decade. Much of their current success is built on quieter investments in the country during the dictatorial years. When Snr Gen Than Shwe was in charge, Britain served as a bastion of democratic defiance, hosting large numbers of Myanmar exiles and refugees. It also supported the most vocal campaigns against military rule. What those campaigns sometimes lacked in appreciation for the subtleties of Myanmar life, they made up for with an unflinching commitment to ending dictatorship. Today the Burma Campaign UK maintains its chorus of criticism, seeking to keep up the heat on the enduring political and economic role of the armed forces. From that perspective, demilitarisation of politics remains a pressing concern. Right now they are running a campaign to end sexual violence against women in Myanmar. The campaign materials state that the use of rape and sexual violence by Burmas armed forces is ongoing with impunity and reports of rape have increased over the last years. High-profile international supporters of this campaign include Dame Judi Dench, Annie Lennox and Gillian Anderson, alongside local activists like Cheery Zahau, Khin Ohmar and Khon Ja. Such campaigns draw attention to problems in Myanmar society, particularly where egregious human rights violations persist. Yet now that the National League for Democracy is taking power, the old repertoire of denigration will need to be refreshed. Britain-based activists have done much good work; it would be a pity if they struggled to adapt to a situation where Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself will increasingly need to be held to account. That will not always be easy. But in the wake of her 2015 election triumph, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi still seems very comfortable with her British friends. With her ongoing support, there is a significant opportunity to reinforce ties in the crucial early months of NLD government. Such opportunity could take many forms, but strategic areas like health and education surely merit a further injection of British resources. There is no doubt Britain will need to remain a major contributor of development assistance and general economic support. Nowadays, the British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar, led by Stephanie Ashmore, is a driving force behind a wide range of mutually beneficial activities. It makes sense that British businesses in Myanmar are not looking to make short-term profits when the revitalisation of society so clearly requires their enduring involvement. Under current conditions, it is also likely that Britain will want to work more consistently with the Myanmar armed forces. There are obvious sensitivities. Both sides will be reluctant to make prematurely bold moves. Nonetheless, given the residue of British military doctrine and culture in a variety of Myanmar armed forces, including non-state armed groups, there is an unusual opportunity to play a significant role in shaping new military minds. The current trends all look promising for Britain-Myanmar relations. Daw Aung San Suu Kyis personal affinity for Britain is shared by some other senior figures in the NLD. History suggests that such mutual affection is a useful ingredient in foreign affairs. New Mandala Nicholas Farrelly is director of the Myanmar Research Centre at the Australian National University. His column in The Myanmar Times is published each Monday. Enterprise Mobility has quickly become the go-to for business communications needs. As the market rapidly expands, so to does the need to offer support for end users. Not only will adding mobile support to businesses improve user experiences, it will also help to lower traditionally high IT support costs. Answering to this need is AetherPal, a New York-based provider of Mobile Support Management (MSM) solutions for enterprises and mobile operators. To hear more about the company, their offerings and where the market is headed, I recently caught up with AetherPal CEO Dan Deeney. Deeney noted that today, enterprises are accelerating the development and deployment of line of business and 3rd party mobile applications and the IT help desk is quickly becoming the primary point of contact for mobile support issues from app support to set-up and configuration problems and even device troubleshooting. Since many employees are required to use enterprise applications to perform their work, mobile support is becoming a mission critical function to drive productivity and reduce downtime, Deeney said. To meet this need head-on there was a need for an offering that is provided in real-time to end users so they can solve any problems on their own, as they happen. During Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month, the company answered to this need with the introduction of Valet. The offering drives real-time mobile support for end users through an on-demand self-service and secure messaging application. For users, its bringing them exactly what they need, when they need it. Valet is, a user-friendly, secure and scalable platform that provides the mobile user with the resources they need to resolve support issues quickly, efficiently and, in many cases, on their own. For IT teams, this means less burden and stress on resources doing tasks like password resets, health checks, notifications about outages and even tutorials and device wizards for common problems. Support in real-time is now a demand much more than it is a trend. As this continues, well see real-time everything shaping how services are delivered. As Deeney explained, Weve all experienced how mobility has changed our personal lives with real-time, always on information and communication. The very nature of mobility has also transformed how companies conduct business, how they communicate with employees and contractors and how work is performed. Were living in a thumb-driven world. We designed Valet with a vision to focus on the needs of the end user to drive a mobile support experience that would enable users to realize the full benefits that mobility has to offer. So whats in-store for the enterprise mobile market over the next year? According to Deeney its entering a new growth phase with the transformation of business processes around mobility, specifically the deployment of a greater number of enterprise applications on mobile devices. He predicts that over the next five years, we will see app parity between what we have today for PC and web based apps and enterprise mobile applications. In fact, Deeney said the app parity adoption cycle has already begun and will accelerate over the next few years. Another important point of focus will be mobile security and support. For businesses, they have emerged as the two primary pain points in enterprise mobility. Deeney said companies are looking to secure access to enterprise applications and corporate data while also re-thinking their mobile support strategies. The end goal is to provide an enhanced mobile support experience that will drive productivity and lower support costs. AetherPal has positioned Valet to drive on-demand mobile support and to help companies realize the full benefits of mobile transformation. Edited by Maurice Nagle LOS ANGELESCAM4 is not only attending this years Phoenix Forum, but also has signed on as a Gold Sponsor of the B2B show. Additionally, the company will host one of the Late Night Poker Suites. The poker suites have always been one of my favorite parts of the show said Shaft of CAM4.com Even if you arent a card player, there is a great vibe and plenty of bright-eyed focused individuals who make it a point of checking out the action. So be sure to stop by, say hello and if you play your cards right, youll likely walk off with a bunch of business cards worth more than any hand played at the tables. CAM4, a leading live broadcasting platform, is seeking out new business throughout the show while looking to optimize the relationships they currently have today. The Phoenix Forum runs March 31 through April 3 at the Tempe Mission Palms in Tempe, Ariz. Shaft and I will both be around for all four days of the show, said Dave Strauss of CAM4.com We are booking up appointments quickly, so its always a good idea to contact us either through the site or directly before the show and get a specific meeting time set in advance. The great thing about TPF is the frequency with which we find excellent new business from brand new sources, and we hope the CAM4 sponsorship helps all attendees find that high level of useful business interaction as well. To arrange a meeting, visit CAM4Bucks.com/ today or contact Dave and Shaft directly. Blakk Rasta 21.03.2016 LISTEN Controversial Ghanaian Reggae musician Blakk Rasta has released a controversial new song titled 'Dumb Trump,' a song some Americans and the world would definitely like to listen to. The song criticises America's presidential hopeful Donald Trump on his positions on issues, one of which is his alleged promotion of racism. Blakk Rasta's song is an obvious disapproval of Trump as a choice for American president. Blakk Rasta went hard on him in the song, describing him as dumb and terrorist among other unprintable words. Donald Trump, you too dump. Everywhere you go dumb dumb. Why are you dumb dumb so? Oh my God, why are you dumb dumb? Blakk Rasta said in the chorus of the song. . Donald Trump Here comes the hot headed terrorist, Donald Trump, anxious to win America with racism and fraud. Millions of deportees' blood he wants with his careless sword. Every Muslim must pack bag and baggage and leave port or risk being shot with billions of pigs blood-dipped bullets, Blakk Rasta also said. The song is currently on soundcloud.com and continues to be downloaded across the world. Meanwhile, Blakk Rasta yesterday justified claims that he went hard on Trump, saying, Too hard? He goes too hard on racism. It befits him. He deserves everything said in the song. They are loving it in America already. This is not the first time Blakk Rasta has released a song about an American politician. Leading to the 2008 presidential election, he released a song titled Barack Obama, endorsing the candidature of current American President, Barack Obama. His new song suggests that he is not in support of Trump's ideologies. Mr. James Ebo Whyte, popularly known as Uncle Ebo Whyte has said Ghana is blessed with an incredible number of gifted actors. According to him, in most of his plays he unearths new talents and develops them into great stage actors. Speaking at the Press viewing of his latest stage play titled One Million Pounds the play writer commended the characters who staged. One Million Pounds is a play about an ambitious young man called Kafui, who did not allow himself to be swayed by money. He led a group of four (JAMA) to the finals of a reality show fulfilling his dreams. The group which has won the hearts of fans worldwide, survived the politics of a system that only planned to take them. One million pounds is an inspiring story of determination and fighting the odds even when all seem lost. Some of the plays that Uncle Ebo Whyte has written and directed includes; Whats My Name, Men Run Women Cry, Dad is Mom, Mom is Dad, The Day Came, Smartest Man Alive, Forbidden, Women on Fire, Games Men Play and Bananas and Groundnut among others. It will be shown on March 26, 27, 28 and April 2 and 3, 4 and 8 pm each day at the National Theatre. 21.03.2016 LISTEN Ghana's young Rap artist Koo Ntakra who announced his inclusion in the preselection face for this year's Midem Artist Accelerator program will be facing his long time admirer and role model, Sarkodie in his bid to make the final cut for the artist/band who will be selected for the Paris program. The former hitmaker champ is among other sixty one (61) artist/band who were announced for the preselection face last week, making the cut from over thousands of entries received across the globe by the organizers. The Akwapem rapper joins Ghanaian born US based rapper Blitz the Ambassador as the only Ghanaians battling it out among the lot for the final 12 slot. Earlier this year, it was announced by organizers that, two time Ghana Music Artist of the year and former BET award winner, Sarkodie has been included in the jury which will go through applicants and make the final selection. Koo Ntakra in many interviews ever since his rise to stardom has acknowledged the hardworks of Sarkodie, whom he sees to be one of the major players in the industry he looks up to in building his career as a rapper as well. This will be the very first time both rappers will encounter each other,eventhogh they have shared same stage in the past, and the young one will be looking up to his mentor' and fellow compatriot to give him the nod in the final selection face to represent Ghana in the June show down in Paris, France. Midem Artist Accelerator is a four days packed with conferences, competition, networking events and concerts which enables key players within the international music ecosystem to successfully forge business connections, promote music at an international level, sign deals, and discover upcoming trends, talents and service to shape the future of music. This year's event will mark the 50th anniversary of Midem. The 2016 Midem will take place in Cannes, France between 3-6 June. Final 12 artist/band will be released in early April according to organizers. We wish, one of Ghana's brightest music prospect, Koo Ntakra the very best of luck in the final selection process. Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. Tunisian special forces stand outside a house containing the body of a man after security forces said they killed a "terrorist" on March 21, 2016 on the outskirts the southern border town of Ben Guerdane. By Fathi Nasri (AFP) 21.03.2016 LISTEN Zarzis (Tunisia) (AFP) - Tunisia's security forces have killed a "terrorist" outside the southern border town of Ben Guerdane where jihadists mounted a deadly assault earlier this month, authorities said on Monday. "A terrorist element holed up in a house was killed in the Sayah area" near the border with Libya, the interior and defence ministries said in a joint statement. Security forces found his body after several hours of heavy clashes, a security source said. The ministries' statement said 11 people were wounded in the fighting -- three soldiers, a national guardsman, six policemen and a civilian. The army and security forces have flooded Ben Guerdane since jihadists launched a dawn assault on security installations in the area on March 7, killing 13 members of the security forces and seven civilians. The security source said Monday's raid was part of an operation launched Sunday to target the alleged killer of a security forces official during the March 7 assault. On Monday morning, President Beji Caid Essebsi met Prime Minister Habib Essid to discuss "the security situation in Ben Guerdane", a statement from the president's office said. There was no claim of responsibility for the March 7 attacks, but authorities blamed them on the Islamic State group. Tunisian authorities said two "terrorists" were killed on Saturday in the same area. Despite the latest violence, the interior ministry on Monday announced the easing of a nighttime curfew it imposed on Ben Guerdane after the March 7 attacks. The curfew would now start at 2100 GMT instead of 1900 GMT and last until 0400 GMT. Tunisia has failed to curb a rise in extremism since the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Last year, IS claimed responsibility for attacks on the Bardo museum in Tunis and a popular resort hotel, killing 59 tourists in total, and the suicide bombing of a bus that killed 12 presidential guards. Thousands of Tunisians have signed up to fight abroad with extremist groups. Tunisia is on Tuesday set to host a meeting for countries neighbouring Libya, where IS has taken advantage of the turmoil since the 2011 revolution there to extend its influence. Brazzaville (AFP) - Communications lines were cut in Congo for a second day Monday and business slack amid fears of post-election trouble due to President Denis Sassou Nguesso's bid to extend his 32-year rule. The streets of the capital Brazzaville were less crowded than usual and there was little traffic on major roads linking the city's north-south quarters, an AFP reporter said. Government offices remained open but business slowed down at the city's biggest market, Total, that sells anything from computers to caterpillars and traditional charms. "People are scared, scared of the result," said a taxi driver. And inside the market, a coconut seller said "there haven't been too many people ... people are scared the results will be released today and there could be tensions." Congolese authorities shut down telephone and Internet links during the Sunday vote and on Monday for "reasons of security and national safety" and to prevent the "illegal publication" of election results by the opposition. But Charles Zacharie Bowao, coordinator of the CTE opposition alliance, said the coalition was compiling results itself based on reports from counting centres. Tensions have been high since an October constitutional referendum that removed a two-term limit on presidential mandates, allowing 72-year-old former paratrooper colonel Sassou Nguesso to run for office again. The vote also removed a 70-year age limit for the presidency that could have forced one of Africa's five longest-serving leaders to step down. - Poverty, squalor, unemployment - But Sunday's vote passed off largely peacefully aside from an incident when police tear-gassed 200 opposition supporters demanding to be let into a polling station to observe the counting. Sassou Nguesso has said he has no doubt he will beat his eight rivals, describing election day as a "penalty kick and then victory". On Friday, five rival presidential contenders -- including former military chief Jean-Marie Mokoko -- signed an agreement to back the strongest candidate among them in the event of a second round vote. Sassou Nguesso is accused by critics of rampant corruption and nepotism in the oil and timber-rich country which saw growth of five percent over the five years to 2014, but remains in dire straits. Unemployment hit 34 percent in 2013, the last data available, and stood at 60 percent for 15 to 24-year-olds. The IMF fears "domestic instability" without progress in the battle to eliminate poverty. In the run-up to the vote, Sassou Nguesso acknowledged that youth unemployment was a problem, saying 60 percent of graduates from the country's sole university were jobless. "Seven years were insufficient to fully make these solutions operational... which is why we need to continue the country's modernisation and industrialisation," his platform said. But a large section of the population lives in grinding poverty, lacking basic amenities. Sassou Nguesso served as president from 1979 to 1992 and returned to power in 1997 following a civil war. He won two successive mandates in 2002 and 2009, but both tallies were contested by opposition parties. BERLIN, GermanyAn anniversary exhibition is not like any regular exhibition: it is something special. This is why the Venus in Berlin is currently involved in some high level planning. There are a total of four faces that will be representing the 20th exhibition: Micaela Schafer, Mia Julia, Sarah Joelle Jahnel and Lexy Roxx are already looking forward to their duties as the official Venus representatives. The photo shoot for the international advertising campaign will soon commence. Exhibitors who may be interested in an advertising cooperation with one of the Venus representatives prior to, and also during the event, need to get in touch with the organizers early on. Well known exhibitors such as Fun Factory and Mystim have already announced that Berlin will be their only exhibition presence in the autumn season. This year the Venus will celebrate its 20th birthday, and this of course in the European erotic metropolis, Berlin. The appeal for the press, visitors and specialist traders from all over the world is still huge, even after 20 years. Last year the exhibition was able to register the fullest Saturday on record, and was forced to limit entry to the event at various times of the day. With this level of success in mind, the Venus 2016 wants to push even further for its anniversary show. Many companies already have their stands booked for the 20th Venus, and as is the case with all of the exhibitors, they are well aware of how beneficial the Venus can be. Exhibitors can register for Europes largest erotic and lifestyle exhibition here. Pictured, l-r: Lexi Roxx and Mia Julia. 21.03.2016 LISTEN GOD created heaven and earth, then the problem startedhe created Adam and Eve! Among Plants, Flowers and Animals the heavenly order still exists Millions of years after Light came out of Darkness. Nature is never at War with itself but follows a clear cut system by unchangeable laws. The human race was given a free will, the creator of all our lifes failures and victories, the drive for development formed by our egoism. Successful men/women are personalities seeing problems everywhere. Losers take life for granted, complain about discomfort without involving their brain or action capacity. Creative people face a difficult life as their heart beats evolve around problems day in, day out. Highly intelligent people are shy and stay away from loud human noise looking from the distance on what surrounds them and others. They are equipped with the capacity to question every situation, every product and service, every human behavior to see what can be improved. Their inner world is constantly on alert and they find it hard to relax their mind. An invisible inner force drives them forward. Such personalities are wise enough to understand for most positions in a company their character is not suitable but they have the strength and foresight to engage people assisting them with the right mindset and respect for the talents of their Bosses. No human is superior to another, only gifted in different sectors of life. Understanding and respect for and of each other helps an organization to spin the wheel of success faster and faster and dominate its market sector. People start off working in a company as apprentice earning their first money and business experiences, possibly in various companies to compare different approaches. Once the inner bells strikes and calls them to higher levels, they know a better product, better service, better marketing, and better company structure being in their mid-thirties. Philipp Rohwedder, former Warner Bros. CEO for German speaking countries and son of Detlev Karsten Rohwedder (RAF murdered Treuhandanstalt CEO) had the desire to buy a company and be self-employed. He was in his mid-thirties in a crossroad situation. Over a 6 months period I suggested companies to him with his statement finally: I have thought about it and discovered, when I am an Entrepreneur, I am a lonely wolf. I do not want that. He became Vice-President Marketing of DHL, a well paid Employee getting his orders from a Board of Directors instead from his own spirit. A team, even in business, has always a leader (see SAP in Waldorf history) and a Leader is always alone. Someone not able to stand on his own with his Controller by his side, cannot be a successful businessman and should stay away from such desires. People that need social, financial and emotional certainty are not characters than can stand the test of time in business. Someone needs to examine himself/herself very well before setting off for such an adventures lifestyle to say yes with all pleasant and unpleasant situations involved. A Lion with the body of a lion but not with a Lion character will die of hunger over time. Life is not about pampering people, it is a fight daily, win daily (quotation Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi, a great man of GOD) situation. A Lion King is always alone in the midst of his female companions demanding respect for his position in return. Once he can no longer fulfill his role, he separates himself and dies alone in the bush of hunger. Life at the face of it seems to be unpleasant for Realists when realizing its various dimensions, for Dreamers a pool of never ending uncertainties in a river with no boundaries and structures depending on the amount of rain fall and ever changing landscape. Someone that wants to be a ruler over his destiny and world he finds himself in, discovers the problems life is presenting to him and others. He understands his limitations and finds ways to overcome them with wisdom and guidance by his Controller. He has no time to talk, but to constantly see and think until he has found solutions that enriches his life and bank accounts. The greatest challenge to move forward in life is to solve the problems in our minds and hearts coming from our families and their weaknesses and failures influencing our destiny. The bible is not teaching us to love our parents, but only to honour them. GOD clearly stated he will separate parents from children and brothers from sisters to be free from family curses and stand as an independent helper in this world to be of the greatest possible benefit to make significant impact in the lives of the human race. This inner freedom and souveranity is the essential essence based on which a clear vision for the life around us and an undisturbed basin of solutions can mature without interference of voices from our family like you are not qualified for it, no one in our family has ever achieved this, do you really think you are better than us? can disturb the creative process of finding solutions for economic, social or cultural problems. Unlike Animals we are equipped with a free will and consciousness as social animals depending on the education by our parents, families and social partners. Once old enough it is our duty to be fruitful and multiply, while at the same time having to take responsibility for people around us to make a positive impact and change lives of others. Someone must be very clear and emotionless about it when submitting himself to the calling of changing the world, that people he has helped in life will demand excessively from him like higher tax contribution, sharing his wealth in form of increased salaries or social projects. He must be prepared many people are ungrateful like only one out of ten people Jesus Christ was healing said thank you. Somebody that can never stand alone, should not try to embark on the journey to greatness! Author: Dipl.-Pol. Karl-Heinz Heerde, Sakumono Estate, Block D10, Aprt.9, Tema West, Ghana, phone +233(0)265078287, [email protected] , 17.03.2016 21.03.2016 LISTEN Universal rule: It doesn't mean anything unless you get it in writing and signed. So, at least Mbabazi has played his role as he went to the court and its now on record that everything didn't go as planned during the elections. Now, we wait for the final judgement on 31 st March. The lawyers from both sides have also done a good job especially with their concluding remarks in this case.Rhetorically speaking? They all said ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that supports their preconceived notions. However,like anything, if it gets repeated enough, folks think it's a guarantee.So, I'm sure the lawyers representing 1st respondent President Museveni are happier as they expect the judges to come up with the same ruling similar to that after the 2006 elections. Personally,like many Ugandans out there, I have a problem with that ruling especially on 'substantiality'. A college student turned in his thesis and his professor provided a failing grade. The student protested, "I glues two pages together and that bond has not been broken, so I know you haven't read the whole thing''. The professor replied, "I don't have to eat the whole egg to know it is rotten''. Basically, we will never know if Museveni ever genuinely won any election in Uganda since there has been a lot of rotten eggs thrown at the opposition since 1996. It may seem like a bother but,somebody should seriously consider making a film out of the 2016 petition, Besigyes House arrest and the breaking into the Mbabazi lawyers offices. This is stuff right out of the neighborhood watch manifesto. Youd be surprised at the number of good things that can happen. I know everyones first reaction is to think that oh its not going to change anything BUT, it establishes a pattern and many times that can lead to action. What if somebody had made a film out of the 2006 elections featuring the black mambas and Tinyefunza as the General who used not to respect judges. That is a pattern, and it leads to increased awareness on the part of the population. But more to the point,I promise you that Im convinced of what Im saying, and Im not trying to be part of some new scam. There is a lot to gain by someone being involved in this. For instance, Late Charles Chaplins anti-Hitler film somehow contributed to the propaganda that portrayed Hitler as a monster before the war.He criticized not only fascism in The Great Dictator, he also criticized the growing capitalism in Modern Times. In reality, the Nazis were a lot worse than they were portrayed in film. Hitler watched it twice and I believe it gave him a certain perspective on things or what was awaiting him. When I had just moved to the UK, I once borrowed a film from that blockbuster in Sutton,South London, about General Antonio Noriega of Panama, and it was brilliant. I think the title goes by something like Gods man or Gods favourite. Actually, this one fits exactly with whats happened in Uganda in this years elections. It skips over Noriegas rise to power, concentrating instead on his last several years as Panamas despotic ruler. Such films are great tools in educating the world and the people of Uganda about Uganda, and I think it is a shame that nobody has so far thought about doing this because we are wasting our potential as a group. There are a lot of economic benefits, obviously, attached to this from movie sales and all that. Such a film would probably now do better than a Bebe Cool show anywhere in Uganda.The technical/financial problems shouldnt be a problem if one has the right data for such a film. BTW,I wouldnt mind being an actor in this film as long as I play the role of General Kayihura as IGPIt must be fun ordering the blocking of all social networks and beating the crap out of those rats in the opposition! However, my acting experience is so limited as I last did something like that in a play at university(post graduate studies) about female genital mutilationwhere we dressed as women from Kenya. *Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba* UK Stalk my blog at: http://semuwemba.com/ "My journey is long and my preparation is so little, and weakness has gripped me and death is chasing me!" Following the airline disaster of FlyDubai Flight FZ981 which has claimed over 60 souls, including a Seychellois national, President James Michel has expressed his condolences on behalf of the people of Seychelles to his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin. In his message, President Michel remarked that it was with profound sadness and a sense of deep sorrow that he learnt of the tragedy. We are equally affected in the wake of this disaster as one of our own Seychellois sons has perished along with many other souls aboard, said President Michel. President Michel expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of the Seychellois national who perished aboard the FlyDubai flight and emphasized that the entire nation mourns this loss. In the wake of this tragedy, President Michel remarked today the people of Seychelles join Russia in mourning as a people unified through a sense of grave loss. FlyDubai Flight FZ981 was attempting to land in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a contribution of US$1.7 million from Japan to the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in Sudan, which is managed by WFP. The contribution will help WFP continue to provide a reliable and safe air service through UNHAS to humanitarian workers and facilitate travel to remote and hard-to-reach locations across Darfur and in central and eastern Sudan. Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile States are the worst affected by food insecurity as violence has disrupted agriculture and destroyed livelihoods. There are scores of people across Sudan in need of humanitarian assistance due to natural disasters, said H.E. Mr. Hideki Ito, the Ambassador of Japan to Sudan. I hope our donation to UNHAS will contribute to facilitating humanitarian operations and help people affected by conflicts and disasters to regain peaceful lives. The Government of Japan has always shown strong support to WFP Sudan. Since 2007, Japan has contributed some US$126 million to WFP's emergency operations in Sudan in addition to US$20 million for common services that benefit the entire humanitarian community such as the building of roads and provision of a safe and reliable air service (UNHAS). This contribution reflects the commitment of the Government of Japan and its people to the humanitarian community in Sudan who rely on UNHAS to carry out their indispensable work in the country, said WFP Sudan Representative and Country Director Adnan Khan. These timely funds will help WFP maintain an air service that is part and parcel of our operations in Sudan and is crucial for humanitarian work across Sudan. In 2015, UNHAS carried 37,129 passengers - half of them UN staff and the remainder mostly NGO staff, in addition to a small number of government officials, donor representatives and diplomats. Established in Sudan in 2004, UNHAS is run by a steering committee comprising representatives of UN agencies, NGOs and donors, but is directly managed by WFP Sudan.On average, UNHAS transports 3,500 passengers and 20 metric tons of light cargo each month to more than 40 locations in Sudan. It also provides medical and security evacuations when needed. The humanitarian air service relies on a fleet of six aircraft (two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters) based in Khartoum, Nyala, El-Fasher and Geneina. While the fixed-wing aircraft provide air shuttle services from Khartoum to the three Darfur state capitals, the helicopters facilitate humanitarian travel to areas that are inaccessible by road, either due to insecurity or poor road conditions. The African Union Commission Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has called for smooth, peaceful, transparent and credible polls in six African Union (AU) Member States holding elections and a referendum, on Sunday, 20 March 2016. The AU Commission Chairperson also called on citizens and political actors to respect election results, and when necessary use orderly and lawful channels to seek redress in cases of disputes. While Elections Management Bodies should ensure smooth organisation, with highest levels of professionalism and service delivery, citizens and political actors must respect the results of the polls. Should there be grievances following the election results, these must be addressed through the appropriate channels in an orderly and lawful manner to maintain peace and stability, the AU Commission Chairperson cautioned, adding that it is only through violence-free elections that Africa can deepen the culture of democracy. In total, there will be elections in five countries: Benin, Niger, Cape Verde, Congo and the semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, Zanzibar, and a referendum in Senegal. The constitutional referendum in Senegal will allow the citizens to determine whether to maintain the current seven-year-term mandate or reduce it to five years. The Republic of Congo will hold first round of presidential elections on Sunday, with nine candidates, including incumbent President Denis Sassou Nguesso. The African Union Electoral Observation Mission (AUEOM) in Congo is headed by the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Djibouti, H.E. Dileita Mohamed Dileita. The mission comprises thirty (30) Short Term Observers. On the same Sunday, 20 March 2016, the Republic of Cape Verde will be holding Legislative Elections to fill up 72 seats in the National Assembly. A team of 20 AU Elections Observers will be monitoring the elections. The Cape Verde AU-EOM is headed by H.E. Sylvie Kayitesi Zainabo, former Chairperson of African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR). Both Benin and Niger will be holding second rounds of presidential elections, of which the results will determine who will lead these countries for at least the next five years. The AU has deployed teams of election experts to follow up on the run-off elections in the two countries. Meanwhile, voters in Zanzibar are going back to the polls after the results of presidential and parliamentary held on 25 October 2015 were nullified by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) over vote rigging allegations. Ahead of all these elections and referendum, the AU Commission Chairperson encourages citizens to actively participate in these political processes that would contribute to shaping the destiny of their constituencies and countries. Sammy Crabbe 21.03.2016 LISTEN I read the brief news report captioned Sammy Crabbe Dismissed (Modernghana.com 3/19/16) and did not understand the quiddities of what exactly caused a portion of the plaintiffs petition to be struck down. This is all too natural because yours truly is not a professionally trained lawyer. On most days, he tries to use his gumption and deep appreciation of the English language to make sense of the seamy muddle that is routine fare of many a Ghanaian media reportage of judicial proceedings. I dont know how court reporters are assigned their beats by the editors and producers of the various publications, both print and electronic, in the country. But it well appears to me that reporters assigned to write news articles and legalese for public consumption, ought to be made to take a course or two in general-assignment reporting. At any rate, what fascinated me about Mr. Crabbes legal fisticuffs with the countrys main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) was the plaintiffs rather imperious presumption that being elected as Second-Vice Chairman of the party is an inalienable human right. Per his surname, Mr. Crabbe appears to belong to a prominent Accra family more than several of whose membership have distinguished themselves as legal lights. In sum, it would not have been totally in breach with common sense for Mr. Crabbe to have asked a legally trained kinsman or relative to be apprised of the fundamental difference between a right and a privilege. You see, the Afoko and Agyepong henchman does not seem to understand the very elementary fact that going into the Tamale Congress, Mr. Crabbe had absolutely no human right to be elected Second-Vice National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, any more than Messrs. Paul A. Afoko and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong had to be elected NPP National Chairman and General-Secretary, respectively. Mr. Crabbe may well be suffering from some acute form of dementia to suppose that playing second-bananas to Mr. Freddie Blay at party headquarters was his inalienable human right, of which the partys National Executive Committee (NEC) was naturally obligated to recognize. Whoever wrote the caption on the article in question grossly exaggerated the reality of what actually occurred in court between the parties to the case, in which Mr. Crabbe and/or his lawyers have been earnestly pleading with Justice Dennis Adjei to be allowed to resume his aforementioned executive post at the partys Asylum Down headquarters, from which he has been duly suspended. I have said this before and hereby repeat the same, that Mr. Crabbe has a far greater chance of enrolling himself into the Accra Mental Hospital, which is located right around the corner from the NPPs National Headquarters, than being illegally returned to the position of patent privilege to which he was duly elected by the Tamale Congress, but whose trust and confidence he flagrantly and grossly violated when he, together with Messrs. Afoko and Agyepong, rudely and voluntarily elected to publicly and intemperately impugn the authority and integrity of the leadership of the most significant members and organs of the party, including the NPPs National Executive Council, the National Executive Committee, the Council of Elders and, by their very destructive conduct at party headquarters, the trust and confidence of the entire membership of the Tamale Delegates Congress. What happened on Thursday at the Accra High Court was that a portion of the plaintiffs petition was summarily quashed by Justice Adjei because, as we are made to understand, the crafting of the latter did not conform with legal and judicial protocol. Mildly put, it appears that in his desperate rush to seeking a judgment against the professionally astute NPP leadership that promptly and deservedly threw him out of party headquarters, Mr. Crabbe had ended up engaging the cheap and pedestrian services of some roadside legal carpenters instead of professionally trained attorneys. Well, the case heads back to the Accra High Court for another hearing on April 8. Hopefully, Justice Adjei would mercifully put Mr. Crabbe out of his misery then. On Thursday, we are told that Justice Adjei gave what may be aptly termed as a judicial backhand slapping to the plaintiffs attorney because the latter had rudely presumed to play fast-and-loose with the Court, by literally arguing its case from its anal canal, rather than from professionally crafted and duly sworn and certified affidavits. *Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs 21.03.2016 LISTEN The Chattering Class is chattering merrily away about the Detroit GOP debate. Its being painted as a debacle and an anomaly.The Washington Post: Last nights debate was a disaster for the Republican brand ." Matt Continetti (of Trump) at The Free Beacon : The spectacle made me ill. Former Rick Perry aide at The Hill : My party is committing suicide on national television." CNNPolitics: Republican debate turns dirty. National Review : GOP Implosion Accelerates in Motor City Wreck." Pshaw. Consider this vignette from a brilliant new book on the first modern presidential campaign by maybe the greatest living Republican political strategist, Karl Rove a man who knows how to throw a political punch. In it Rove describes a long-ago Texas Republican political convention (of interest, predominantly, although not exclusively, African-American): When it was time to pick four at-large delegates and four alternatives, the hall had resolved itself into a troop of shouting, surging dervishes. [Convention Chairman] Cuney ignored demands for a roll call. Instead he shouted for a voice vote and immediately declared the [party bosss] slate the winners, though the McKinley men still outnumbered Cuneys followers. The hall exploded. The McKinley men stormed the stage, aiming to push Cuney aside and install Web Flanagan, the GOPs 1890 gubernatorial candidate, in his place. One burley negro came plowing through the jam, an Associated Press reporter wrote, pushing men in front of him as if they were so much chaff. Behind him was a determined, fast-moving angry mob of five hundred McKinley men. Cuney expected the assault: his people were prepared to defend the podium and him. The first negro to reach the stand made a lunge at Cuneys head with a fist, an eyewitness wrote, but little Bill Ellis, Cuneys longtime right-hand man, moved faster, pulling his revolver and shoving it in the assailants face. The two men eyed each other for ten seconds, then grappled and went down with the howling crowd swaying around and about them. A large table on the stage collapsed under the combatants. Delegates grabbed broken pieces as weapons. Chairs and other tables were smashed over heads or against bodies. Fists, bludgeons, bottles, knives, and razors appeared. Other pistols were drawn, but luckily not used. The fight went on for twenty minutes before the city marshal and a squad of officers arrived and began indiscriminately clubbing delegates. Ah, those Texans! The invective of Donald Trump , Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz is genteel stuff compared to the sticks and stones of presidential politics of yore. Karl Rove has written a splendid book, The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters . Its a pleasure to read and piquantly relevant to today. The Triumph tells a dramatic story. McKinley rose from a brave (suicide mission brave!) Civil War soldier to the pinnacle of politics. We follow him as he climbed from the first rung on the political ladder to the presidency. It sometimes provides an intensity of detail that a historian or a political junky craves more than a general reader. Yet the narrative is gripping. It also gives a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the mind of Karl Rove, a grandmaster among political operatives. I myself have written critically of the post-White House Rove for what I considered a naive, top-down, approach to digital campaign strategy. That said its a great pleasure to be immersed in the mind of a master political strategist at work. If you're a political or American history junky William McKinley is a must-read book. Rove delved deep into the primary sources and has produced a work that is meticulously researched 55 pages of footnotes well written, and extremely discriminating with an eye for the telling detail. There are many fascinating, unjustly forgotten, sagas from American political history revealed. McKinley took a courageous political stance against a powerful anti-Catholic faction of the GOP. Rove also reminds us how the GOP, the Party of Lincoln, was the home of African Americans who dominated most of the powerful southern state GOP party committees, a crucial portion of the Republican base. Rove reminds us as to how the southern Democratic Party of that era was engaged in vicious and concerted voter suppression of blacks, such as by the Ku Klux Klan. Such violent perfidy shows the accusations against the modern GOP of voter suppression are by comparison flimsy. One infers a lesson that voter suppression, reprehensible now as then, was engaged in, then as now, for political advantage, not mainly out of racial animus. Rove demonstrates how McKinley, with deftness and courage, made path breaking strides to include African Americans more fully, and with more dignity, in the presidential electoral process. One wishes that the modern GOP would take the hint and follow suit. This points to a surely unintentional recent historical injustice. The last you may have heard of William McKinley is last year when President Obama our first African-American president -- renamed Alaskas Mount McKinley, the tallest peak in North America, Denali. Considering McKinley's stature as a champion for the dignity of African Americans that really is rather a pity. The most exciting chapter of the book presents the 1896 Democratic presidential nominating convention that astoundingly nominated William Jennings Bryan for president. Bryan there gave what may be the most famous speech in the history of presidential politics: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns he moved his hands down the sides of his head, his fingers slowly drawing invisible spikes about his temples, blood dripping from the scratches. He then proclaimed, You shall not crucify mankind on a cross of gold, arms thrust out at right angles, chest forward, and head back, the crucified man personified. He held this pose for a few minutes, then his arms fell to his sides, he stepped back, and his chin dropped. A second or so later, he straightened, turned, and walked off the stage, the hall in what theAtlanta Constitution called fearful silence. The Coliseum was quiet a moment more and then exploded. Men and women jumped on their chairs screaming, arms and fists striking at the air. Hats sailed skyward or were waved along with handkerchiefs, flags, canes, fans, umbrellas, newspapers, and coats, anything that could be grabbed and flourished. I had never dreamed that a mortal man could so grip and fill with enthusiasm thousands of men, Daniels later wrote. The floor and galleries were a mass of frenzied thongs of shouters besides themselves. Donald Trump who Daniel Klinghard at US News and World Report just called the new William Jennings Bryan call your office! In the event McKinley beat Bryan, installed the gold standard, and the economy hummed. Bryan now mostly is remembered as the prototype for the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz , for prosecuting John Scopes for teaching evolution in the Tennessee public schools, and for his role in the formation of the Federal Reserve System (which indeed became the instrumentality of the economically pernicious easy money policy -- Free Coinage of Silver -- that propelled Bryan to nomination). President McKinley was an extraordinary, now much under-celebrated, president. He was deeply mourned after his assassination, soon after his re-election, by an anarchist an event outside the scope of Roves book. Wayne Morgan, in a 2003 biography, called McKinley the most beloved president in history. Comes now Karl Rove to bring to life the drama of William McKinleys life and first campaign for the presidency. Rove provides a wonderful blend of narrative, scholarship, and knowing mastery of political campaign strategy. If you find politics, political intrigue or American history compelling you will devour The Triumph of William McKinley. Originating at Forbes.com Power generation is expected to go down following the shutdown of the Floating, Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Kwame Nkrumah vessel and the drop in gas flow from the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) Limited. The FPSO Kwame Nkrumah has been shut down for mandatory inspection and maintenance works, while gas flow from the WAPCo has reduced from the contracted volume of 120.0mmscf to 6.0mmscf. The drop in gas flow from the WAPCo, which powers the Tema power enclave, has been attributed to the vandalism on some pipelines in Nigeria. Switch over A statement signed and issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), Mr William Amuna, said the shutdown of the FPSO was expected to last for two weeks. Consequently, the statement said, gas flow from the Atuabo Gas processing plant to the Aboadze Thermal enclave in Tarkoradi in the Western Region has been curtailed and expected to commence upon resumption of production from the FPSO. 'Following the development, engineers have commenced the process of converting all dual fuel thermal plants to run on light crude oil to resolve the challenge. It said the conversion process, which involves cleaning of fuel nozzles and other preparatory works, was expected to take few days to complete. 'Sorry for the inconvenience' Also, the AMERI plant within the Aboadze enclave, which generates 250MW and runs solely on gas, will not be working until the completion of the maintenance works. 'During this period, power supply system may experience some challenges thereby affecting power supply stability. 'We wish to assure the general public that engineers are working around the clock to bring supply to normalcy. Any inconvenience which may arise during the switch-over process is deeply regretted,' it said. The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service has failed to initiate the process to prosecute Lance Corporal Emmanuel Bartels, who allegedly defiled 12-year-old girl at Lapaz even though a formal complaint was lodged at the Ministries DOVVSU a year ago. The suspect was a guard at the residence of Minister for Communication, Dr Omane Boamah, when he committed the alleged offense. Parents of the 12-year-old victim are dissatisfied with DOVVSUs slow response to the defilement charge. Lance Corporal Emmanuel Bartels allegedly defiled the 12-year old child in her fathers house on three occasions, impregnating her in the process. The police officer, who was a co-tenant in the girls father's house at the time of the incident, has however denied the allegation. The Police Service interdicted Lance Corporal Emmanuel Bartels after Atinka News broke the story last year. However, the case is yet to be processed for court after almost a year. Parents of the child told Atinka FMs Regina Asamoah who visited their home at Lapaz that they are dissatisfied with the work of the police and have therefore vowed to press on for justice to be served. Father of the girl, Mawuenyegah Quashie narrated the frustration he had to go through to petition the Office of the President, Director at the Police Intelligence Professional Standards (PIPS), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Attorney General, Commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, The Interior Minister and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender and Social Protection. He added that none of these institutions has responded to his petition. He expressed disgust at how the poor are treated in the country when they are abused by influential people. Mr. Quashie still strongly believes that the Minister of Communications Dr. Omane Boamah, the Bartels Family and some unidentified influential people are stalling the investigation. DOVVSU Concerns The Ministries' Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit had insisted that investigation was ongoing after Atinka News reported on the 29th June, 2015 that the father of the defiled child, Mr. Mawuenyega Quashie suspected a cover -up . The Officer in charge at the Ministries' DOVVSU, DSP Eunice Donkor had insisted they were waiting for an age assessment to confirm that the child is indeed 12-years before any further action could be taken. The police had insisted that they could only take action after results of the age assessment had been released. Tussle over true age of defiled child While the parents say the victim is currently 13-years, an age assessment conducted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to determine her true age indicated that she is 17-years. Unfortunately, the parents of the victim could not provide any documentary proof to support their claim. However, the assessment obtained from the Radiological Department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on June 5, 2015 indicated the girl is 17-years which mean the suspect could only be charged for alleged rape but not defilement. The parents subsequently suspected foul play and petitioned the Child Health Department at Korle-Bu where the child was born, to trace all documents covering the period her mother, Judith Korang was admitted to the Labour Ward of the facility till she delivered and was discharged. The parents claim was justified after investigations by the Child Health Department revealed the girl in question was indeed 12-years when she was defiled, late 2014. A letter addressed to the Child Health Department from the Maternity Ward of the same hospital confirmed that Madam Judith Korang, delivered the child at the KBTH Maternity block. Madam Judith Korang was admitted and discharged on October 24, 2002 and October 30, 2002 respectively, in which she delivered a Female Child on October, 25th, 2002 thereby authenticating the date of birth and sex of child the letter indicated. Independent checks conducted by Atinka News at the Community Day International School where the girl started her nursery education also revealed that she was admitted to Nursery one on April 24, 2004 at age two. On the admission form, her date of birth is given as 25th October, 2002. Parents' Concerns We want the case to be called at the law court. Even if the police are claiming my daughter is 17-years which I know is false, they should charge the police officer with the appropriate offense so we all appear before the law court. Then we all prove who is telling the truth, Mr. Quashie charged. Madam Judith Korang on the other hand feels that because they are from a poor home and not connected to any one in government, the police is treating their case as a foolish one.But the God we serve will judge each one of us, she said. The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has announced the selection of the second set of 1,000 entrepreneurs for the 2016 cycle of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP). Launched in 2015, TEEP is the largest African philanthropic initiative devoted to entrepreneurship and represents a 10-year, $100 million commitment, to identify and empower 10,000 African entrepreneurs, create a million jobs and add $10 billion in revenues to Africas economy. Over 45,000 entrepreneurs from 54 African countries applied, nearly doubling the number of applications received in 2015. Successful candidates represent 53 African countries, and diverse industries, led by agriculture and ICT. The highest numbers of applicants came from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Cameroon. All five regions North, East, Southern, Central and West Africa are represented. Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, CON, commented: In TEEPs first year we spent over $8 million of our $100 million commitment with $5 million going directly to entrepreneurs as seed capital and the results have far exceeded our expectations. We have funded entrepreneurs, established networks and helped extraordinary people take control of their destinies. The 2016 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs will become a generation of newly empowered African business owners, who are the clearest evidence yet, that indigenous business growth will drive Africas economic and social transformation. Over the next nine months, the 2016 cohort will receive the intensive online training, networking and mentoring that provide a tool kit for success and sustainability. They will also participate in the three-day Elumelu Entrepreneurship Forum later in the year, the largest annual gathering of African entrepreneurial talent. Parminder Vir OBE, CEO of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, said: We saw phenomenal success with the first cycle of TEEP the success stories of the TEEP 2015alumni are a testament to the transformative power of the programme we have built. Through TEEP, we are proving to the next generation of entrepreneurs that their ideas can change their communities, their countries and their continent. For a full list of the selected Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs for TEEP2016, do visit www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/teep . Instructively, the Tony Elumelu Foundation is an Africa-based, African-funded philanthropic organisation. Founded in 2010, TEF is committed to driving African economic growth, by empowering African entrepreneurship. The Foundation aims to create lasting solutions that contribute positively to Africas social and economic transformation. Through impact investments, selective grant making, and policy development, it seeks to influence the operating environment so that entrepreneurship in Africa can flourish. www.tonyelumelufoundation.org @tonyelumeluFDN. While the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme represents a decade- long commitment to supporting African start-ups and entrepreneurs. We are committing $100 million to help launch an initial 10,000 entrepreneurs throughout Africa over the next 10 years, creating 1,000,000 new jobs contributing to $10 billion in revenue across Africa. Nene Tetteh Pateku 21.03.2016 LISTEN THREE MEMBERS of a family, including 57-year-old chief of Sota, a farming community near Dodowa in the Shai-Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region, were shot dead in the full glare of the public on Sunday at Mangoetsonya, Afienya near Accra. The deceased personsNene Tetteh Pateku, the chief, his 32-year-old nephew, Peter Tometey Dartey and 65-year-old head of the family, Fred Kwaku Teiwere killed by the unknown assailants on a jungle motorbike. So far, no suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident which has thrown the whole area into a state of fear and shock. The incident, which police described as targeted murder, occurred at 9:30 am when the chief and his relatives were travelling to Ningo for a meeting in their Toyota Corolla Saloon car with registration number AS 6784-14, being driven by the chief. The unidentified men, said to be wielding an AK47 assault rifle and riding on a yellow and black jungle motorbike, were said to have accosted the family members and fired at them severally. The lifeless bodies of the three persons have been conveyed to the Police Hospital in Accra for pathological examination and preservation. . Greater Accra Regional crime scene investigators, crime officers from the Tema Regional Police Command and the Regional Police Commander together with officers from Dodowa and Afienya and the Greater Accra Regional Minister have visited the scene for firsthand information and commencement of investigations into the incident. Chief Superintendent Samuel Kwesi Ofori, Commander of the Dodowa Divisional Police Headquarters, briefed DAILY GUIDE that the assailants crossed the victims opposite an Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) substation in the area and fired sporadically, killing the three persons in the car instantly, before they fled the scene. The pillion rider, who was wearing a batakari with the gun hidden in it, alighted after they had crossed them and without any confrontation, shot at them intermittently, killing everyone onboard the car, the police boss indicated. He said the police had commenced investigations into the incident and appealed to the public to assist them with information for a handsome reward. From Vincent Kubi, Afienya 21.03.2016 LISTEN UDS Nyankpala Campus TEIN would like to share the experience of the entire student body and that of the inhabitants of Nyankpala in the Tolon Constituency for the relief His Excellency the President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama has brought to the them for giving the Campus and the Nyankpala community one of the new metro mass buses to run from Nyankpala Campus to Tamale. As by all standards established, students greatly depend on parents and caretakers for their educational needs which include transportation. To move from Campus to Tamale and back, you needed GHs 5.40. Also, people from Nyankpala community at the station (junction) had to pay Ghs 4.40 in order to commute to Tamale and back home. With the introduction of the Metro mass bus a week ago, especially the first time the newly banded with Ghanaian Presidents bus cruised to Nyankpala and Finally to Campus, everyone who caught glimpse at the bus expressed a deep sigh of relief knowing the amount of money that can be saved and judiciously used elsewhere. Passengers who board the bus from Campus or Nyankpala are to pay GHs 2.00 to Tamale and back saving over GHs 3.00 with a lot of convenience and relaxed atmosphere. This ultra-modern bus has Changed lives of People as they will be able to save some money out of the cost of transportation. People can now move to tamale and back with a lot of comfort and relaxation with this TV and air-conditioned bus without having to struggle for the back-seat in a Taxi- cab in order to avoid sharing the front-seat (made for one person) with another person. Our Gallant Mothers who used to avoid the Taxi Cabs due to its cost and board Motor-Kings (Tricycles) to Pay Ghs 1.50 have found a luxurious way of saving money, avoiding harsh environmental condition, attaining high level of safety or low risk of accident compared to the motor king and secured privacy boarding onto the bus. Students on-board during news hours can be updated on matters trending in the country by listening or watching news from the TV in the bus hence increasing their knowledge and being abreast and updated with current affairs in the country. The Changing-lives and Transformational agenda by his Excellency the President is really working as the lives of people in the Nyankpala Community has started to experience change just as millions of Ghanaians all over the length and breadth of the country to confirm His accession that Change is Happening when he was delivering the State of the Nations Address last month (25/02/2016). This phenomenon is what changing-lives and transforming Ghana means Signed : Alhassan Sule (TEIN President, UDS Nyankpala Campus) Contact 0246227627/0208042775 21.03.2016 LISTEN Ghanaians are so hospitable that their sense of security has been affected negatively by this trait. This Godly attribute is embedded in their DNAs. That is why the national security threat posed by the Boko Harams next-door should attract front burner discussions and radical response. Ours is a country which has never come so close to Islamic militants. When our youth joined the ranks of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), things began to change, bringing Islamic militancy even closer to us. For a long time stories about Boko Haram striking in Nigeria and neighbouring countries did not move us as to prompt security education to the populace until the Al-Qaeda in the Maghrib or AQEEM struck next-door Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. It is important that the national security apparatus brainstormed over the subject recently, with the Defence and Interior Ministers both making important contributions. Inasmuch as we welcome the newfound love for the subject, we regret to point out that the security education, which is a sine qua non under the prevailing circumstances and reality, has not received the quality and quantum that can register the kind of impact we do desire. What we observed was only a one-off admonition to Ghanaians to be wary about beaches and other locations largely frequented by foreign tourists. That was all. For the next few days we have heard about the dwindling numbers of visitors at such places and regret that the worldwide militant threat is at last here taking a toll on our tourism fortunes. . We downplay this subject at our peril. We are by this commentary calling on the national security apparatus to collaborate with other relevant agencies to sensitise Ghanaians more about the implications of the recent strikes by the militants in neighbouring countries. We must as Ghanaians be more security conscious than we have ever been. Our traditional age-long hospitality must now give way to weariness. We should look out for the bad guys who can easily come and abuse our hospitality. Those who come clutching religious literature and seeking to evangelise must be scrutinised so that we do not lose our guard. The world has changed and we too must alter our ways in a manner as not to be abused. The public/security agency relationship must be symbiotic so that suspicious movements can be transmitted to the experts. It is unfortunate that the fear and panic associated with the bad times will affect our normal way of life; but what can we do when the whole world has been polluted by bad guys who are fooling the vulnerable that they are undertaking a holy war? We should not allow ourselves to be cowed into submission though. Much as we should continue being who we are, the need to be extra vigilant should not be overlooked. Nana Akufo-Addo 21.03.2016 LISTEN THE POWER Chapel Worldwide Church at Asuoyeboah in Kumasi Sunday morning became a scene of emotions, when Nana Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, announced the death of Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, the NPP former National Chairman. The enthusiastic-looking congregation, especially the women, seemed to be in high spirits following the arrival of the NPP flagbearer, who was accompanied by top party people in the Ashanti Region. But the euphoria that greeted Nana Akufo-Addo and his team suddenly subsided when he announced the sudden passing on of Jake Obetsebi Lamptey. Nana Akufo-Addo, who personally looked morose, was seen using a handkerchief to wipe tears from his eyes as he, with difficulty, announced the depressing news to the huge congregation. Nana Akufo-Addo, whose campaign for the presidential seat had seen him visiting churches across the country in recent times, led the (church) members to witness a one-minute silence for Jake Obetsebi Lamptey. Unemployment . The NPP flagbearer then expressed sorrow about the high rate of unemployment among the youth, which he said poses a great danger to the security of the state, as they could be lured into criminal activities. Nana Akufo-Addo therefore entreated Ghanaians to vote massively for the NPP during the November presidential and parliamentary elections, to help provide jobs for the people, notably the youth. The NPP leader, who was concise with his statement, gave the assurance that when elected into government, the NPP would transform all sectors of the economy so that the hardships facing the people would be a thing of the past. Peaceful Polls Nana Akufo-Addo appealed passionately to Ghanaians from the various faiths to constantly pray so that the upcoming national elections would be incident-free and keep Ghana's peace intact. He then requested the church to always remember him and the entire NPP leadership as well as members in their prayers as they prepare to tour the country to campaign for votes ahead of the elections. Nana Akufo-Addo and his team, including Stephen Amoah aka Sticker, Ashanti Regional Organizer of the party, also visited other churches in the city to address the congregations. FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia 21.03.2016 LISTEN The vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has assured Ghanaians that a government of the NPP would make job creation its priority. He noted that the problem of unemployment had assumed an alarming proportion and so requires urgent solution, adding that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is not seeing things that way. He lamented the governments snail-pace solution to the country's challenges and said at this rate, many of the unemployed youth in the country would reach pension ages without fulfilling a dream of being gainfully employed. He was worried that If it took four years to just give us a temporary solution to dumsor (power crisis), how long will it take for them to solve the unemployment problem? Many of you will reach pension age before they solve the problem of unemployment. Dr. Bawumia, who was addressing over 1,000 youth, including students, at the SRC Auditorium of the Ho Polytechnic in the Volta Region a couple of days ago, called on them to reject the governing NDC, which he said lacks ideas to run the country. He said an Akufo-Addo-led government would run a people-friendly economy that would make Ghana most business-friendly to investors the world over. We will make Ghana a Job Creation Machine, he stressed. Zero Import Duties Dr Bawumia, an acclaimed economist and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, asserted that when voted into power, the NPP would ensure a reasonable reduction in corporate tax as well as withdrawal of import duties on raw materials and production equipment for local businesses. . He explained that the NDC government's policy of hugely taxing companies and importers for revenue is useless, only killing Ghanaian businesses and increasing unemployment. According to him, a Nana Akufo-Addo government will make sure that when you bring manufacturing equipment into Ghana for the manufacturing of goods that equipment will attract zero duty. We will abolish all import duties on raw materials meant for productionAll these policies are policies that will make Ghana a business-friendly economy in Africa. Dr. Bawumia said this is the best way to stimulate growth of the private sector and create jobs. National ID The NPP strong man was also appalled that for eight years the NDC government has not been able to ensure the issuing of National Identification Cards to Ghanaians. This, he said, would be done before the end of the first term of an NPP government. Dr Bawumia, whose predictions on the economy have always been proven right, bemoaned the neglect of the real estate industry by the government which for him is a huge gold mine for the country. He gave the assurance that an NPP government would devise a comprehensive plan to support the sector to make housing truly affordable. The lecturer on economics and researcher reiterated that the research allowance and grants for lecturers would be restored. From Fred Duodu, Ho ([email protected]) Nairobi (AFP) - Four British plane spotters were Monday told to pay a fine or face a year in a Kenyan jail for photographing aircraft in the capital Nairobi. Aeroplane enthusiasts Paul Abbott, 47, Steve Gibson, 60, Ian Glover, 46, and Eddie Swift, 47, were arrested earlier this month at Wilson Airport, a small but busy regional hub used by bush pilots, tourists, humanitarian agencies and cargo carriers, after snapping pictures while sitting in an airport bar. On Monday, chief magistrate Heston Nyaga at the Makadara court in Nairobi found the four guilty of trespassing in a restricted area and taking photographs without permission. He fined each man 200,000 Kenya shillings ($2,000 or 1,400 British pounds), warning that failure to pay would result in a year in jail. The four friends, all from Greater Manchester, were on a two-week African plane-spotting holiday that took them to Ethiopia and then Kenya, posting snaps of planes on their Facebook pages, according to British newspaper reports. "Eddie and his mates are just chaps who like taking pictures of planes," Peter Smith told The Sun newspaper, describing his brother as an "anorak", a term for somebody with a compulsive hobby. He told Britain's Mail on Sunday that the four had been forced into confessing to the trespass charge. "They pleaded guilty under duress," Smith said. British plane spotters abroad have frequently found themselves in court, arrested on suspicion of espionage or terrorism, but the cases rarely result in jail time. Its so interesting and amazing how names evolve and change, even though they may not completely change in meaning. Todays modern English becomes tomorrows colloquial English, amazing. Once upon a time, I studied a course in my elementary school days called Life Skills. Miss Titi was the subject teacher who taught us social issues and the roles we need to play as we transit into adulthood. I am reminded of what she said about teenagers and adolescents. According to her, the teenage age range between 13 19 years whiles adolescence is the scientific term referring to the period of development before becoming an adult. She emphasized that the timeline for this is from puberty to legal adulthood, because teenagers are adolescents. I perfectly agree with her that; teenagers are adolescents and must be treated as such. Childhood through to adolescence, is undoubtedly the greatest years of ones life. However, this period is cut short when marriage and adult responsibilities come too early. Although most nations, including Ghana, have declared age 18 as the legal minimum age to enter into marriage, in many developing countries, the practice of child marriage, especially for girls, is widespread. Child marriage is a violation of human rights that affects girls, often leading to social isolation and violence. Marriage before the age of 18 is a reality for many young girls in our society today and the primary causes of this problem needs to be addressed. As a development worker, I encounter situations where parents encourage the marriage of their daughters while they are still teenagers with the hope that the marriage will guarantee their families into financial and social comfort. Some parents also believe giving their girls out for marriage at a tender age is a smart way of relieving financial burdens on the family. For many family members, this turns out to be true, although not for the girl child. Child marriage is a violation of human rights, compromising the development of girls and often resulting in early pregnancies, social isolation, shattered dreams and aspirations with little or no education. It exposes victims to the risk of domestic violence and abuse. It is also worth mentioning that child marriage also affects boys, but girls are affected more. The right to free and full consent to a marriage is recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with this acknowledgement that consent cannot be free and full when one of the parties involved is not mature enough to make an informed decision about choosing a life partner and its possible implications on their life, incidence of child marriages should not be an advocacy campaign in this age. However, in our part of the world where most traditions practice the patriarchal system of family, issues affecting women and girls are not viewed as barbaric or an injustice until males become the victim. But how long can we continue to infringe on the rights of our young girls and women? Changing gender norms will not happen in a day. There should be conscious efforts in educating families and communities, as well as boys and men to understand the risks associated with child marriage and the devastating effects on our economy. It is a long journey, but lets start with a step, a girl at a time means we are on the right path and surely we shall get to the point of total elimination of the practice of child marriage. Child marriage is driven by several factors including poverty, negative traditional practices, gender inequality, failure to enforce child marriage laws, and also conflicts, disasters and emergencies. These factors can be addressed if all stakeholders such as governments and decision-makers, but most importantly, men, join hands and ensure that practical efforts are implemented to put an end to this practice. In ActionAids quest to end child marriage, we have been working on ending marriage by abduction in the Upper West region. Marriage by abduction is an accepted traditional practice where young girls of school-going age are forced into marriage at a tender age usually without their consent. They are kidnapped whilst heading to school, on their way to fetch water and firewood for the family, or on their farms and many other places, and forced into marriage. This practice is an age old tradition which has over the years denied many girls the opportunity to be educated and further contributed to deepening poverty levels in many communities affected by the practice. Surprisingly, some parents of the victims are often unaware that the practice violates the rights of the girls and is illegal. Since 2011, AAG has rescued over 100 girls in three districts of the Upper West Region from forced marriages. This strategy of AAG relies heavily on the formation of a volunteer team known as the Community Based Anti-Violence Team (COMBAT). COMBAT comprises of men and women in remote communities where access to Ghana Police Service and the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) services are limited. COMBAT members monitor and report cases of abduction and other forms of gender-based violence. Through our intervention, over 108 victims of marriage by abduction are currently back in school and have been supported with educational materials to enable them stay in school. One of such people is 15 year old Fatima Sumani, who was kidnapped by men from Tanviel, a community in the Upper West Region in 2013 when she was only 13 years old. When 17 year old Issahaku Zelia was abducted in 2014, she was informed that her bride price had been paid by a man who already had two wives and 5 children. Zelia refused but her parents did not give up without a fight, My mother at a point locked me and the man in a room as a measure to initiate sexual intercourse between us. I fought bitterly and my cries got neighbours to rescue me, she recounted to ActionAid Ghana ActionAid ensures that girls rescued from child marriages are provided counselling to build their confidence to challenge harmful cultural practices. A new project funded by UNICEF will be reaching 215,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries in over 12 districts in 4 regions, where the incidence of child marriage is common, with the aim of reducing the act and at the same time promoting childrens protection and well-being. In Ghanas efforts and interest to end child marriage, I believe there is the need to put in more energy and determination to ensure the enforcement of laws that forbid the act, is implemented effectively. Governments, civil societies, partners and all stakeholders must work together to ensure girls have access to education, control over their sexual and reproductive bodies, health information and services, as well as life changing careers or training. It is said that girls who are able to stay in school and remain healthy enjoy a broader range of options, and they are more likely to be able to avoid child marriage. Youth programmes meant to empower both young men and women about sexual and reproductive health styles and rights should not only exist in books and schools but must be made available to the entire community. We need to take a look at change in our perceptions, attitudes and believes in our communities, as well as in the cultural and traditional settings as part of the antidote to eschew child marriage. Foster Adase-Adjei Marketing Officer ActionAid Ghana We were shocked to our bones when in the early hours of Sunday (20th March,2016) the news broke out that our former National Chairman, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey has been called by his maker in London hospital where he had gone to receive treatment. In fact, we received the news with the utmost surprise and awe. Not quite long ago we heard of his sickness and we prayed to God to heal him but since God knows best He has done what He likes and who are we to complain. Jake, as popularly called by his admirers was one of the leading figures who led the party to victory during the 2000 and 2004 general elections. We therefore say Ghana's contemporary history cannot be written without the mentioning of his name. Jake was like a father to all persons irrespective of ones political affiliation. Members of NPP China branch recall with nostalgia some of the great moments we shared with him. We will forever miss Jake. NPP China will plead with all NPP followers to use this sorrowful occasion to reflect and also strive towards efforts at reconciliation and unity. If for nothing at all let us form the next government to honor Jake. The party has indeed lost a great pillar and Ghana a true son. On this note we extend our deepest condolence to the entire NPP fraternity and also to both the immediate and the extended families. We pray that the good Lord will protect us before, during and after the campaign season and also keep Jake in His bosom so that on the day of reckoning we meet again. Jake, Rest In Peace Jake, Damirifa Due. Abbey Pat Thomas Communication Director NPP China. The Government of Japan announced today thatit has granted 1.8 million US dollars to UNFPA to support programmes aimedat reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and related morbidity amongSomali women and newborns. His Excellency Tatsushi Terada, Ambassador of Japan, made theannouncement after a ceremony where UNFPA handed over an ambulance donated by the People of Japan to the Ministry of Health in Somaliland. The Japanese Ambassador said his Government has identified three priorityareas of assistance to the Horn of Africa, namely reinstating delivery of basicsocial services, strengthening capacity in public security and vitalisingeconomy. He said UNFPA's programme that aims to improve reproductiveand maternal health fits Japanese assistance policy well because it is one ofthe basic social services. His Excellency Tatsushi Terada commended the Ministry of Health inSomaliland for its commitment in improving maternal health and maintaining agood working relationship with UNFPA. He emphasised that political will iskey for implementing organisations to deliver desirable outcomes. The UNFPA Representative, Mr. Nikolai Botev, thanked the JapaneseGovernment for being a reliable partner in the quest to ensure that no womanor child dies during birth. He requested the Government of Somaliland tocontinue advocating for more resources towards saving the lives of Somalimothers and newborn children stating that combined efforts should end up inthe Somali people having more midwives getting trained and deployed tohealth facilities, supporting birth spacing, ensuring an end to gender-basedviolence (GBV) including FGM, early and forced marriage and denial ofresources, opportunities and services to women, especially reproductivehealth services. Mr. Botev reiterated UNFPA's commitment to support the investments in asafer and brighter future for the Somali mothers and children and pledged tocontinue supporting programmes, which can yield enormous dividends forsustainable development, such as promoting skilled attendance at birth andadoption of basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care as part andparcel of the health system strengthening. Vice Minister in the Ministry of Health His Excellency Hassan Dahir Dimbilexpressed Somaliland's gratitude to the People of Japan and UNFPA for theassistance and partnership. He called upon the Government of Japan toexpand its assistance to more reproductive health programmes. President Mahama, in a chat with members of ERERA at the Flagstaff House 21.03.2016 LISTEN President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana will support the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) to launch and operate the regional power market later in the year. The President made this known when a five-member ERERA delegation led by its acting chairperson, Ifey Ikeonu and Regulatory Council Member, Alagi Gaye, paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House in Accra. President Mahama stated that Ghana was working to ensure energy self-sufficiency to become a net exporter of electricity in the region. He commended the initiatives of ERERA in the development of the regional electricity market. President Mahama highlighted various activities aimed at improving access to power, especially for some rural communities despite many challenges such as climate change. He acknowledged Ghana's comparative advantage in terms of power supply in the ECOWAS region and reiterated the country's readiness to support the regional electricity market. . Earlier, Ifey Ikeonu briefed President Mahama on ERERA's core mandate and objectives, as well as build-up activities towards the launch of the regional electricity market scheduled for the last quarter of 2016. According to her, ERERA has already approved instruments such as the Regional Electricity Market Rules that would guide market participants, and is now finalizing work on the dispute resolution rules and contract templates- two other critical instruments which are prerequisites for the launch of the market. Ikeonu also touched on the approval of a tariff methodology, which will determine the cost of trans-border wheeling of electricity, as well as the West African Power Pool (WAPP) Operations Manual. She appealed to President Mahama to discuss Ghana's initiative in the power sector with other member states, noting that non-compliance with the directive will hinder the operation of the electricity market. A Business Desk report Joe Mensah speaking at the launch 21.03.2016 LISTEN Kosmos Energy Ghana has launched a new flagship corporate social investment programme called the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) in Accra. KIC will find solutions to Ghana's existing social and economic challenges by using a market-based approach that facilitates entrepreneurship. This initiative is different from the traditional approach to corporate social responsibility. The KIC will choose an area in one of Ghana's many different sectors. In its first year, KIC is targeting agriculture, the largest sector in Ghana's economy, and it will pursue and nurture the development of market-based solutions that address various development challenges across the sector's value chain. Commenting on the launch, Joe Mensah, Vice President and Country Manager, Kosmos Energy Ghana, said KIC represents the next chapter in the company's story. It's a programme that reflects the same contrarian thinking and entrepreneurial spirit that helped us get to where we are today, except this time we will be the angel investor who supports someone else's dream. And in the process, we hope to play a role in solving some of Ghana's most pressing developmental challenges, he said. . Mr. Mensah said the first area to be addressed by the KIC is the use of ICT innovation in agriculture to inspire budding new entrepreneurs to use technology to transform Ghana's agricultural sector. He said the programme aims to increase the interest of the youth in agriculture which so far has been regarded as a dull and unrewarding activity despite the huge potential for economic growth that it offers and the crucial importance to the national economy. Mr. Mensah pointed out that KIC will leverage on local partnerships for expertise and resources and employ information sharing and promotional events, seed financing and technical assistance, as well as a strong communications campaign. A Business Desk report 21.03.2016 LISTEN An Accra High Court has set Tuesday, March 22 to deliver a ruling on whether or not Dr Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings can contest the 2016 elections as the Klottey Korle Constituency parliamentary candidate for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). The decision of the court presided over by Justice Kwaku Ackaah Boafo followed hours of legal arguments by parties in the case last Friday. Dr Zanetor's lawyer, Godwin Edudzie Tamakloe, argued among other things that his client had only been elected as a nominee for the constituency and that the case of the plaintiff was frivolous and premature. He said the court ought to dismiss the entire suit challenging the eligibility of Dr Zanetor Rawlings. But Garry Nimako Marfo, lawyer for Nii Armah Ashietey, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, disagreed and indicated that they were opposed to the motion to dismiss the case. He said the NDC's constitution was not superior to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. Garry was empathic that Article 94 (1) (a) was applicable in the case. He alleged that Tamakloe had been captured on a nine-minute tape recording saying that they would frustrate the case in court. Earlier, Nii John Coleman, a party in the case, suddenly withdrew from the suit, leaving Nii Armah Ashietey as the sole plaintiff in the case. . He claimed that he was compelled to withdraw following the intervention of party elders in the region. Incumbent MP Nii Armah Ashietey and Nii John Coleman, who both lost in the primary, filed a suit praying the court to prevent Dr Zanetor from holding herself out as parliamentary candidate-elect for the constituency on the ticket of the NDC. The two filed a joint suit praying the court to declare as null and void, the November 21, 2015 primary that elected Dr Zanetor as the parliamentary candidate for the area. They further want an order of injunction restraining Dr Zanetor, her agent, privies or anyone claiming through her from holding the defendant as the parliamentary candidate-elect for the constituency until the case before the court is disposed of. The lawyer for the two defeated candidates, aside cost and legal fees against the defendants, also wants the court to order the party to re-run the elections between the plaintiffs in accordance with the NDC's constitution within one week of the annulment of the election. They claim Dr Zanetor Rawlings' election was unlawful because she is not a registered voter. [email protected] By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson 21.03.2016 LISTEN The Ministry of Trade and Industry has finally suspended the ban imposed on the exportation of raw cashew nuts in the country after intense pressure from cashew farmers and parliamentarians. The Ministry recently issued a directive to ban the exportation of cashew in order to retain a sizeable quantity for domestic industries. A statement signed by the sector minister, Dr Ekow Spio-Gabrah said, Any raw cashew nuts that are brought to the ports or borders of Ghana for export between March 31 and May 31 shall be confiscated to the state. According to the Minister, the directive was aimed at protecting local industries who struggle to acquire cashew and resort to importing a large quantity of the nut, a situation which led to the shutdown of nine cashew processing plants out of a total of 13 in the country in 2015. However, the sector Minister, Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah was criticized by the Members of Parliament (MPs) for issuing the directive and threatened to trigger the necessary legislative instruments to have it withdrawn if the ministry fails to do so. The threats by the MPs have forced the Minister to withdraw the directive. In a statement issued in Accra, Dr. Spio-Garbrah said despite withdrawing the directive, his outfit is taking necessary steps to ensure that the development of the cashew industry is accomplished through a comprehensive and inclusive process. He said the Ministry will widen its consultations with stakeholders in order to ensure that the cashew industry becomes competitive in a broad-based manner that would lead to job creation and the general well-being of all stakeholders. . In order to bring some order to the cashew industry in the medium to long term, Dr Spio-Garbrah said the Ministry would in consultation with all stakeholders, particularly Cashew Industry Association of Ghana (CIAG), put measures in place. There would be support for the National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to enable them purchase the Raw Cashew Nuts (RCN) and establish a Just-in-Time inventory to ensure that the indigenous processors have an all-year-round supply of RCN. Dr Spio-Garbrah said the Ministry will also work with stakeholders to propose and implement a 10-year cashew development plan for Ghana. This, he said, would ensure the development and expansion of the cashew industry and also increase the country's production to at least 200,000MT by the year 2025. The cashew industry generated $170 million in foreign exchange earnings for the economy in 2013, becoming the largest contributor to non-traditional export crops. By Cephas Larbi [email protected] Flagbearer of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Dr. Edward Nasigire Mahama has cautioned youth within Zongo communities in the country to desist from any move likely to mar the peace Ghana enjoys before, now and after the November 7 polls. He made the call when he paid a courtesy call on the chiefs and Imams of Mamobi and Nima at Kawo Kudi park near Kanda last Sunday. The purpose for his visit was to officially inform the chiefs and Imams about his bid to contest in the November 7 polls as the flagbearer of the PNC and to appeal for their support to win. Present at the office of Alhaji Umar Baba Issah, the venue for the gathering were 25 chiefs of the area and some Imams gave a rousing welcome to Dr. Edward Mahama and his entourage at the time of visit. Addressing the chiefs in a rather majestic style, Dr. Mahama laments the attitude of some unscrupulous politicians in contracting the Zongo youth to foment trouble especially during elections. Most youth who resides in Zongo communities in Ghana are noted for causing mayhem or fomenting trouble in one way or the other hence creating tension and unrest especially during elections. It is believed the youth are paid by some dishonest politicians to resort to violence just to create fear and panic among the electorates. This has tarnished the image of Zongo communities labeling it violent places for living. But Dr. Edward Mahama refuted the claim describing Zongo communities as not terrible or violent places as being speculated by most people. He referred to Zongo dwellers as very entrepreneurial people who left their hometowns to the city to make a better life for themselves. These are people that if you help a little bit, they turn the whole nation around he posited. He therefore charged the youth to resist any attempt by any so-called corrupt politician who might use them to commit acts of violence in the coming November polls. Dont let anybody deceive you oo, when you do they give the image that zongos are very terrible places to live said Mahama to the youth. Mahama also called on the youth to help galvanize support and campaign vigorously for him and the PNC to win massively in the November polls. The National Women Organizer of PNC, Janet Nabila has also appealed to all women to vigorously garner votes for Dr. Edward Mahama to vastly win as the next President of Ghana. According to her, the PNC is the only political party that has the welfare of women and children at heart therefore has the power to put to end their woes. Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PNC, Bernard Monarh has charged the youth to vote for massively for the PNC come November 7 against speculations that the party belongs to only Northerners. He also appealed to the Muslim youth to desist from any act of violence or fraudulent politics that could put the country in the state of confusion and instability. Govt has assured its commitment towards assisting the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) with a fully equipped E-Library Project aimed at offering students sound IT education as demanded of experts in communication field of studies. He has also promised to support the school financially towards early realization and completion of the schools ongoing lecture hall complex project at its new site, located at Dzorwulu, a suburb of Accra which is experiencing delay in completion due to financial constraints. The Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Hon. Julius Debrah gave the assurance in a speech read on his behalf by Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Minister of State for at the Presidency, during GIJs graduation ceremony of the first batch of postgraduate students from the newly established school of Graduate Studies and Research. The Ghana Institute of Journalism has trained a dedicated corps of journalists and public relations professionals for the media and communication industry since its inception in 1959. But unfortunately the school is currently faced with infrastructure problems which the management in its effort is trying to resolve through the use of internal generated funds. The Chief of Staff in his speech called on the rector of GIJ, Dr. Wilberforce Dzisah to liase with the Ministry of Communication, National Communications Authority including GIFEC and other relevant bodies in regards to the E-library project before keeping his office posted. In this era of technology, I assure you that govt will not relent in supporting the IT needs of this University especially the E-library project he posited. The School of Graduate Studies and Research (SOGSaR) under the GIJ has honored the first batch of ninety students who have successfully completed 15-month master degrees programmes in Journalism, Public Relations, Media Management and Development Communication. The colourful graduation ceremony was highly patronized by an array of government officials, students from other tertiary institutions, friends and families of the graduands as well the general public. The first batch of graduating students was officially admitted to start their programme of study in October 2014 after GIJ had received the nod from the National Accreditation Board on 1st September, 2013. Out of the ninety-nine students admitted, 90 of them have been honored with postgraduate degrees within their chosen four areas of discipline. Eight of these graduands offered journalism, whilst 15 of them read Media management, Public Relations -27 and Development Communication 30. A total of 53 of these graduands are male whilst 37 are females. Govt has also lauded the management of the school for the frantic effort made in seeking public private partnership to build hostels at the new campus. Delivering his address during ceremony, Dr. Wilberforce Dzisah, Rector of GIJ said, The catalyst behind the introduction of these specialised fields in communications and media has been the need to fill an intellectual and professional gap identified in our educational and national development. As we continue to review and critically assess our curriculum and its impact on national development, it dawned on me us that there is a gap to be filled in order to address the inherent weaknesses in media and communications as a useful corollary in national development he added. The School of Graduate studies and research was established on February 12, 2014 and unveiled by the Chairman of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), Prof. C N. B. Tagoe. The Institute has awarded some deserving students who excelled in their chosen fields of studies during the 15-month master degrees programmes. 21.03.2016 LISTEN In 2006, a budgetary allocation of GH 6, 000, 00 billion was made for the implementation of a Street-naming project as the country lacks proper spatial reference to facilitate the identification of locations. The Asante Akyem district in the Ashanti region was earmarked for the pilot scheme. For whatever reasons, the project didn't see the light of the day. Evidently, our countrys responses over the years to street naming and property addressing had been a piecemeal; not sufficiently integrated and holistic. In 2010, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development came up with a comprehensive national framework to guide the implementation of the said street-naming project. This was to ensure harmonisation, consistency, efficiency and standardisation of the system in the various Metropolitan, Municipal and district assemblies. During the launch of the National Urban Policy framework and Action Plan in March 2013, President Mahama directed the Ministry of Local Government to ensure that street-naming project was completed within 18 month. In November 2013, the President gave an ultimatum to heads of MMDA's to complete the street-Naming and Property Addressing exercise in their respective areas or lose their Jobs by September 2014. In spite of the subsequent reminders that followed the Presidents ultimatum, the years have passed without anybody wondering about the finality of that ultimatum. At the end of the day, the question that begs for an answer is; have all streets and houses been duly named and numbered? It appears that getting close to the deadline, most assemblies began mounting signage for the president and the public to realise the evidence of the work done. What many may not be aware of is the fact that street-naming projects goes beyond erecting signage for directions, it involves a rigorous data collection and management system that would be useful for property planning and future development. Are the signage we see around mere whitewashes? Seemingly, the initial stages of the street-naming project had challenges due to poor funding and allocation of logistics. Also, there were difficulties resolving disagreements between stakeholders on choice of street names as some of these choices bore various historical and cultural connotations. Be that as it may, must it take us this long to realise the real success of this all important project. Must it be one of the things we never get right as a country? Are we not ever anticipating of a day where even first time visitors can drive around our cities and towns asking any koko-seller for directions? Might I remind you that Ghana will attain 60 years of independence next year? It is regrettable to think that the country still remains inattentive to the importance of street-naming and effective settlement planning. Every day, our development ambitions are stifled and our urban settings become unfriendly every other day because courier services, health services and emergency services cannot have proper access to locations. Most important of all, the country loses on revenue collection and mobilisation. It would be inconceivable for anybody to assume that the street-naming project is completed as the actual evidence points to the fact that not even half of the mandate of Street Naming and Property Addressing project has been accomplished. Are we going to start the same project again when there is a change of government like the country did with the National Identification? The recent Accra flooding is a bleak reminder of what laxity in government planning and stability in policy-making can result in and the earlier we start taking our governance process serious, the better it is for all of us. It is therefore appropriate and imperative for a decision to be made by government to make the Department of Town and Country Planning autonomous to give the institution a proper mandate to function effectively. Ghanaians are to be charged to adapt to the full utilisation of street names, even though none of the street in my locality has been named, I believe strongly the President must send a wake-up call to his MMDCE's to ensure that the Street-naming project sees the light of that day if it means cracking the whip. Bright Baah Egyir (Executive Sectary for Project Men Ghana Ltd) [email protected] Parliament has passed into law a bill that will bring changes to the Interconnect Clearing House (ICH) deal, Member of Parliament (MP) for Obuasi West, Kwaku Kwarteng has revealed. He said the Electronic Communications Amendment Act has removed the portion of the deal which grants the ICH operator the right to have a monopoly over the provision of communication services in the country. According to him, the law has made it possible for the National Communication Authority (NCA) to allow more than one company to run the Interconnect Clearing House. When the public position in the law is multiplicity, the regulator [NCA] has no mandate to frustrate the process, he said. Mr. Kwarteng has described the changes as good news adding that the scope of the ICH has profoundly been reduced. On March 17, Parliament passed the Electronic Communications Amendment Act which established the Interconnect Clearing House as the only way for networks to connect with each other. The House made major changes in the Act including changing the monopoly status of the ICH making it possible for the NCA to have multiple ICH to enable competition which the former provision sought to erode. It also removed the provision which grants the ICH operator the license to conduct revenue monitoring services a reserve of the Ministry of Finance. The ICH deal has generated some heated debate in the country after the NCA granted a license to Afriwave Ghana Limited the company that won the bid to operate the Interconnect Clearing House in the country. The NCA has said it opened the invitation for applications for a license on December 2, 2014, and received five applications from Afriwave Telecom Ghana Limited, Channel IT, Global Voice Group, Subah Infosolutions Ghana Limited and Prodigy Ghana Limited. According to the Director-General of NCA, William Tevi, the Board of Directors duly adjudged Afriwave Ghana Limited as the winner of the Clearinghouse license after a comprehensive and transparent evaluation process. He revealed his outfit would not succumb to pressures demanding NCA revoke the deal adding the bidding process was free and fair and the best company won. However, civil societies such as OccupyGhana and IMANI Ghana have lashed out at the NCA Director-General, Board of Directors and Minister of Communications describing the process leading to the awarding of the contract as unfair and fraudulent. Deputy Minister for Communication, Ato Sarpong said contrary to what Ghanaians are made to believe, the ICH deal is being implemented for the good of Ghanaians adding that it is to address the inefficiencies of communication services in the country especially the one relating to the increment of call rate for both local and international calls. He said call rates both local and international are expected to go up yearly, however, the ICH deal is meant to control such increment. Mr. Sarpong also said ICH deal is meant to create a centralized body so that the headache of [communication] operators in the country would be reduced. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | Email: [email protected] The officers and men of the Ghana Prisons Service have been advised to eschew divisiveness and all forms of negative attitude, and work harder to promote public safety. This was contained in a statement made by the acting Director-General of Prisons (DGP) while addressing a joint-durbar of personnel from the Nsawam and Koforidua prisons at the Medium Security Prison in the Eastern Region. The acting DGP, Mr. Emmanuel Yao Adzator, admonished officers to avoid creating factions within the Service, but rather close their ranks and rally behind the Prisons High Command to move the Service to a higher pedestal. Let us eschew factionalism and negative attitudes such as absenteeism, lateness, alcoholism and trafficking, he emphasised. As has been the norm with such durbars, officers seized the opportunity to contribute and ask questions pertaining to challenges they were confronted with, ranging from residential accommodation to Service accoutrements. In his response, the Ag. Director-General of Prisons assured officers that the Prisons Directorate in conjunction with the Service Council is working closely with government to address most of the challenges that are bedeviling the Service. Mr. Adzator commended government for equipping the Service with 77 vehicles, and he added that more are in the offing. He also lauded government for registering 95% of the total inmates population onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), since it will go a long way to improve healthcare delivery in the prisons. He further praised the National Security Council for supplying water to the Nsawam Male and Female prisons following the acute water shortage that hit the NsawamAdoagyiri Municipality a while ago. Subsequently, he underscored that the Prisons Administration, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, is working assiduously to find a lasting solution to the problem. He therefore urged officers to work diligently, as the Service has better days ahead. The Ag. DGP challenged the senior and junior officers to be more professional in the discharge of their duties, stressing that hard working and committed personnel will not miss out their reward. Other commanders present were the Eastern Regional Commander, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP), Mr. Isaac Egyir; the Officer-in-Charge of Nsawam Female Prison, DDP Charity A. Magnusen; the Officer-in-Charge of Koforidua Prison, Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP), Mr. Bob Derry; and Second-in-Command (2IC) of Nsawam Male Prison, ADP Samuel Owusu Amponsah. Almost 350,000 Cabo Verdeans began voting today 20th of March 2016, to elect their representatives to the National Assembly for the next five years, from where their new Government will emerge. The election is contested by six parties: the ruling the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), the Movement for Democracy (MPD), Independent and Democratic Cape Verdean Union (UCID), the Socialist Democratic Party (PSD), the Work and Solidarity Party (PTS), and the People's Party (PP). The 72 members of the National Assembly are elected for a five-year term from 13 multi-member constituencies ranging in size from 2 to 18 seats. The elections are held using closed list proportional representation. The African Union (AU) Election Observer Mission is headed by H.E. Zainabo Sylvie Kayitesi, former Chairperson of African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR). Members of the Mission who have been on the ground since the 16th of March 2016 to observe the Parliamentary election, were seen at polling stations across the country. AUEOM Head of and members visited polling centers in four islands where the observers verified logistical issues, voter turnout, opening, voting, and closing and counting procedures, and accessibility of the stations , among other issues. The AU Mission is composed of 20 members drawn from the Pan-African Parliament, Elections Management Bodies (EMBs), and members of civil society and human rights, from 12 African countries, namely: Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Swaziland, Togo and Tunisia. The AUEOM is in Cape Verde to present an independent and impartial assessment of the organization and conduct of the election. Preliminary observations and recommendations of the Mission will be presented during a press conference scheduled for March 22nd 2016 by 10 am at the Hotel Santiago in Praia. At the end of the electoral process, the AUEOM will issue a final report containing a detailed analysis of the conduct of the electoral process in Cape Verde Republic. The Hague (AFP) - War crimes judges Monday found former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba guilty of a deliberate campaign of widespread rapes and killings by his private army in Central African Republic over a decade ago. In a landmark verdict, the judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) found Bemba guilty on five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, saying he had retained "effective command and control" over the forces sent in to CAR to quell an attempted coup against the then president. It was the first case before the ICC to focus on sexual violence as a weapon of war, as well as to find a military commander to blame for the atrocities carried out by his forces even though he did not order them. The judges dismissed Bemba's defence that his Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) had come under the control of CAR's hierarchy, saying he "had knowledge" of what was happening on the ground, and failed to stop it. Once a feared rebel leader in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bemba "retained primary... authority over the MLC troops" in CAR, presiding judge Sylvia Steiner said. MLC troops went into CAR in October 2002 to help put down an attempted coup against then president Ange-Felix Patasse. Over the next six months, some 1,500 of his troops went on a rampage of killings, rapes and pillage in villages in DR Congo's northern neighbour. The court found it was a deliberate campaign in which "the civilian population was the primary as opposed to the incidental target of attack". Steiner read out a horrific list of rapes against men, women and children by the MLC troops, many of whom were sexually assaulted multiple times, with family members forced to watch at gunpoint. Bemba will be sentenced at a later date and could face up to 30 years in jail -- or even a life sentence, if the court considers that it is "justified by the extreme gravity of the crime". The trial chamber has also granted more than 5,000 victims the right to participate in the hearings -- the highest number in any of the cases before the ICC. With the pronouncement of the guilty verdict, the victims may have the right to claim damages. Bemba's defence team had insisted he had no control over his troops in CAR. "There is not a single documentary piece of evidence that shows any orders passing from Bemba and going to his troops in the Central African Republic," defence lawyer Kate Gibson said in her closing argument in November 2014. - Brutal rapes - Numerous witnesses during the trial testified to a series of brutal murders and rapes by MLC soldiers, sent in to prop up Patasse against his arch-foe Francois Bozize. Bozize eventually ousted Patasse and went on to rule Central African Republic for a decade, until he in turn was booted out in 2013, sparking further bloodshed. After the events in CAR, Bemba, a wealthy businessman-turned-warlord, went on to become one of four vice presidents in the transitional government of DR Congo President Joseph Kabila. In 2006, he lost to Kabila in a presidential poll. He fled the next year into what he called "forced exile" in Europe after his troops were routed by government forces, and was arrested in Brussels in 2008 and handed over to the ICC. Bemba and four close associates are also on trial in a second case in which they are accused of bribing witnesses in his main trial. 21.03.2016 LISTEN The March edition of BBC Africa Debate the flagship current affairs discussion programme on BBC World Service radio - will come from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Presented by Zuhura Yunus and Owen Bennett-Jones, the programme can be heard on the BBC World Service on Fri 25 March at 1900GMT and online at bbcafrica.com , listeners can also join in with the discussion by using the hashtag #BBCAfricaDebate on social media. The invited audience will be discussing the effect of corruption on Africa and what the continent can do to stamp it out alongside a guest panel including John Githongo, Boniface Mwangi and Zitto Kabwe. 75 million Africans paid a bribe in 2015, according to Transparency Internationals latest report with most Africans feeling that corruption is getting worse. Are African leaders and institutions pathologically corrupt? Or is this just a negative stereotype? Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared war on corruption, saying it was a threat to national security. In Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the arrest of his predecessors security advisor for allegedly stealing $2 billion dedicated to the fight against Boko Haram. Several politicians are also under investigation for alleged corruption. Whilst in South Africa, investigations into the $23 million upgrades to President Jacob Zumas Nkandla home using state money have resulted in him being asked to repay some of the money. In Tanzania, the new president John Magufuli has declared war on corruption, calling his judiciary corrupt, firing many, including the head of the anti-corruption body and saying "I'm worried that even the people I'm firing because of corruption will easily secure freedom despite watertight evidence against them". This edition of BBC Africa Debate will be recorded on the 22nd March and broadcast on Fri 25th March, listeners can use and follow #BBCAfricaDebate on social media to get involved. The BBC Swahili team will also be bringing a debate in Swahili to listeners from the same venue on the same topic. Further special programming from Tanzania will include an edition of NewsHour Extra. This hour-long programme will ask: Can language unite a nation? Looking at the role Swahili has played in nation-building in Tanzania, how it has helped the country unify, and the extent to which it may have held Tanzania back from engaging with its neighbours and the wider world. Should it be seen as a model for the rest of the region? The programme will be broadcast at 0900GMT on Friday March 25 and available online after broadcast. 21.03.2016 LISTEN The Deputy NDC General-Secretary is not telling Ghanaian voters the unvarnished truth, and so we have decided to come out to boldly, no-holds-barred, to remind eligible and prospective voters what they may already know or be acutely aware of. Up till now, Mr. Koku Anyidoho has not been able to tell Ghanaians precisely how President John Evans Atta-Mills met his death, except to occasionally jive about how he has been speaking to the late president in his dreams and how his mysteriously vanished former boss has been smiling and saying that he is hale-and-hearty wherever he presently finds himself. In essence, the former Atta-Mills Communications Director has been completely AWOL (Absent Without Leave) where it matters most. At least, thanks to Mr. Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie (aka Sir John), Ghanaians know that Mr. Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, the former New Patriotic Party Chairman, died of leukemia at a London hospital, and was not expediently removed from the scene by a wisdom-filled Divine Providence to make way for the first post-independence-born Ghanaian leader, to wit, President John Uhuru Mahama Kenyatta. They know they have done absolutely nothing to improve the quality of life of the average Ghanaian citizen, and so now the key operatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have resorted to the use of Reverse Psychology. In this new characteristically devious approach, the primary message of Mr. Johnson Asiedu-Nketia (aka General Mosquito) is that the Mahama-led government of the National Democratic Congress may have failed royally, but the alternative is even worse. And that alternative, according to Mr. Anyidoho, is, of course, the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP). The uphill task that the cross-dressing Mahama shill and his goon have with this tacky electioneering campaign tack is that the NPP has an enviable track-record of palpable performance to show the Ghanaian electorate, one that was laudably established by former President John Agyekum-Kufuor, and a performance record that has absolutely no match among the three National Democratic Congress-sponsored presidents who have ruled in Ghanas Fourth Republic, namely, Chairman Jerry John Rawlings, John Evans Atta-Mills and, of course, John Dramana Mahami of Kenya. Excuse me, Aberdeen. Virtually every humanistic national development program being currently pursued by the National Democratic Congress was originally established by the Kufuor-led New Patriotic Party, from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to the School-Feeding Program (SFP), which one impudent Mahama hack recently attempted to claim for unarguably the most administratively bankrupt political party in postcolonial Ghanaian history. To date, all that the Mahama Posse has succeeded in doing has been to corruptly grind the efficacy of these quality-of-life-enhancing programs to a screeching halt, and then luridly and shamelessly fault the programs originators for the same. What is also significant to highlight here is the fact that at nearly every turn in the initiation of these salutary social interventionist programs, the NDC leaders have pooh-poohed their feasibility and viability only to opportunistically position themselves as the prime beneficiaries of the same. The striking of crude oil deposits off the continental shelf of Cape-Three-Points, in the Western Region, is a ready case in point. Then also, we have the Kufuor-minted financial relief program for the poor, the very old and nursing mothers which has been criminally mismanaged to the detriment of its prime beneficiaries. Even when funds have been made available for development programs, such as GYEEDA, SUBAH and GUBAH, the abject lack of talent, responsibility and creative initiative and imagination among the NDC leadership has ensured that such programs would literally go to waste. In the case of GYEEDA, as with most of the other programs, the direct cause of massive failure was tribalism, perhaps the most effective policy-killing tool in the arsenal of the Mahama-led government of the National Democratic Congress. The latest policy rage and craze of the Mahama government is the covertly negotiated resettlement of certified high-risk Arab terrorists formerly protectively incarcerated at the U.S. Naval Base at Cubas Guantanamo Bay in Ghana by President Mahama. At the same time that he has been busily and exuberantly hosting Yemeni terrorists in the country, Mr. Mahama has been sternly warning the very citizens who offered him his leadership mandate to shut up and studiously go about their daily chores and other occupational responsibilities, if all they have to proffer his NDC government are criticisms, even constructive criticism. Understandably, some of his detractors have suggested that the recent exposes undertaken by ace investigative journalist Mr. Anas Aremeyaw Anas, and his Tiger-Eye PI team, was deftly and opportunely and deliberately timed to coincide with the Gitmo Scandal. A publicly and thoroughly broken judiciary, the logic goes, offers a prime recipe for a conducive culture of silence. The Flagstaff House also has yet to inform Ghanaians precisely how much it raised in its no-bid tender for the production of the controversial presidential diaries. In retrospect, the proverbial handwriting on the wall was always present for all to see. It was only a matter of time. In other words, the mantra of NDC operatives like Mr. Anyidoho is that if Ghanaians could consent to voting constitutionally indemnified terrorists to power, then it equally stands to reason that these same voters would gladly consent to have Gitmo terrorists play guest to the Mahama Posse. On the latter count, however, not even former Presidents Rawlings and Kufuor have any say or remarkable input to offer, according to the Gonja petty chieftain. Ghana, Uncle Atukwei, is a country in which we live in it! And this is the better alternative for which Mr. Anyidoho would have Ghanaians retain the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress at the Flagstaff House for another four years. Who said Tofiakwa!!!? *Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs 21.03.2016 LISTEN The Lancaster University Ghana (LUG) Law Society recently celebrated its Law Week from the 14th to 19th of March. Themed In the Pursuit of Justice, it was a week-long of activities that stimulated intellectual legal discussions, visits with a view to having practical understandings of the legal system in Ghana, an opportunity to reach out to less privileged persons within the community and an avenue for networking with prominent players within the Ghanaian legal sphere. The law week started with an opening ceremony on Monday the 14th with distinguished guests including the Chief Justice (C.J.) of the Republic of Ghana Hon. Mrs. Georgina Wood (JSC) ably represented by Justice Joseph B. Akamba of the Supreme Court of Ghana. In her address, the Chief Justice admonished law students at LUG to develop high ethical standards and a genuine love for justice delivery. Afterwards, on the C.J.s behalf, Justice Akamba declared the 2016 Law Week officially open. The Tuesday of the Law Week saw first year law students at LUG take a trip to the Nsawam Prisons to witness firsthand the realities of the legal profession. While their junior colleagues where at the prisons trying to indeed ascertain whether the legal system in Ghana is indeed a just one, second year law students visited the Beacon House Orphanage in East Legon to reaffirm the humanistic and caring nature of the Law Society; presenting the kids at the orphanage with story and colouring books, taking the time to read and paint with them and also donating basic supplies like disinfectants and toiletries etc. On Wednesday, the Law Society held its 2nd annual students symposium with its members delivering papers all geared towards a proper appraisal of the legal systems strive to do justice and proffering suggestions to rectify perceived shortcomings. It was a day to chill and relax at the Coco Beach Resort on Thursday, after three days of academic/semi-academic activities. Friday however witnessed another cerebrally stimulating, engaging and exciting event as the first every moot competition in the history of LUG was held on that day. Arguing before the Supreme Court, the moot participants presented arguments for and against the validity of an Article 2 action challenging the constitutionality of Ghana declaring war on Togo in light of the spirit of friendship with all nations enshrined in the preamble of the constitution. This event ended with the judging panel praising the students for the level of advocacy skills they displayed and proffering advice on how to do better in the future. The Law Week was crowned with a grand dinner/networking event which took place at Oak Plaza Hotel. In one sense, it presented a golden opportunity for Law Society members to mingle with and glean from the experience and wealth of knowledge of the distinguished lawyers present. On the other leg, it was an opportunity for Law Society members to reflect on the events of the week, be merry and dine in harmony. Awards of various categories were given out to spice up the evening. Speaking at the event, one of the invited guests Raymond Codjoe Esq. of R. A. Codjoe Law Offices stressed on how in current times, even though the quality and numbers of those seeking education may have increased, legal education seems to have lost sight of ethics. He therefore made a call for a reevaluation of the educational system to enable theoretical and practical learning to go hand in hand with the teaching of ethics. On his own part, the President of the Law Society, Alfred Momodu while thanking all the guests and stakeholders who made the week a possibility, appreciated the law students for their confidence in his leadership for the last one year plus. Going on to say that even though the dinner was one of his last official events as President, he was confident that he had built a solid enough foundation for an incoming executive to work on. New York, March 21, GNA - Ghana has identified Africa's patriarchal structure as a bane to women empowerment and has therefore called for practical steps to transform the system, classified as sensitive traditional practice. 'In Africa, for us we need to address the patriarchal society where the man is supreme, over and above, and the head of the household, and the one who takes major decisions. 'How do we transform the structure without antagonising the men, and without antagonising the society as the underlining factor is gender equality,' Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection stated at New York on the sidelines of the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60). The side event was organised by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in collaboration with the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development on the theme: 'Domestic Violence against Women and Girls; a major obstacle to women's empowerment'. Nana Oye Lithur noted that: 'Men and women are players and work together in the same team; we are partners complementing each other to achieve the same goal '...so gender activities need to adopt innovative way of addressing the patriarchal system. But sometimes we need to be antagonistic to be able to get what we want but most often we have to be innovative'. Patriarchal is a social structural phenomenon in which males have the privilege of dominance over females, both visibly and subliminally. This phenomenon is manifested in the values, attitudes, customs, expectations, and institutions of the society, and it is maintained through the process of socialization. Females and children, along with any individuals with a nontraditional gender identity, suffer from subordination to men. Nana Oye Lithur commended the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development for recognising that in other for governments to achieve goal number five of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 'we need to unpack, stop, prevent, and institute measures and interventions to end gender based violence'. The Gender Minister noted: 'We cannot sustain our growth as a globe if we don't prevent the stagnation of women...we know the impact of gender based violence. 'We in Ghana were happy to work with UN declarations on violence against women to be able to get a comprehensive legal framework in 2007, the Domestic Violence Act, even with that it was a struggle. 'Violence against women has impact on their health. It has economic consequences and it has physiological consequences - women suffer in silence'. Nana Oye Lithur explained that to address gender based violence and its impact the underlining issues is to address gender inequality; 'in Ghana we have our constitution which talks about non-discrimination, equality before the law. The Gender Minister said: 'What we have done is sustain engagement with traditional and community leaders who are the gatekeepers so that they appreciate and understand how it is beneficial for the society to adhere to the tenets of the law and ensure that there is equality between the sexes. 'We have also created a legal and policy framework; we have an affirmative action bill which is being considered by Cabinet, when passed it will ensure that we have a minimum of 40 per cent women representation in security services, and public service and across board. 'We have also criminalise certain acts that constitute gender based violence, FGM is a crime, harmful widowhood practices, but then because these are traditional and cultural, it is very difficult to use the law to prosecute, to convict and to deter people from committing it'. Nana Oye Lithur stressed on the need to address all these cultural underpinnings of gender based violence, and 'we need to factor and integrate these entire social-cultural context in interventions that we designing and adopt to address gender based violence'. 'Another key issue is research and data, as gender advocates we can go on and campaign and advocate for ending gender based violence if we do not have the evidence, then that is a problem, and not just reading out figures of the number of women who have reported of cases of gender based violence. She said Ghana has adopted as policy to ensure that health care sector has a gender policy and has policy addressing how they would address gender based violence cases. The country is being supported by DFID to come up with comprehensive study on gender based violence, the drivers of gender based violence. In terms of strengthening the legal and policy framework, Ghana has adopted a child and family welfare policy, affirmative action bill, and national gender policy. Institutional strengthening was also very important, whilst gender mainstreaming was very critical Nana Oye Lithur said; noting that since 1998 the Ghana Police Service started setting up special unit called the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit. The Judicial Service has also set up gender based courts. Other speakers at the forum include: Ms Chandrani Bandara Jayasingha, Minister for Women and Child Affairs, Sri Lanka; Mrs Sicily K. Kariuki, Cabinet Secretary, Kenya; and Ms Carolyn B. Maloney, US Congressional Representative of New York District 12. The rest are: Ms Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN Deputy Executive Director of UN Women; and moderated by Ms Sonali Samarasinghe, Minister, Counsellor, Permanente Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN. By Francis Ameyibor, GNA Special Correspondent, UN, New York Madrid, ACCRA, MARCH 21 - (dpa/GNA) - Two Germans were among the 13 female students killed in a bus crash in north-eastern Spain, Catalan Interior Minister Jordi Jane said Monday. Jane also told Catalunya Radio that two other Germans suffered injuries. Germany's Foreign Ministry declined to confirm the number of German casualties, saying only that it "cannot rule out" the fact that some of its nationals were among those killed. The Italian Foreign Ministry earlier confirmed that several Italians are among the dead. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi expressed his sadness over Twitter. Spanish state radio RNE said the driver would go before a judge on Monday, with Jane saying the driver was suspected of causing the crash. Spain's El Pais newspaper reported that initial investigations suggest the driver may have fallen asleep. The driver had minor injuries and tested negative for drugs and alcohol, judicial authorities in Barcelona said. The packed tour bus overturned and crashed into another vehicle on a highway on Sunday. The accident, which took place near the port city of Tarragona, also injured more than 40. There were 61 people on the bus, which was transporting international students participating in the EU's student exchange programme known as Erasmus back to Barcelona from a folk festival in Valencia. Among the casualties were people from 19 different countries, the Catalan rescue services said. The bus was carrying students from a number of European countries, as well as from Japan, the Palestinian Territories and New Zealand, among others. GNA Cape Coast, March 21, GNA - The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, the Most Reverend Titus Kweku Awotwi-Pratt, has advised churches against the phenomenon of choosing leaders based on their benevolence towards the church. In a sermon at the inauguration of the Siwdo Circuit of the Church in Cape Coast on Saturday, he said churches should rather choose leaders who were convinced of their faith and deeply rooted in the word of God. He explained that the selection of strong believers as leaders would, among others, help prevent the youth, who were now knowledgeable and expect a certain Bible standards from leaders, from leaving the church. The Siwdo Circuit, comprising the Ebenezer Society, Siwdo; Good Shepherd Society, Nkanfoa; Bethel Society, Kwaprow and the Mount Zion Society, Adisadel is one of the three circuits carved out of the Cape Coast Circuit in 2015. The Most Rev. Awotwi-Pratt said leaders especially those in charge of the youth, should not only teach the scriptures but lead exemplary lives, failure of which would deter the youth from attending church. He encouraged Christians to be compassionate and generous instead of mocking the needy. They should also be prayerful, since according to him, prayer enables Christians to know the grace and favour of the Lord upon their lives. It teaches them to be humble and facilitates obedience to God's word. The Right Reverend Ebenezer Abakah-Wilson, Bishop of the Cape Coast Diocese, paid glowing tributes to the clergy and lay men who had contributed to the attainment of the status, and urged the current generation to continue with the good works. Members of the Clergy who contributed in diverse ways to the birth of the Circuit were acknowledged, while some laymen were awarded with gifts and citations of honor for their meritorious services in the various societies. GNA Hanoi, ACCRA, MARCH 21 - (dpa/GNA) - Vietnam's new government will continue the cautious approach to economic liberalisation, the incoming prime minister said Monday, even as it signs free-trade agreements which may bring pressure to reform. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, currently deputy prime minister, said the government would continue gradually to restructure state-owned enterprises while encouraging more lucrative foreign investment. He was speaking on the first day of the last National Assembly session of the current government. The nominally communist state has pursued a policy of slow market liberalisation for three decades. But major trade agreements with the United States, European Union and South Korea signed in the past year will require major economic reforms if ratified. Phuc cautioned against moving too fast. "There are many risks in the international markets," he said, adding that Vietnam would keep its "socialist orientated" market economy in any event. The current session is the first since the Communist Party of Vietnam, which runs the country's single-party state, in January named the new top leaders for the next five years. During the Party Congress that month, its Central Committee put forward Phuc for the post of prime minister, as well as Tran Dai Quang, now serving as minister of public security, for the post of president, and for the next chairman of the National Assembly, its current vice chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. The National Assembly is theoretically independent of the Communist Party, but all the nominations were expected to be approved during this session. Absent from the session's agenda was a much-discussed law that would have decriminalized certain political demonstrations. Although the possible bill garnered much attention in state media, National Assembly Secretary General Nguyen Hanh Phuc said this month that the law would not be ratified during the current session. "We don't have enough time to prepare the report," he told dpa, adding that the bill would be submitted when the National Assembly convenes again in July. Political demonstrations are banned in Vietnam, although authorities have turned a blind eye to anti-China protests in recent years as tensions simmer over maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea. GNA Beijing, ACCRA, MARCH 21 - (dpa/GNA) - Tens of millions of dollars' worth of vaccines have been sold illegally in China, according to police, who have called on members of the network to surrender, a news report said Monday. The investigation follows the arrest last week of a mother and daughter, who are accused of buying 25 types of vaccine, some from unlicensed vendors, and selling them on to unapproved agents or local authorities at allegedly inflated prices. The illegal vaccines sales could have netted over 88 million dollars, said police in the eastern province of Jinan. "Results of some investigations show individuals who own or work for certified manufacturers and authorized wholesale companies illegally bought the vaccines and sold them," state-run radio CRI quoted Zhu Zengfa from Jinan's Food and Drug Administration as saying Monday. The focus of the investigation is on how the vaccines were sold to the hospitals, the report said. The authorities urged anyone involved in the sale of the vaccines to surrender to police before Wednesday, CRI reported on its website. GNA Koforidua, March 21, GNA - Christians in Ghana have joined their counterparts all over the world to celebrate Palm Sunday, a day which marks the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Many churches in the country held processions into Principal Street with palm branches singing "Hosanna" signifying Christ's victory. Palm Sunday also marks the beginning of the Holy Week or Passion Week celebration. Apostle Richard Kwami Adanu, the Vice Chairman in-charge of Missions of the Great Commission Church International (GCCI) has urged Ghanaians leaders and the citizenry to embrace the great lesson of the humility of Jesus Christ. 'I call upon every person to be humble like Jesus Christ; anybody in leadership at any level must be humble, as servant leaders, he said. 'Leaders in the church must learn to be humble. Leaders in the work places must be humble. Our political leaders must be humble. When we do this we attract the presence of God, and He will lift us up at the right time like He did to Jesus,' Apostle Adanu stated in his sermon delivered on Palm Sunday at the Covenant Sanctuary of the GCCI in Koforidua. Speaking on the theme 'That I May Know Him, And the Power of His Resurrection', Apostle Adanu said the fact that King Jesus rode on a donkey showed him to be a king of a difference. 'Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey,' he cited from the gospel according to Matthew. 'Kings ride on horses, but Jesus rode on a donkey. Horse signifies power, while a donkey signifies meekness and humility; so here, Jesus is demonstrating the fact of being a King. 'He is however, a King who is not just demonstrating brute power like other kings. He is a King with humility. This is servant leadership,' he said. He said Jesus has power and authority and power over everything and therefore, every Christian needs to submit to Him; so that He would direct the affairs of their lives. Apostle Adanu said Jesus though equal with God, humbled Himself so much and became obedient to even death on a cross; explaining that as a result, God has highly exalted Him above all people and things. The Vice Chairman therefore, admonished all believers in Christ to have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus. 'As followers of Jesus Christ, young people and everybody else are called upon to be submissive to those older than them. All are to clothe themselves with humility,' he said. At the Mount Moriah Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Mr Daniel Ogum, who preached on the theme: "Suffering for a Purpose" also emphasized the need for humility at any point in time in the life of a Christian. He said: "Jesus Christ was God incarnate yet he humbled himself to go through crucifixion for our sake" and urged Christian to stay humble no matter what they went through in life. Mr Ogum noted that the waving of the palm fronts signified victory, explaining that in heaven the host of angels wave palm front in worship and adoration to the king. He called on Christians to pursue holy living and eschew selfishness to give meaning to the death and resurrection of Christ. GNA New York, March 21, GNA - Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Women Executive Director, has stressed that the risk of violence against women and girls increases after a disaster. 'In areas of conflict, women and girls are frequently targeted and denied access to education, reproductive services, healthcare, and participation in economic and political life. 'At the same time, women are essential to recovery and resilience-building,' Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka stated at a World Humanitarian Summit, which is a side event at the on-going 60th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60), New York. She noted that the centrality of gender equality is reaffirmed by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Goal 5 and its related targets. The critical role of women is also integrated in the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, the Global Review of Implementation of Security Council resolution 1325, resolution 2242, the Secretary-General's Report on the World Humanitarian Summit and the Agenda for Humanity. The first World Humanitarian Summit is slated for Istanbul from May 23-24 and it is the culmination of a multi-year process initiated by the UN Secretary-General to improve humanitarian action worldwide. Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka stressed that the world was seeing the increasing effects of climate change, violent extremism and an unprecedented number of displaced persons. 'Women and girls are affected disproportionately by these crises. 'It has also clearly emerged in the consultations that have been held in preparation for the World Humanitarian Summit that gender equality and women's empowerment are central. 'This resulted in four proposed commitments for Istanbul which will be covered in order to highlight the issues as they refer to women and girls. These are: the role of women's organizations in crises situations; reproductive rights and the provision of care services; preventing gender-based violence; and enabling women's participation and leadership,' she noted. Governments and gender advocates across the globe are using the CSW60 platform to focus on creating a conducive environment for gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They are through actions to ensure enabling laws and policies, solid institutional infrastructures, adequate financial resources, strengthening of participation mechanisms, and investment in sex-disaggregated data, to guide national action. Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in New York that the CSW60 was ready to set robust actions for translating ambitious development roadmap into reality for women and girls. She said following a milestone year in international development in which world leaders endorsed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; CSW60 focusing firmly on implementation of the ambitious agreement. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by UN Member States in September 2015 are a universal roadmap for people and planet, addressing the key challenges of the 21st century, such as poverty, inequality and climate change. Nana Oye Lithur noted that gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls was a goal in itself, and recognized as a central means to achieving the SDGs. Success depended on rigorous implementation. By Francis Ameyibor, GNA Special Correspondent, UN New York 21.03.2016 LISTEN Tamale, March 21, GNA - The rate at which some micro finance institutions in Ghana are fraudulently extorting monies from local investors, especially petty traders, is very alarming. There is therefore the need for the relevant authorities and agencies in the country to constantly offer financial literacy to potential investors to save the situation. Historically, micro-financing started as 'Ponzi scheme' by Charles Ponzi who was imprisoned in 1920 as a result of a $15-million fraud. Ponzi scheme is an investment scam which involves the payment of purported high returns to existing investors from funds contributed by subsequent investors. Managers of Ponzi schemes are always out soliciting for prospective investors with the promise of supposedly high returns with little or no risk. The truth of such claims is that there are no such extraordinary investments. More often than not, the Managers of Ponzi schemes do not engage in legitimate investment drives. Rather, their attention is on attracting new money to enable them to fulfill promised payments to earlier investors, as well as divert some of these funds for their personal use. The inescapable destiny of Ponzi schemes is that the bubble will definitely burst with time. One classic example of a Ponzi scheme gone bad was the Bernard Lawrence Madoff multi-billion-dollar fraudulent investment scheme in the United States of America, popularly called the 'Madoff Fraud' which was detected in 2008, leading his arrest. Madoff set up a small Wall Street investment firm in 1960 called Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, which was used to perpetrate the huge investment fraud. It is alleged that when Madoff's fraud was unearthed and interrogated, the response was 'don't blame me. blame your watchdog' (that is, Regulators). Another aspect of a Ponzi scheme people must look out for is the use of virtual currencies such as bit coins other than conventional currencies. Such virtual currencies are often traded on online in exchange for conventional currencies like the US. Dollar, or used to purchase goods and services online. The reason for the use of virtual currencies for fraudulent activities such as Ponzi schemes is that in some jurisdictions, transactions in those currencies tend to have greater privacy benefits and less regulated than conventional currencies. The case of Ghana: The Ghanaian financial sector has been hit in recent times with investment and fund management scams involving some fund management and micro-finance organizations. This current wave is not the first of its kind in Ghana as there have been several other instances of such scams previously. The situation raises questions about the average Ghanaian's level of financial education and financial literacy. A lot of accusations and counter accusations flooded the Ghanaian media as to who is responsible for the perpetration of current wave of micro finance scams. While a section of the Ghanaian population is pointing fingers at the official Regulators or watchdogs of the financial sector, others also blame what they see as the greed of investors who put their money in these organizations with the hope of earning higher returns. Looking for a place to place the blame is not what matters at the moment. Rather evolving practical solutions from both the regulators and the Ghanaian public at large should be the main focus. It must be emphasized that an investment product sold to investors with the promise of outrageous returns in most cases is fraudulent as it violates fundamental principles on investment returns. Common Red Flags to Watch Out for: * Investors should watch out for investments with high returns with little or no risk. Investments generally carry some level of risk and, investments with higher returns typically have high risk. A promise of guaranteed high returns for little risk should be viewed with great caution. * Do not rely on reputation, word of mouth or shared affinity. In most fraudulent investments such as those we have witnessed in Ghana, investors fall victims through trusted friends and family members who encourage them to also invest. Sometimes prominent people in society may be enlisted at their behest or they may not even be aware that their names are used as an advertising tool to market a dubious investment enterprise. Also, religious and ethnic affiliations may be employed to perpetrate such fraudulent activities in order to boost the number of the investors. * Check for the Auditors of the organization. Auditors certify financial statements of their clients which investors rely on for their investment decisions. The fact is that a credible and legitimate organization engaged in fund management will make use of a well-known and reputable auditing firm. In the Madoff case, the Auditor was not known, difficult to locate and with only three employees reviewing the multi-billion dollar investments. * Watch out for overly consistent returns. Investments fluctuate up and down, particularly those with high returns, due to the high risk attached to them. An investor should be skeptical with an investment that pays consistent returns irrespective of the overall market conditions. * Verification of the investment details and any paperwork. At least, investors should ask detailed questions about the investment and get convincing responses before committing funds. This calls for the use of investment advisors for adequate professional advice before putting money in an investment. Always request for an investment's prospectus and understand the issues in it before investing. Also, note errors in accounts statements which may trigger any fraudulent activities. Avoid investments you cannot get adequate information on. * Delay or difficulty in receiving payments. When payments are delaying or difficult to receive, then an investor must be cautious. Managers of Ponzi schemes in most cases will convince investors to roll-over their investments by increasing the rate of returns when they foresee the imminent burst of the bubble. In the scam case in Ghana that is being grappled with now, promotional activities were carried out regarding increases of returns to encourage more investments. Financial Literacy, the Way Forward: It is obvious that the level of financial literacy in Ghana needs to be improved to prevent the people from falling prey to some of these scams that can cause some victims' untimely death through shock and loss of livelihood. Effective financial literacy will empower the people to make basic financial decisions in areas such as investment, savings and insurance. The absence of financial literacy can result in making poor decisions that can have implications on the financial health of an individual. The investors of the alleged fraudulent organizations in Ghana today are in this mess because of their deficiency in financial literacy. A large section of the Ghanaian population and most of those bearing the brunt of the alleged scam are financial illiterates. It is therefore imperative to give financial literacy a great deal of prominence in Ghana. Besides, the Ghanaian regulators/watchdogs in the financial sector should keep a close check on the operations of all organizations under their ambit to ensure full disclosure and fraudulent-free reporting. The Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission have very critical roles in preventing such occurrences other than coming out with possible solutions after the harm has been done. Individual Ghanaians should also open up and get involved in open discussions on financial issues and report any symptoms of fraud upon the least suspicion. A GNA feature by Caesar Abagali and Dr Wayo Mahama 21.03.2016 LISTEN Accra, March 21, GNA - I have come across many mothers parenting children with Cerebral Palsy since I started 'the Special Mothers Project' in Ghana. The project reaches out to mothers of children with Cerebral Palsy, while advocating and creating awareness on the issues. One thing I realize is that every mother or parent is doing the best for their children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) in their own corner. I have also come to realize the initial joy when two or more parents with such children discover themselves. They have common things to talk about or share, sharing experiences such as how they have been able to toilet train their children or what challenges they face with regards to education and health usually takes the centre stage. The Special Mothers project, which started as a parents support group for mothers with children who have cerebral palsy is now involved in a lot of advocacy and education, realizing that there is no common platform that voices the concerns of parents with CP children. There is no written or even spoken policy that supports the children. While some schools (I mean the crAche or Day care centres) will readily accept a child with CP others may think twice and yet others will charge extra should they accept a child with CP. There are some parents who just avoid any of such conditions and keep their children home and isolated from public life, yet there are others who will go all out and do whatever they can to help their CP children attain the highest and the best life could offer them. Unfortunately there are also people who exploit parents with such children. I was personally moved when I spoke to a mother who said she moved from 'pastor to pastor' seeking help (healing) for her child. She said at some point a 'pastor told me to pay GHa1000.00 for him to pray for my child to walk, when I said I didn't have that kind of money, he sacked me from his premises and told me to come when I get the money' The mother said: 'I really wept and felt it was the end since I did not have that kind of money to pay a 'pastor' but at the appropriate time God lifted my child up and she walked.' This Mum also shared this as a testimony in church. One thing I realize is that there are people who take advantage of parents with a CP child and victimize them (treat them us victims) in fact there are also people who have children with CP and use that as an opportunity to extort money. Once on a TV breakfast show, a man and a lady who have children with CP came up and talked about CP, finally the man was asked what could be done for them and he said, 'People should help us.' He said 'No amount is too small, help us with diapers, and whatever you can give, leaving an account number,' I felt really disappointed. So I searched for the man's number and called him. I engaged him a bit and said: 'man don't you think that you could have asked for good and favourable policies, encouraging environment and the like, instead of virtually begging for peanuts. Yes, having a child with cerebral Palsy is difficult but using that as a trump card to pity party is worse. Another thing that makes parents give up so easily on these children is the health sector. Even though our health sector is doing its best, sometimes their response to children with CP leaves much to be desired. Another mother shared an experience of her child twitching and convulsing frequently, so during one of such episodes, she rushed the child to the hospital. According to her the doctor looks at her and says: "when we tell you that this disease have no cure you don't want to understand, you go round and round and when it is worse you come back." The mother says "My heart sunk, when the doctor said this to me, I only needed to understand what was happening and what could be done to help the situation." Why won't mothers and parents resort to pastors and spiritualists and pastors if this is the response they get from the health sector? Cerebral Palsy is a neurological condition (brain injury) that affects movement of children. I wish that all parents with CP will come together with one voice to ask for better and efficient health services, education and a great environment that foster good development, that all parents with CP will come together to work so that children with this condition in the next generation will have a much easier life There is hope for children with Cerebral Palsy and the parents of a child with CP have a very important role to play. A GNA Feature by Hannah Awadzi Akua Donkor 21.03.2016 LISTEN Flag bearer of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Madam Akua Donkor has disclose that she has sued the electoral commission of Ghana and has caused the arrest of 5 person in conjunction with her disqualification in the 2012 years. Speaking on BREEZE 90.9 FMs NEWS AT 12 NOON with newscaster NANA YAW BERKO, she disclosed that her disqualification was not in a normal form hence she got the police to arrest one person (Nana Kweku Duodu) who in turn released the names of four others who working for the opposition party, NPP and were officers at the EC. Mr. Samuel Lucky, Nana Kweku Duodu, Daniel Amenyo, John Okyere and Mawuli Kamasa was the names she disclosed that were behind the disqualification and they are still in police custody currently waiting for the attorney general. She added the electoral commission has being sued to make due diligence by making sure that she is clarified before deadline of clarification ends for the November 2016 election. However Madam Akua Donkor accused the flag bearers of NPP, PPP AND NDP, Nana Akuffo Addo, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings respectively for being behind this disqualification. Furthermore, answering to a story about Bishop Daniel Obinim in a recent video from the Bishops church service that surfaced online, she stated that she was ok with the revelations. I created the political party (Ghana freedom party) to become a president hence whatever obinim says I have taken it in faith and I do appreciate it, but I must say I dont really know him she said. In the video, obinim told a parliamentary candidate that it is he Bishop Obinim who made him lost the primaries and that, he decides for voters who to vote for and as such will repeat this in the general elections for Akua Donkor to win power. Below is the full audio of the interviewhttps://soundcloud.com/philisacreates/madame-akua-donkor-speaks-about-backstabbing-ec-staff 21.03.2016 LISTEN National Chairman of the People's National Convention (PNC), Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, has called for a probe into former President Jerry John Rawlings' claims about businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome. The former president alleges Mr Woyome took 500,000 in his (Rawlings) name from an European group. He labeled Woyome a "criminal" during an interview on GH Oneon Friday March 18. Im glad the NPP was able to respond to that character, who was released or cleared of his criminal tendencies; the one they call whats his name? Woyome. I heard somewhere that he said that Im aware of the millions of dollars that he spent on the party. Im not aware of any such millions of dollars he spent on the party. I am aware of the half-a-million euros he took from a foreign European group in my name; I never saw a penny of it. The one-and-a half million euros he took from that same group, supposedly on behalf of the party, hes got to account for it," he stated. But the self-styled NDC financier, who was absolved of wrongdoing in receiving GH51.2 million from the state in the landmark Judgement Debt saga, said he was never in the country during the incipient years of the Fourth Republic and only came to Ghana five months to the tail end of his regime. He said the former president has made his statements time without number. What the former president is saying now is no news...He has said it before; its false and was denied by Ingeborg Smith, the Honorary Consul of Austria to Ghana...This is not the first time he is speaking after a ruling in my favour. God rules in the affairs of men, Mr Woyome said in a statement regarding the former president's pronouncements. Contributing to discussions on PeaceFM's "Kokrokoo" Morning show, the PNC National Chairman questioned Mr. Rawlings' accusations saying "If the people gave money and you said the money did not come to you. What work did you do for the people that they needed to give you that amount of money? It also needs probeFor what work? Why were they giving it to you? So that one also requires a lot of investigations; why were they giving that money and for what purposes? He further opined that Mr. Rawlings and Woyome "are keeping us in the dark. They should come out in the open. And Rawlings should tell us what work he did to be able to earn that money and what was the purpose of the money, and why did it pass through Woyome and not through any other person. I think if Rawlings has a problem with Woyome going to retrieve some money in his name, it should be his personal fight," Bernard Mornah added. An employee of the Peterpan Restaurant, a Korean eatery in Accra, who was slapped with a piece of hot pizza, by her employee, has written to the Police to withdraw the case. Cecilia Ampadu, who was a supervisor at the restaurant, filed a complaint at the Airport Police Station claiming her Korean boss, Young Gyu Lee, assaulted her while on duty for a burnt pizza baked by another employee. The Police subsequently arrested Mr. Lee and charged him with assault. But the Airport Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Yaw Tetegah, told Citi News his outfit has closed the case after the complainants request. He said they received a letter from Cecilia Ampadu last week, explaining that she is no more interested in the case and that they have resolved their differences with the man who assaulted her. Superintendent Tetegah noted that although the Police would want to pursue the case to its logical conclusion, their only problem is that the one who reported the case to them, is not ready to support the Police with the evidence that she has. Weve written our statement but at the court, questions will be asked about the person who reported the case to the Police and she is not ready to support us with the evidence, he added. He explained that the lady in question may have taken the decision because she does not want to lose her current job since it was difficult securing a job in recent times. So maybe she is interested in still working there; so we considered the situation and decided that once she has indicated to the Police that she is no longer interested, we will withdraw the case, the Police Superintendent added. This comes barely a week after the lady who claimed to be traumatized by the incident, told Citi News that she wanted justice to prevent others at the Restaurant from going through similar experiences. The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Henry Kofi Wampah, has stated emphatically that he will not resign over his British son-in-laws alleged involvement in the drug trade. The governors son-in-law, David McDermott, who has been married to his step-daughter, Ramona Wampah for three years, was on March 11, arrested in Ghana at his home in Accras affluent Burma Hills. According to UK officials, David McDermott, who has been working in Ghanas mining industry, had been on the run for the past three years, for attempting to import cocaine into the UK. In a statement released by Dr. Wampah when the fugitives relation to him was made public, he said he had no knowledge that David McDermott was a fugitive. He said, Until I received information about his arrest, I had absolutely no knowledge about David being a fugitive of the British government. According to Dr. Wampah, he knew David to be a worker in the mining industry and was shocked about his arrest. I have received news about the arrest of David McDermott, who is married to my step daughter, 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, He said. David McDermott, of Ormskirk, West Lancashire, was being hunted by the National Crime Agency and was finally arrested on March 11 this year. The British High Commissioner to Ghana commended the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for the role they played in arresting McDermott. The National Crime Agency (NCA) on its official website said; McDermott is suspected of being a member of a Liverpool-based organised crime group involved in a conspiracy to import and supply cocaine which was seized from a container of frozen Argentinian beef in May 2013 at Tilbury Docks. He is also wanted for conspiracy to blackmail. A process for his extradition to the UK for trial has commenced. Following his in-laws arrest, Mr. Wampah has been heavily criticized with some suggesting that he resigns. I wont resign But the Governor responding to the calls for him to step down at a meeting to announce the new Monetary Policy rate said, My son in law is my son in law; it has nothing to do with me being Governor of the Central Bank. I have made a statement on that and that should be enough for you. My term will end this year and I will let you know when am going so thank you. 21.03.2016 LISTEN The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked God to use him in a special way in his quest to become Ghanas president so as to lead Ghanaians and transform the country. This, he said, would lead Ghana to a deservedly status that befits the nation devoid of bad policies that put dire consequences on citizens. According to him, he needs God to work through him to bring Ghanaians out of the hardships brought about by bad governance. Nana Addo Danquah stated this at the St. Peters Cathedral Basilica in Kumasi where he joined the congregates in worship. Accompanied by Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng, Dr. Amoako Tufour, Otiko Afisa Dzaba, the National Womens Organizer, Bernard Antwi Bosiako, Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Hon. Isaac Osei (incumbent MP for Subin), Eugene Antwi (Aspiring MP Subin) Hon. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, MP Kwadaso, Stephen Amoah, Regional Youth Organizer and a host of NPP supporters, Nana Addo indicated that God did not create Ghana to be poor but we are poor as a result of bad governance. Nana Addo pleaded with the congregation to pray for him and the NPP as they have the solutions to Ghana's problems. He pleaded with them to vote massively for him in this year's General Elections. Meanwhile, Rev. Pious Agyeman, insisted Ghana is plunged into darkness in all our endeavours as a result of various sins been committed by Ghanaians. He advised Ghanaians to change their ways, pray and seek the face of God. Dakar (AFP) - The pro-government "Yes" camp claimed a sweeping victory in Senegal's constitutional referendum on Monday, following a controversial vote widely seen as a test of the president's popularity. Turnout was reportedly low Sunday in the vote on several constitutional reforms, including on cutting the presidential term from seven to five years. "The results that we've seen, from our grassroots committees combined with those from the press, show a strong trend from the referendum towards a clear 'Yes' victory, across the country," said El Hadji Momar Samb, a senior figure in the "Yes" camp, at a Monday press conference. Opposition parties and several civil society groups had urged Senegalese to vote "No", saying Sall has reneged on a promise to leave office early and criticising the referendum as a cop-out. The pro-government side claimed to have won in 43 of Senegal's 45 administrative departments, with a strong showing in the northwestern city of Saint Louis. On Monday morning, the front page of the pro-establishment "Le Soleil" had already proclaimed "The people say yes to Macky Sall," referring to the president, while the independent "La Tribune" cried "'Yes' snatch it". The press compiled results from provisional figures recorded on Sunday night, also handing victory to the "Yes" camp. Sall was elected in 2012 saying he would reduce the presidential mandate from seven years to five. He originally campaigned as an alternative to ex-president Abdoulaye Wade, who was seeking an unpopular third stint in power. Since then, Sall has said his hands are tied by the country's constitutional court which rejected his proposal to cut his own term, meaning he himself will still serve the full seven years. The referendum's official results will be published on Friday by the country's electoral commission and require constitutional court approval. Government is beginning the review of casual workers policy in the country to check abuses by private sector employers. Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, said the rights of casual workers is being infringed upon with the duration that one must be on a casual employment being significantly abused. He disclosed this to Joy News after visiting the Northern Regional Labor Department to access the operations of the department at Regional level. "I was on a surprise visit to the offices of the regional labour department under the ministry of Employment and Labour and the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) to acquit myself with the status of their operational and viable and functional they are in the regions," said Haruna. According to the Minister, in his strongest view, the best measure of living standard is not per capital income but access to employment. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Morocco has asked the United Nations to close its military liaison office in Western Sahara, amid a row between Rabat and the world body over the status of the disputed territory. The move came just a day after Morocco -- angry after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon used the term "occupation" to describe the territory's status -- expelled most of the non-Moroccan civilian members of the UN's MINURSO mission. "MINURSO has received a request to close its military liaison office in Dakhla," UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. "This is the first request directly targeting the military component of the mission." So far, 70 civilians holding various UN posts and three civilians working for the African Union have left Western Sahara under the Moroccan expulsion order. Rabat had previously given the name of 81 civilian expatriate UN employees, but 11 were no longer working for MINURSO, according to the UN. The expelled civilians have been placed in Las Palmas, in Spain's Canary Islands, or on leave in their country of origin. "We did this under duress... for logistics and security considerations," Haq said. "UN and Security Council officials are in contact with Morocco to reach a mutually acceptable solution." The UN's top political affairs official, Jeffrey Feltman, has warned that the military force would not be able to operate without the civilian component. Besides the MINURSO troops, just 27 civilians remain, and they can only perform "a small portion" of the tasks, according to Haq. "We hope Morocco gets the message that this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated," the spokesman added. "Many core functions of the mission would not be able to be performed with such a small number of staff." UN chief Ban Ki-moon was due to discuss the tensions with envoys from the 15 council members. The pro-independence Polisario Front -- which called Morocco's decision to expel the UN civilians a "slap in the face to the Security Council, and a dangerous provocation that could lead to war" -- is kept informed of these discussions. Haq called for the Security Council's "strong and unified support" for the 500-strong MINURSO. "Without the peacekeeping force performing in the way it is mandated to do, there will be a real risk to return to heightened tension and possibly even conflict," he warned. The United Nations has been trying to broker a Western Sahara settlement since a 1991 ceasefire ending a war that broke out when Morocco deployed its military in the former Spanish territory in 1975. Rabat demanded a scaling back of the UN mission in retaliation for Ban's "occupation" remark, which was made early this month during a visit to a Sahrawi refugee camp in Algeria, which supports the Polisario Front. Morocco, which considers the territory to be part of the kingdom and insists that its sovereignty cannot be challenged, has also decided to cut $3 million in funding for the UN mission. Gbache, March 21, GNA - The residents of six communities in the Wa West District of the Upper West Region have expressed their joy after receiving various sums of money from the World Food Programme (WFP) through the MTN mobile money transfer platform. About 1,000 people from Tandaboro, Gbache, Siiriyiri, Cherile, Buli and Oli received a total of GH225,975.00 through the MTN mobile money platform towards their participation in the WFP's asset creation programme. The monies were credited to registered MTN mobile money SIM cards and presented to each of the beneficiaries. The asset creation programme, which is being implemented across Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Brong Ahafo and the Volta Regions, seeks to support communities faced with harsh climatic conditions such as long dry spells, erratic rainfall, desertification and land degradation. Madam Vera Boohene, the WFP's Communications Officer, at the presentation ceremony in the Gbache Community, said the project was being implemented with the Department of Agriculture and with sponsorship from the Canadian Government. She explained that the project was to help identify communities to put in place some of the needed infrastructure such as fishponds, small dams and dugouts to boost food security and nutrition towards the general improvement of their wellbeing. Almost GH1.5 million is being paid to 9,000 people who are constructing fishponds, small dams and dugouts in 29 communities in Northern Ghana. In the Upper West Region, she said, almost GH1 million was being disbursed to 7,000 people in 21communities across Lawra, Wa East, and Wa West Districts. Madam Boohene said the projects, which were started between the September 2015 and January 2016 were expected to be completed within nine months. She said the WFP switched from food donations to cash payments in 2014 in a bid to further boost community development because cash stimulated the local economies as its benefits spread beyond the individual beneficiary to the wider community. She urged traditional rulers, assembly members, unit committee members and other opinion leaders to exercise an oversight role in ensuring that the dams and dugouts were maintained. Mr. GonJohn Wonye, an assembly member of the Area, lauded the WFP for initiating the programme, saying that the fishponds would help community members raise income to support their families and also contribute towards community development. GNA Accra, March 21, GNA - Mr Kabral Blay Amihere, Immediate past Chairman of National Media Commission, on Monday led a delegation of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), to attend the seven-day celebration of the death of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Angwubutoge Awuni in Accra. The high powered delegation includes Dr Affail Monney Chairman of the GJA and Dr Doris Yartey, the Eastern Regional Commander's former lecturer at Ghana Institute of Journalism. The team greeted the family of DCOP Awuni and proceeded to sign the book of condolences and interacted with the number of mourners including past and present police personnel. The mourners include former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Peter Nanfuri. The current IGP Mr John Kudalor was expected at the function at the time the GJA delegation, were DCOP Awuni died at the Police Hospital on Monday, March 14 after a short illness. Friends who visited him at the hospital including an Executive Member of the GJA, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, he was looking very healthy and lively and least expected to hear the bad news on that fateful day. Funeral announcements would be made later. GNA Accra, March 21, GNA - The Association of African Universities (AAU) Secretariat is holding a three-day capacity building seminar in social media usage. The maiden Social Media Seminar, which opened in Accra on Monday, is being attended by Communication Officers, Public Relations Officers, Information Officers, Marketing Officers and International Liaison Officers - working in African Higher Educational Institutions. The AAU has also slated other similar seminars later in the year for Swaziland, Uganda and Morocco. Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile, the Secretary General of the AAU, in a speech read on his behalf by Prof Jonathan Chucks Mba - Director of Research and Academic Planning of the AAU, said the Accra seminar emanated from a recent survey conducted by the AAU Secretariat during the Database of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD) Workshop held in Uganda in November 2015. The Secretary General said the survey revealed that 'Social Media Usage for Impact' by Higher Educational Institutions in most African countries was still at its infancy. Prof Ehile said 21 AAU member universities from nine African countries reported that they did not have Social Media Strategies. He said the majority of the universities had many unofficial Social Media accounts and they did not guide the creation of social media pages and groups by their various faculties /colleges / institutions. The findings from the survey show that many African universities do not have a coherent plan for using their Twitter and Facebook audiences - meaning that they were not fully benefiting from these audiences. According to Prof Ehile, it also emerged that Communication Officers, Public Relations Officers, Information Officers, Marketing Officers and International Liaison Officers in most African Universities had not undergone training on how to integrate Social Media to enhance their work. 'Here is where this training, being organised by the AAU comes to crucially equip communication leads of higher education institutions in Africa with this specialized skill,' the Secretary General stated. 'Being the continental body with a mandate to improve the quality of higher education in Africa, the AAU has been organising similar capacity building workshops for our membership of 360, which is spread across 44 countries in Africa,' he added. He said social media was about collaborating, networking, sharing and generating knowledge and content; stating that all the features were of great value in the context of higher education. 'With social media becoming a revolution in our century, individuals, businesses and organisations are effectively tapping into it to derive various benefits. 'The university community can surely not be left behind. We need to strategically tap into the various social media tools in pursuing our goals of teaching and learning, community engagements and research,' Prof Ehile said. Saudatu B. Suleymana, the University Relations Officer and Head of Public Affair, University for Development Studies, a participant at the seminar told the Ghana News Agency that there were lots of grey areas in the usage of social media. She said there was the need for policy regulation to be put in place by government to guide the use of social media by tertiary institutions. GNA Accra, March 21, GNA - The Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA) said abuse and misuse of funds by local authorities continued to undermine local level development in Ghana. It said Ghana's fiscal decentralisation strategy had partially been slow because of those abuses and the earlier it was resolved the better for local governance in the country. Dr Eric Oduro Osae, a Board Member of CLGA and Local Government Expert, said this during a launch of the Fifth Edition of 'The Decentralization Eye,' a quarterly newsletter to monitor Ghana's decentralisation process. He said: 'We continue to witness the Public Accounts Committee's discussions on the Auditor-General's report year after year and witness the abuses reported again and again. 'The question that is begging for answers is, why haven't the appropriate agencies taken action to prosecute or sanction officers found culpable in these reports?' he asked. The 48-page newsletter highlighted extensively the Auditor-General's report, the District Assemblies Common Fund, health decentralisation, and improving gender involvement and inclusion in the business of local governance, among others. Dr Osae said there seemed to be some laxity in the country's criminal justice system where one only had to be cautioned and refund any funds embezzled after they had been uncovered. That trend, he said, was dangerous for the country's democracy as it rather motivated officers to embezzle funds by either investing it or using them to undertake huge projects only to refund them with or without interest when they were caught. 'This has been the trend at both national and sub national levels. This trend, if not halted, has the potential of gradually legalising embezzlement of state funds by public officers who treat such funds as short term loans,' he said. Dr Osae, therefore, congratulated the Minister of Finance for committing to introduce a Public Financial Management Bill for Ghana. He said the Bill, if passed into law, would amend, review, consolidate and codify all existing financial management laws for improved Public Financial Management. However, he said, all efforts would go to waste if the Financial Court anticipated under the Part VII of the Financial Administration Act, 2003 ( Act 654) as amended, was not fully operationalised and public officers practically tried for misuse and abuse of funds in that court. Mr Saaka Sayuti, also a Board Member of the Centre, said the newsletter continued to serve as one of the best resource of obtaining contemporary local government information as it had commenced the process of publishing and covering assembly meetings and showcasing the investment potentials of the local authorities in Ghana for improved local economic development. GNA Accra, Mar. 19, GNA - An Accra High Court will on April 19 begin the re-trial of Nana Osabarima Twiampomah III, Chief of Banka, who allegedly misappropriated 150,000 dollars belonging to his subjects. The accused person is the chief of Banka, a farming community in the Asante Akyim District in of the Ashanti Region. The 53-year old Nana Twiampomah is being held for stealing. The re-trial was set for that date as the trial judge was taken ill after the state had called four witnesses and the matter was re-assigned to a new Judge, Mr Justice L.L. Mensah. When the matter was called at the court today, Mr Matthew Amponsah, Chief State Attorney said that the state had filed a new charge sheet and they were ready for the trial. However Nana Twiampomah's counsel, Mr Richard Bobinson was not in Court and the prosecution said the defence counsel called to say he had travelled. The matter was therefore adjourned to April 19. Nana Twiampomah is being held for allegedly misappropriating the money, which was a lease sum paid by Gulf Coast Resources Limited, a mining company, to the people, after using their land for mining for 10 years. The complainant was one Nana Yeboah who is acting on behalf of the people of Banka. In the year 2000, a gold mining company by name Gulf Coast Resources Company Limited (GCRCL) acquired a mining lease for a period of 10 years from the Mineral's Commission to operate a gold mine on Banka Lands. The mining lease expired in 2010. On the expiration of the mining lease, the mining company wrote to the Minister of Lands, Forestry and Natural Resources for renewal of their mining lease on Banka lands. The Banka community spearheaded by the accused person challenged the renewal lease. In a letter dated June 10, 2010 to the sector Minister and authored by the accused person on behalf of the elders and people, the people of Banka petitioned against the renewal of the lease on the grounds that GCRCL had failed to fulfil its corporate and social responsibility to the Banka Community over the past 10 years. Consequently, the Mining lease was renewed for another 10 years beginning from 2011. GCRCL however transferred the rights to another mining company known as Banka Gold Limited. Based on the proceeds of the transfer, GCRCL paid 150,000 dollars to the accused for the people of Banka as promised. Mr Ebenezer Baah Asare-Quansah, the Managing Director of GCRCL, said in his statement to the Police, that the said payment of the amount to the accused was for the people of Banka and not for his personal use. The said the amount was paid into the accused person's account per a Stanbic Bank Cheque number 534403 on June 14, 2011. The accused acknowledged receipt of the said amount which he appended his signature to the contents of the receipt, which indicated that the amount received by accused person was on behalf of the people of Banka. The accused person failed to inform the people of Banka and when they got wind of the amount and quizzed him, he (the accused person) said the money was paid to him for his personal use and not for the development of Banka. According to the accused person, he used the 150,000 dollars to defray his legal expenses when he was pursuing matters against GCRCL. GNA Accra, March 13, GNA - African Women Development Fund (AWDF) in partnership with the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA) of the University of Ghana, has held a panel discussion to sensitise women on Date Rape on university campuses. Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and it specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between the two parties. The programme, dubbed: 'About Last Night' discussed date rape, sexual harassment, relationships on campuses and what they mean, as well as women lifting their voices and discussing their experiences. The discussion was preceded by the screening of a documentary - The Hunting Ground - a documentary on rape on campuses in the United States. The event, which was to commemorate the International Women's Day, was attended by students of the University of Ghana, SOS- Hermann Gmeiner International College in Tema and other women empowerment activists. Ms Amba Mpoke-Bigg, the Communications and Fundraising Specialist of AWDF, said date rape was prevalent on university campuses both internationally and locally. She said this had received a lot of attention and there was the need to address the challenge and enlighten both sexes. Ms Jessica Horn, the Director of Programmes of AWDF, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the AWDF discussed various topics every year to commemorate the International Women's Day. She said this year's discussion on date rape on university campuses was to gather young people to share their experiences and enlighten them to boost their confidence levels to be able to report such abuses. She urged young women to get involved in women activist programmes and stand for their right. Miss Annette A. A. Amoa, a student of the SOS International College, said the discussion had enlightened her to be more alert about issues touching on relationships. She appealed to men to learn to understand women and not to engage in acts that would be injurious to the health of women just to satisfy their personal desires. Miss Yasmine Kudowor, also a student of the College, called on women to stand as one and support each other and avoid acts that they would later regret. The African Women's Development Fund is a grant making foundation which supports local, national and regional women's organisations in Africa working towards the promotion and achievements of women's rights. The AWDF, on the other hand, believes that through creative works and discussions, negative stereotypes of women and girls can be changed. GNA As part of efforts to strengthen West Africas human resource capacities to analyze regional climate change impacts, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, (BMBF) has given scholarships to 100 postgraduate students to pursue courses in Climate Change thematic areas in West Africa. The program is managed by the Capacity Building Department of West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL). The students, who will be studying in 10 of the highest universities in West Africa, expressed delight about the opportunity given them by BMBF through WASCAL. They pledged to fully maximize for their future and that of West Africa. The scholarship also forms part of WASCALs commitment to training and building the capacity of the next generation of African scientists to champion the fight against climate change, while influencing governments and policy makers. The graduate program also aims at designing strategies to adapt to threats, opportunities and uncertainties of climate change within the region. The 100 students, comprising 60 Doctoral Research Program and 40 Masters Research Program Students were drawn from Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Togo, Benin, The Gambia, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cote dIvoire. They will be moving into their various universities, depending on the climate change thematic courses they have chosen to pursue. This is the third batch of students admitted into the WASCAL program since the inception of the WASCAL Capacity Building Program in 2012. So far 255 students have benefited from the scholarship program. The postgraduate program is a partnership between 10 West African Universities and selected German Institutions. The West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) is a large scale research focused Climate Service Centre mandated to help tackle the challenges of climate change in West Africa. It was established by its member countries- Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote dIvoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Mali and Togo- with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). With the vision of becoming one of Africas leading name in the provision of climate change services in and for West Africa, WASCAL is organized around three principal departments: Climate Service Department, The Research Department and the Capacity Building Department. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. you are here: business Codeshare pact to boost profits and connectivity: Jet Airways The codeshare pact will give the airline access to 30 destinations in Europe, he said, adding it helps in servicing 11 destinations in the US and Canada. March 21, 2016 How Do Weekly Demonstrations Indicate A Lack Of Free Speech? This sentence, in a typical Guardian human rights sniveler piece about Cuba, has me confused: Ive been detained and beaten countless times, said Eralidis Frometa Polanco, an activist who turned up in the all-white clothes of the demonstrators, who march silently along 5th Avenue each week in protest at the lack of freedom of expression. [emphasis added] What actual "freedom of expression" do these people claim to lack? It is obviously not the freedom to publicly demonstrate each week. So what is it? My hunch is that these are the typical rabble rousing agitators who accompany each and every U.S. "regime change" attempt. By promoting these the Guardian is propagandizing the weaponization of human rights. "Regime change", chaos and atrocities are allowed if done behind the veil of promoting a few selected human rights like some freedom of expression. Indeed, the U.S. government co-opted "human rights" (vid, start at ~10min) as pretext for nefarious deeds. But what about the human right to work, the human right to equal pay, the human right to just and favorable remuneration, the human right of an adequate standard of living or the human right to free education? Cuba is a champion of promoting these rights while the U.S. is shunning all human rights whenever it fits its purpose. When was the last time Human Rights Watch, or the Guardian, has called out for economic and social human rights? Would they ever support "moderate rebels" who fight for those? Posted by b on March 21, 2016 at 9:31 UTC | Permalink Comments Emma Wall: Hello and welcome to Morningstar. I'm Emma Wall and I'm joined today by Haywood Kelly, Head of Global Research for Morningstar. Hi, Haywood. Haywood Kelly: Hello. Thanks for having me. Wall: Pleasure to have you. So, why do you think that sustainable investing has come to the fore right now? Kelly: That's a great question. I'd say it's been a crescendo over the past decade, say. So, we've over the past couple of years certainly heard an increasing number of our clients, whether that's financial advisors, individuals, institutions, coming to Morningstar and asking what we were doing around ESG and the analytics around ESG? Could we help them make sense of all the products that are proliferating out there? I think regulatory bodies and others out there have just raised awareness around a whole host of ESG issues, not just around climate and the environment, but also about gender equality, labour issues. I mean, these are just at the forefront of people's minds the way they weren't, say, when I started 25 years or so ago in the industry. Wall: And I think that's a really important point, isn't it? We've created this Morningstar sustainability rating and a lot of people may think, you know, but that will only apply to a small section of funds, a small section of companies, those that have to do with climate change. But ESG is a much broader issue than that, isn't it? Kelly: It is. It is. So, the methodology that we're using and our partner, Sustainalytics, uses, it looks at all companies. So, they rate about 4,600 companies. And it's not just environment or oil and gas and tobacco, some of the companies that may immediately come to mind when you think socially responsible investing or ESG. But we're looking at a whole host of environment issues around companies, social issues, so again, gender-type issues, labour force relations and then governance issues, how well-positioned is the company's management and what policies do they have in place to make sure that company is governed in an appropriate way and that applies to all companies. So, all industries, it's relevant. So, Sustainalytics will score companies across the entire spectrum and of course, we need that at Morningstar if we're going to analyse mutual funds we have a whole companies across a wide variety of industries. Wall: And this is definitely something that people are caring more about. You mentioned governance issues there. I mean, even the creation of the new Nikkei Index that screens companies in Japan which don't look after shareholders, gender pay gaps, social issues which affect us individually but also affect us as investors. Kelly: Absolutely. So, again, we're seeing a growing interest in this field and you can see it on the asset manager side, they are launching a lot of products, a lot of funds to cater to this interest. So, that really ups the ante on firms like ourselves who need to provide investors more and better information to sort through this wide variety of funds. It's always been part of Morningstar's mission to take a complicated landscape, the thousands of options that people have out there and help them make sense of it. So, our new sustainability ratings provide a level playing field where investors can rank and screen funds across the universe; who is really doing a good job on these kind of issues. So, we think it's a very important step to just transparency in this whole area. Wall: Adding to the suite? Kelly: That's right, adding to our suite of analytics. Wall: Thank you very much, Haywood. Kelly: Thank you. Wall: This is Emma Wall for Morningstar. Thank you for watching. DALLAS (AP) The estranged wife of internationally renowned pianist Vadym Kholodenko was accused by Texas police Monday of killing their two young daughters before stabbing herself. Sofya Tsygankova faces two counts of capital murder in the deaths of 5-year-old Nika Kholodenko and 1-year-old Michela Kholodenko. Police say the two girls were found dead in their beds in their home in Benbrook, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth. They say Tsygankova was found in an "extreme state of distress." One day last week, Freddy Ford, communications director for former President George W. Bush, emailed me a link to a story about Midlander Don Evans. The story in the Washington Examiner -- a weekly magazine and online site -- was about Evans relationship with two Chinese brothers, Li Fan and Li Hao, whom he met when he was Bushs Commerce secretary. Im rarely moved by anything anymore, but I just came across a sweet story about one of Midlands very own, Ford wrote. ... I see Don Evans 3-4 times a month (he is President Bushs best friend and the chairman of the George W. Bush Presidential Center), and I had NO IDEA about any of this. Says a lot about the man. After reading the story, I also was moved and had one of those inquiring-minds-want-to-know moments. The Reporter-Telegram received permission to republish the Examiner feature by Paul Bedard, and I had the opportunity to email Don Evans for answers to my questions. While on a trade mission to China in 2002, Evans was told by a Chinese official if you want to come back as our friend, go west -- meaning the countrys poor regions -- according to the Examiner article. Evans then visited a small village where he met the brothers, who were blind from birth, he told me in his email. It is why the family could have a second child in a country with a one-child policy. The former secretary did what he could to get medical help for the brothers, who were 11 and 9 when he met them. In the early years of getting to know the family, I offered to bring the boys to the United States to explore the possibility of our medical community dealing with their blindness, Evans said in his email. I talked to my good friend, Vice Premier Madam Wu Yi, about my desire to bring the boys to America and she said she wanted to first determine if they (the Chinese government) could help. Thanks to his intervention, surgery in China on the younger brother, Li Hao, was successful in granting him some level of vision, Evans said. However, Chinese doctors were unable to assist Li Fan, who remained legally blind with minimal eyesight. In one of Evans visits with the boys family, Li Fan expressed his gratitude in a way that spoke to the Midlanders faith. God bless you, he told Evans, in what were his first words in English, according to the Examiner article. They raised the issue of me being a religious man, and ... I responded that I was a man of faith, Evans wrote in his email. On my next trip to see the boys, I asked them to sign my Bible and they were thrilled. They signed on the same page signed by two Chinese pastors of local churches that I attended and delivered a blessing to the congregation. Evans, who visited China last month to attend Li Fans wedding, according to the Examiner article, told me that he hopes that someday they will be able to visit America. The Midland Chamber of Commerce is warning that an old computer virus threat known as ransomware is making the rounds again. At least four reported cases have occurred in Midland in the last few weeks. Ransomware is a type of malware that restricts access to the infected computer system in some way and demands that the user pay a ransom to the malware operators to remove the restriction. The most recent version circulating through our area systematically encrypts files on the systems hard drive, making it difficult or impossible to decrypt without paying the ransom for the encryption key. Recently, we said improving education requires a call to action. Were you listening? We already heard about discussions taking place, and there are reports of school leaders appearing hesitant to buy into the change that Educate Texas is selling. We are curious to know if school leaders and teachers were informed of the many details and seriousness of the situation. The Community Editorial Board had a chance to meet with Educate Texas in the last few months and the findings were eye-opening. Using data from Greatschools.org, Midland ISD has significant room for improvement. Eighteen of the districts 33 schools -- 55 percent -- are rated below average, according to the data. Those schools that measure a 3 or worse on a scale of 1 to 10 are Lee and Midland high schools, Alamo, Goddard and San Jacinto junior highs and Sam Houston, Rusk, Bush, Pease, Bonham, Burnet, South, Travis, Crockett, De Zavala, Lamar, Long and Milam elementaries. Another 13 schools are listed as average, and two -- Carver Center and Early College High School -- are listed as above average. That is 6 percent of MISDs 33 schools being listed as above average as indicated by Greatschools.org. There was other data, presented by Educate Texas, that showed an even-worse trend when it comes to performance and achievement. When it comes to meeting progress on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, Midland trailed the state average for all students in all four categories (all subjects, reading, writing and math) during the 2014-15 school year. When it came to math, Midland students trailed the state average by 26 percentage points (47 to 21 percent). We remind residents that teachers shouldnt take the fall for our current standing, and they must be part of the solution. We wonder if parents are ready for a call to action. We hear stories about parents spending hours with their students extracurricular activties. Are they spending comparable time sitting down with their children going over homework? For many, creating what will be known as Educate Midland cant come soon enough. For some, the situation requires a sense of urgency moving forward. In the past, we know Midlanders have taken pride in the ability of taking care of their own problems and being able to do it our way. Our attitude? Its OK to ask for help. Community Editorial Board Jaime Alexander, civic volunteer Miguel Bustilloz, attorney Michele Harmon Cobb, instructor at University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Alison King, Warren Charitable Foundation director of operations John Love III, Midland City Councilman, District 2 Charlene Romero McBride, Hispanic Cultural Center of Midland executive director Mark Nicholas, president of Nicholas Consulting Group Jessica Rule, founder of SHK The Advertising Firm When two artists like Drake and Rihanna put their minds together, they create magic! Just take a listen to their hit track, "Work." But aside from making popular music together, they teamed up to make a cancer patient's wish come true! The two joined forces during Rihanna's ANTI World Tour stop in Miami and visited Megan, who is a Make-A-Wish Foundation cancer patient. The visit really made her day! The meeting was so sweet and it was clear that everyone really enjoyed the visit. Drake was the first to visit the fan and Rihanna also stopped by for some photos with Megan, according to HipHopDX. @ovomegann #Drake #Rihanna A photo posted by Drake's #1 Fan (@aboodovo) on Mar 20, 2016 at 10:28am PDT This isn't the only nice thing Rihanna has done this week. The songstress gave a very devoted fan a moment to shine at her show in Cincinnatti and he made sure to prove his loyalty. The front-row attendee was given a chance to sing a part of Rihanna's lyrics from "FourFiveSeconds," and his voice even surprised Rihanna! Quite the reaction from Rihanna and the crowd! A good one at that. But we are sure this won't be the last great moment that comes from Rihanna's tour. We will keep you guys updated on the rest of her tour. 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Each and every week we put together our favorite tracks that had premiered a few days prior into one magnificent mixtape to share with you and your friends. This time around we've decided to share new 2016 songs from Drake, M83, MIA, Kanye West and more right here! We previously reported on the latest track from MIA, who sampled Disney's The Lion King for the song "MIA OLA." The familiar "Circle of Life" can be heard in this new hip-hop premiere. She also shared "Foreign Friend" this past week. You can listen to these new tracks right here! Guess what Kanye West did this week? He released a different version of The Life of Pablo, of course! Stream it on TIDAL. Over the weekend at the SXSW music festival, Drake surprised a ton of fans with some big news. According to Consequence of Sound, he shared an update on his new album and premiered a new collaboration with PartyNextDoor, "Come and See Me." Check it out right here: Speaking of collaborations, Beck teamed up with The Strokes members Fabrizio Moretti and Nick Valensi for a cover of Eagles of Death Metal's "I Love You All The Time." As you know, the proceeds of these covers go to the Paris shooting victims' families and more. Check it out right here! If we share one cover, we need to share at least one more! Flume shared his cover of Alessia Cara's "Here" this week, which you can listen to right here! The Mountain Goats premiered a brand new song this week on their Tumblr page, announcing even more new music is on the way as well. "Going Back to California" is the indie group's latest track, which is surely a great taste of tunes to come! Listen to this song right here! ShowYouSuck has asked the most important question of the year with his latest fire track, "Crocs or Nah." Need I say more? Listen to this new song right here: We know that we have a new album from M83, entitled Junk, dropping next month, but this week we were treated to a great new track off of the 2016 record. Listen to "Solitude" right here. "Lump Street" is the latest song from Frightened Rabbit, which was produced by Aaron Dessner of The National. Basically, if you're a fan of either project, you're going to love this song. Have a listen right here: Deftones are back. Listen to their newest scorcher, "Doomed User," right here and transport your angsty mind back to your middle school days! If you're looking to share some music with a pal or a significant other, we think that this new mix is perfect for such a gift! Enjoy these songs together! You can check out more buzzing news coverage from Music Times right here! Who will you share this new Mixtape with this week? Let us know in the comments section below! 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. There's no doubt that Ariana Grande has some major singing chops, and her angelic voice is on full display in the latest version of "Dangerous Woman." Leading up to the release of the track's music video, on Sunday (March 20), the recent Saturday Night Live host released a teaser clip filled with a stunning a cappella version of her new single. Wearing the leather, BDSM-inspired black bunny mask as seen on her Dangerous Woman album cover, Grande starts off small and quiet, though as she wanders around the set, she grows more confident in the a cappella track. Blasting into the loud and proud chorus, Grande proves herself as one of pop's most proficient pure vocalists. But, the video isn't all Grande showing off her raw vocal skills. For the song's soaring guitar solo, the pop star also shows off her quirky side, mimicking the sounds of a guitar with a goofy smile on her face. But, then that big, bold key change kicks in, and it's all back to business for Grande. "Dangerous Woman" is the new single from Ariana Grande's third studio album of the same name. It follows the release of last year's "Focus" (which may or may not be included on the album) and preceded the release of teaser track "Be Alright," which Grande debuted on SNL. The music video, from which this clip was likely taken, has yet to receive an official release date. However, Dangerous Woman is confirmed to drop on May 20. The release of Dangerous Woman will be Grande's first studio release since 2014's My Everything. 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Someone should sue the President for ... A local group gathered water and supplies for the residents of Flint, Michigan Saturday afternoon at the Washington Shores Church of Christ in Orlando. This comes just days after Congress grilled the governor of Michigan and the Head of the EPA over the Flint water crisis. Everybody here is volunteering their time, said T.J. Legacy-Cole, Co-organizer for Sunshine 4 Flint. T.J. Legacy-Cole is the co-organizer of the local group called, Sunshine 4 Flint. We are going to take the 17 and a half hour drive and we are going to deliver the relief items directly to the residents of Flint, Michigan, said Legacy-Cole. In total, the group has collected about 600 cases of water. On Saturday, volunteers collected about 300 cases. What weve heard is that a family of four is only getting one case to bathe with, to drink with and to prepare food with, said Eric Rollings, Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor. Eric Rollings attended the event Saturday. He grew up one hour away from Flint, so the situation there hits close to home. Ive talked to friends of friends and friends relatives and from some of the stories weve been hearing, theyve been pretty dire, said Rollings. So how did the water in Flint become toxic? In 2014, the state decided to switch the citys water source to the Flint River. High amounts of lead were later found. The city switched back to the old water supply in October, but the damage was already done. The state of Michigan and local groups like Sunshine 4 Flint hope handing out filters and bottled water will somewhat help the situation. The group is still accepting donations for the residents in Flint. You can make donations to the Washington Shores Church of Christ from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. You can also donate to the St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park. The nation of Burundi, in central Africa, is the least happy nation in the world, according to a number of sources, and Noela Rukundo stands as proof. She is a refugee who fled from Burundi to Australia in 2004 when the rebel army was killing anything and everybody. That same year a man, Balenga Kalala, also fled to Australia after watching the rebels kill his wife and son. There, a most tantalizing tale would one day capture the worlds eye. It turns out Noela and Balenga had the same social worker and soon fell in love, became as one, and had three young children of their own. But sometime in November of 2014, Balenga figured Noela was messing around, and called some mean gangsters back in Burundi. He ordered a hit and sent money to the gang that assured the next time Noela came back to her native land, she would get snuffed. So it came about in January of 2015, the refugee wife flew 7,500 miles from Melbourne to attend her step-mothers funeral. One day the heat was so oppressive she was in her hotel, taking a siesta, when her husband called and the carefully-planned treachery started to unfold. By taking quotes from about six news stories, lets let her tell in her own halting English what happened: "He says he'd been trying to get me for the whole day," Noela told the BBCs Outlook. "I said I was going to bed. He told me, 'To bed? Why are you sleeping so early?' I say, 'I'm not feeling happy'. And he asks me, 'How's the weather? Is it very, very hot?' He told me to go outside for fresh air." "I didn't think anything. I just thought that he cared about me, that he was worried about me. I opened the gate and I saw a man coming towards me. Then he pointed the gun on me. He just told me, 'Don't scream. If you start screaming, I will shoot you. They're going to catch me, but you? You will already be dead.' "So, I did exactly what he told me," she recalled being pushed to a waiting car. "I was sitting between two men. One had a small gun, one had a long gun. And the men say to the driver, 'Pass us a scarf.' Then they cover my face. After that, I didn't say anything. They just said to the driver, 'Let's go.' "I was taken somewhere, 30 to 40 minutes, then I hear the car stop," then she was led blindfolded and tied to a chair. One of the kidnappers told his friend, 'Go call the boss.' I can hear doors open but I didn't know if their boss was in a room or if he came from outside. "They ask me, 'What did you do to this man? Why has this man asked us to kill you?' And then I tell them, 'Which man? Because I don't have any problem with anybody.' They say, 'Your husband!' I say, 'My husband can't kill me, you are lying!' And then they slap me. "After that the boss says, 'You are very stupid, you are fool. Let me call who has paid us to kill you.'" As the boss made the call, he turned on the speaker phone. We already have her," he bragged and then heard her husbands unmistakable voice, Kill her kill her! I heard his voice. I heard him. I felt like my head was going to blow up. "Then they described for him where they were going to chuck the body," she said, this just before she passed out. At that, Noela says she passed out. I knew he was a violent man," she told reporters, but I didn't believe he can kill me. I loved this man with all my heart! I give him, beautiful and handsome, two boys and one girl. So I don't know why he choose to kill me." As Noela regained consciousness, I said to myself, I was already dead. Nothing I can do can save me. But he looks at me and then he says, 'We're not going to kill you. We don't kill women and children.' "He told me I'd been stupid because my husband paid them the deposit in November. And when I went to Africa it was January. He asked me, 'How stupid can you be, from November, you can't see that something is wrong?'" The gang called her husband back, extorting another $600 to go with the $7,000 Balenga had already paid. Then they released her on a deserted road with the words, 'We give you 80 hours to leave this country,'" Noela repeated. "'Your husband is serious. Maybe we can spare your life, but other people, they're not going to do the same thing. If God helps you, you'll get to Australia.'" As they did, they gave the frightened Noela a memory card of all the phone conversation planning her demise and the Western Union money receipts. And now comes the best part! "We just want you to go back, to tell other stupid women like you what happened," the gang leader growled. "You must learn something: you people get a chance to go overseas for a better life. But the money you are earning, the money the government gives to you, you use it for killing each other!" Noela immediately called her pastor in Melbourne. 'It was in the middle of the night. I says, 'It's me, I'm still alive, don't tell anybody.' He says, 'Noela, I don't believe it. Balenga can't kill someone!' And I said, 'Pastor, believe me!'" On Feb. 22, 2015, Noela was back in Melbourne but by then Balenga had told people his wife had died in a terrible accident in Africa. Ironically, that very day he had hosted mourners at their house and even accepted money from friends. "It was around 7:30 pm," Noela said. "He was in front of the house. People had been inside mourning with him and he was escorting a group of them into a car." As they drove away, Noela appeared in his sight. I stood just looking at him. He was scared, he didn't believe it. Then he starts walking towards me, slowly, like he was walking on broken glass. He kept talking to himself and when he reached me, he touched me on the shoulder. He jumped. "He did it again. He jumped. Then he said, 'Noela, is it you?' Then he start screaming, 'I'm sorry for everything.'" Then she called the police, got a restraining order and, at the police request, managed to get Balenga to confess in a taped telephone conversation. "He say he wanted to kill me because he was jealous," says Noela. "He think that I wanted to leave him for another man." At first the horrified husband denied the plot but when he was played the recording, and shown the Western Union receipts, he could only cry. He would later tell his estranged wife, Sometimes (the) devil can come into someone to do something but after they do it, they start thinking, 'Why I did that thing?'" In December, Balenga Kalala was sentenced to nine years in prison for incitement to murder and, while Noela reportedly has nightmares over the two days she spent with the gang, she is ready to face the future. I will stand up like a strong woman," she told BBC viewers. "My situation, my past life? That is gone. I'm starting a new life now." Dont you love a happy ending? royexum@aol.com Tucked away in a quiet Orlando neighborhood is a concert hall like no other. That's because this week's Everyday Hero has literally opened his home to the world of music. By day, Benoit Glazer is the Musical Director for the Cirque de Soleil show, La Nouba, but when he's not at work, he's hosting concerts in his house and what a unique house it is. "What we wanted to do was to have world-class facilities," said Glazer. "We have a recording and broadcasting studio, but what makes it unique is that it's in a house." Glazer arrived in Orlando back in 1998, but he found very little art music in the community, so he and his wife started hosting small concerts at home. "When we started this, We were trying to make this the center of activity as far as art music goes," said Glazer. The demand meant a need for more space, so at his own expense, he built "The White House" with music in mind. "It's a very efficient way to build," said Glazer. "It's also very soundproof, so if you're standing outside of the house and there's a big band in here, you won't hear the band until you actually come in to the house." Glazer started the Timucua Foundation and now hosts 76 concerts per year, drawing fans from as far away as Miami, and top musicians from around the world. For most shows, there's no tickets, no cost, and a waiting list of performers wanting to play for free at the house. "The fact that these musicians are coming to perform at a house makes it intimate and warm," said Glazer. "To them, it's not a job, because they don't have to unload. When they get here, the stage is all ready, the microphones are set up, the sound check is done. They come, they try things, and it sounds great." Glazer homes to get art grants in the future to export The White House concept, and someday wants this to be his full-time job. "The music is not wallpaper," said Glazer. "The music is the attraction when people come here." For more information go to: www.timucua.com The Timucua Foundation offers an optional $100 annual membership, which gets you first choice of the 125 available seats. Its been one year since Osceola County started their wage theft ordinance and now we will find out how successful its been. This local law triggered a lot of discussion one year ago when it passed 4-1, and it could be a topic of discussion as the County Attorney submits an official document to the Osceola County Commission showing how many complaints they have heard. The settlement in that sole complaint earned the filer $328 but cost the county over $1,300 to investigate. Last March when the ordinance was initially discussed, commissioners thought a wage theft ordinance was important, because residents complained that their employers werent paying their full wages. The only course of action an employee could make at the time was force the employee to seek legal counsel, which commissioners argued was difficult for many to afford. Thats why they created the ordinance to provide an alternative. Now anyone with a complaint can file with the county, and the county attorneys office acts as mitigation between the employee and employer, determining if there were any wrong doings made by the employer. PREVIOUS STORIES One Orlando driver is fed up. Now he's voicing his concerns about one intersection in particular. Lee Gillham from Orlando writes in this week: Every morning I have to witness drivers illegally cutting other drivers off (including myself) at the intersection of Conway and Lake Underhill. What can we do to have an officer to watch this intersection? Lee Gillham is a frequent traveler near the intersection of Conway Road and Lake Underhill Road. "My big concerns are people are in such a rush that they put everybody else aside," said Gillham. "I travel this road every day Monday through Friday. The worst times are obviously in the morning." Now he feels his morning commute has grown too unsafe just to sit quietly by. "It's pretty crucial for people's lives around here, said Gillham. I mean people just don't put other people's lives ahead of theirs anymore," said Gillham. Gillham has a couple of concerns with this area. The first is the actual intersection of Lake Underhill and Conway where people traveling Northbound on Conway Road trying to get to State Road 408 are suddenly being cut off by people traveling in the right-turn only lane. "I've seen people get into altercations at this light, said Gillham. Instead of people waiting their turn or asking to be let over, they'll just put the nose of their car in-between yours." The other problem lies at a school crossing zone about a quarter of a mile to the south of that intersection. Gillham claims that although there is police presence for the southbound side of the street, those traveling northbound blow through a school crosswalk, speeding and not heeding children trying to cross the street. "I've seen people going 50 miles an hour down there," said Gillham. It's 20 miles an hour when the lights are flashing." So what would Gillham like to have done about it? "I would like to see an officer sit here and watch and see what they need to do. I mean, they are the professionals about it," said Gillham. We reached out to the Orlando Police Department on Friday for comment regarding the intersection and possibly action. Weve been told a sergeant needs to take a look at the intersection before they can give us a response. Hopefully for that intersection, help is on the way soon. In the meantime, here are just a few consequences for some of the bad practices Gillham described. Just for speeding between 1-9 miles per hour over the school zone speed limit could cost you $154 in Orange County. As for cutting off other drivers, an improper lane change per Florida Statutes is considered a moving violation, which in Orange County is a $164 fine. View our Real Time Traffic Map and check cameras on Central Florida's major roads. If you have a traffic question, Ryan Harper can answer it. Send him your question. West Texas communities are mourning the loss of a Plainview native as a local hospital has confirmed a fatality in a New Mexico crash. The University Medical Center in Lubbock confirmed Sunday that one of the three patients airlifted from a vehicle accident near Fort Sumner has died. The deceased has been identified as Plainview native and Texas Tech student Jerry Davis. Davis, 26, was reportedly one of five people in a vehicle returning to Lubbock from a mission trip in San Diego. New Mexico State Police say Davis was the driver of the vehicle which crashed around 10 a.m. on highway 60/84 just east of Fort Sumner, N.M. The initial investigation revealed that the vehicle, driven by Davis was eastbound when he lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle then overturned several times through the median and came to rest in the westbound lane of travel. Davis, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Passengers Ken Choi and Genesis Guevara sustained serious injuries and were airlifted from the scene as well. Passengers Hunter Hall and Alondra Guevara sustained injuries and were transported by ambulance to Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis, New Mexico. This vehicle crash is still under investigation. It was reported that the group in the vehicle were a part of the Texas Tech Navigators, a Christian student organization. The group had spent their spring break in San Diego working with the homeless. Texas Tech spokesman Chris Cook issued a statement on the tragedy. Texas Tech University extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Jerry Davis and the students involved in this tragedy," he said. "University officials have been in touch with the families of the injured students and will remain in close contact and available, while monitoring their conditions. New Vision Urban Missions in San Diego shared more on the story. All our program staff remember Jerry Davis, said a representative of the missionary. On Friday night, he made a point to tell me that he was so impacted by the time we spent downtown interacting with the homeless that he signed up for the second time that we went out. He also helped reach out to a man who is estranged from his family and newly on the streets. Every time I saw Jerry, he was fully engaged in the activities of the trip and the people around him. I wish I'd had the pleasure of knowing him better, but this I can confidently say, "I saw him fully invest the last week of this life to serve others, care for the poor, encourage the broken hearted, and share it all with those who counted him a friend." Before enrolling in Texas Tech, Davis was also a student at Wayland Baptist University. I have been to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the winter, in the summer and in its most visited time of year October.But for some reason, I dont believe I have ever been there in March. On Friday, I changed that, as my wife, Laura, and I took a drive around the 10-mile loop. The weather was in about the mid-60s, the sky was perfectly blue, and I have now decided March is my favorite time of year to visit this area of farmland and historic structures.The traffic was not too bad, at least on a weekday, and I did not sweat or get too cold when I climbed out of car four or five times to view a building, some wildlife or a natural area up close.And one attraction was there that I had never seen before in Cades Cove the daffodil flower.Every few hundred yards a row or two of daffodils was spotted, meaning that an old homestead was once there.I walked through a field to get a picture of some daffodils, and I had the sensation I was back on our Mountain Creek family farm, which my father, Dr. C. Wayne Shearer, and my late mother, Velma Shearer, sold in 2004. I guess it has been awhile since I walked through a pasture!Cades Cove, perhaps because it is apparently a little elevated, seemed to be more than a week behind the rest of East Tennessee from Knoxville south, as no red bud trees could be spotted. But there was plenty of other beauty.All in all, it was a great visit to Cades Cove and a relaxing and peaceful day.jcshearer2@comcast.net , , , , . With the recent Chattanooga Airport commercial terminal expansion, the airport plans to further rehabilitate the parking lot by installing a bigger exit canopy.At the airport board meeting Monday morning, officials said over 200 spaces have been added to the long-term parking lot, and over 100 spaces to the short-term zone. Covered canopies were put in the lots that the proposed exit canopy will match.Danny Pack Construction, Inc. had the low bid of $33,510 to demolish the existing canopy and install a wider and nicer one with lighting.The project will be funded through the Passenger Facility Charge, with no cost to the airport. All of the work will be done with little to no impact to the customers as they leave the airport, officials said.The board voted to renew its contract with Wilson Air Center, the company that provides award-winning corporate aviation support services. Initially hired in December of 2010, Wilson Air Center has since enabled the Chattanooga Airport to remain competitive on fuel pricing, renovate various facilities, and provide top-notch customer service.Because of this, airport President Terry Hart said not only did the airport want to renew the contract for another five years, but to sign on for an additional five years, making the contract a 10-year agreement. Board members agreed to this, stating Wilson Air has brought in quality people and run a first class operation.Bob Wilson, company founder, traveled from the businesss home in Memphis to personally thank the board for the Airports partnership with Wilson Air."I grew up to believe in the power of partnerships," he said, remembering life lessons from his father Kemmons Wilson, who founded Holiday Inn.The board also voted to purchase a new ARFF (airport rescue and firefighting) vehicle for $767,079. The current ARFF vehicle has reached the end of its life, and the money to buy the new one is included in the 2016-2017 budget.Additionally, the board voted to modify the Hangar 7 security system at a cost of $43,881, to be reimbursed by West Star Aviation, the aircraft maintenance company that occupies that space.President Hart reported the $3.2 million community hangar proposed last September is well underway and on track to see completion in May. He updated that enplanements are up, and the Airport is working on a series of customer service enhancements, including shorter waits at baggage claim, a $750,000 grant to allow focus on New York access from Chattanooga, and an app to let guests manage parking from their phones.Chairman Dan Jacobson commented he is looking forward to celebrating the new hangar, which falls in line with the Airports standards to remain one of the most sustainable mid-sized airports in the world.On another topic, President Hart said the Airport partnered with EPB to bring the Tennessee Aquarium within its realms. A large flat screen monitor in the main hall will display the Aquariums Bayou Exhibit, with speakers that tell information.Were looking forward to having the Aquarium at the airport, President Hart said. The TSMC-built variant of the A9 chip inside of the iPhone 6s/6s Plus. Image credit: Chipworks. Contract chip manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation , or TSMC, has been one of the key beneficiaries of the utter explosion in demand for mobile devices. A typical smartphone contains a lot of chips, ranging from power management circuits all the way up to complex applications processors that, in some ways, can be even more complex than the processors found in personal computers. Most of the companies that supply these chips into the smartphone market are fabless -- meaning that they rely on contract chip manufacturers to actually build their designs. As a result of this, TSMC -- the largest of these manufacturers -- has seen its revenue and net income surge. TSM Net Income (TTM) data by YCharts Unsurprisingly, this boom in sales and profits has led to the stock doing quite well over the last five years, with shares trouncing the PHLX Semiconductor ETF in that period. In the March 18 trading session, shares of the chipmaker hit a new all-time high of $26.25, valuing the company at nearly $130 billion. TSM data by YCharts What's next for TSMC investors? It's likely that the "easy money" in TSMC has been made and that it will be difficult for the stock to out-perform the broader semiconductor industry as a whole going forward. Indeed, although TSMC seems optimistic about its ability to grow content share inside of smartphones (leading to higher revenue per unit), unit growth isn't likely to be anywhere close to where it has been in the past. Indeed, research firm IDC reports that the smartphone market grew units at a sub-10% clip in 2015 and forecasts a compounded annual growth rate through 2019 should be along the lines of 7.4%. At its recent Technology Symposium, per EETimes, TSMC talked about its increasing ambitions to go after non-mobile segments of the semiconductor market such as high performance computing, the Internet of Things, as well as the automotive markets. Successful attacks on these markets via its customers, coupled with continued content growth, should allow TSMC to outgrow the smartphone market as a whole. Given that TSMC trades for a fairly modest multiple (just over 14 times trailing twelve month earnings as of a recent check), this isn't a call for TSMC shares to drop precipitously or anything like that. Indeed, it would appear that the market has correctly "sniffed out" that the period of hyper-growth will soon come to an end. From here on out, I expect that TSMC will be a highly profitable leader in its industry that is ultimately able to deliver modest growth for the foreseeable future. How about the stock price? A stock price is a function of two things: earnings and the multiple that investors are willing to pay for those earnings. TSMC trades at a below market multiple because it is large and dominant in its industry, an industry that's maturing. I don't think that the stock will see a significant repricing in terms of multiple anytime soon, barring some significant industry/macroeconomic shift that impacts the stock market/semiconductor stocks as a whole. With that in mind, my expectation is that TSMC's stock should move up year-after-year as long as earnings continue to grow. This isn't the kind of stock that one is going to "get rich" off of, but as far as investments in the semiconductor industry go, it's probably a solid bet for more conservative investors. 3 companies poised to explode when cable dies Cable is dying. And there are 3 stocks that are poised to explode when this faltering $2.2 trillion industry finally bites the dust. Just like newspaper publishers, telephone utilities, stockbrokers, record companies, bookstores, travel agencies, and big box retailers did when the Internet swept away their business models. And when cable falters, you don't want to miss out on these 3 companies that are positioned to benefit. Click here for their names. Hint: They're not the ones you'd think! The article Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. Surges to All-Time High originally appeared on Fool.com. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. If County Commissioner Marty Haynes defeats Democrat Mark Siedlecki for assessor of property in August, it would set up an election for his successor on Nov. 8, the same time as the presidential balloting. Kerry Steelman, election administrator, said the political parties would need to caucus to come up with candidates. He said a person who sought the party nomination and did not receive it could not run in November as an Independent. Mr. Steelman said the County Commission would have the option to name an interim for the District 3 seat, or could choose to not fill it until the November vote. Commissioner Haynes could not be both commissioner and assessor. He would need to resign his commission post prior to being sworn in as assessor on Sept. 1. He defeated two fellow Republicans, Sterling Jetton and Randy Johnston, in the primary election. The parties would need to submit their nominees by noon on Sept. 14 - the qualifying deadline. County School Board member Greg Martin said he plans to be a candidate for the District 3 County Commission seat should it come open. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On your marks, jet-set, Spring Break. The rich kids of Instagram are running rampant through Spring Break 2016 on their private jets, luxury vehicles and yachts. While beach-bumming breakers fill their beer bongs with Natural Light, its Dom Perignon and champagne showers for these well-heeled youngsters. RELATED: San Antonio's posh New Year's Eve parties seen on Instagram You wont catch them tanning at exclusive Las Vegas pools wearing last years mix-and-match Target swimsuit, either. Their high-quality fashion sense travels with them wherever they go to South Beach, New York and exclusive posh parties. RELATED: The glamorous lifestyles of San Antonio's young elite, seen through the lens of Instagram They share their vacation escapades on Instagram to remind the world even their most lavish days still can't level up. Click through the gallery above to see Spring Break in style. Paul Qui, an award-winning Austin chef and restaurateur, has been arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend over the weekend, according to police. Qui, who owns the restaurants Qui and East Side King, was charged with assault causing bodily injury to a family member and unlawful restraint, both Class A misdemeanors, on Saturday. RELATED: Police: South Texas woman rammed her car into Mercedes-Benz containing her husband, 2 kids One of Qui's friends had called police to tell them that Qui and his girlfriend were fighting just before 8 a.m. to Qui's East Austin apartment, according to an arrest affidavit. Officers could hear "banging around" inside the apartment in addition to yelling and screaming, according to the affidavit. Qui had "blood all over his face, arms, legs and clothing" when he answered the door, police said in the affidavit. Officers found Qui's girlfriend crying inside of the apartment while holding a small child, according to the affidavit. Blood was smeared on the apartment's walls and floor and furniture and broken glass were found tossed around the inside of the home, the affidavit said. Qui's girlfriend told police that Qui woke her up and asked her to join his friends, who were using cocaine, Xanax and marijuana as well as drinking alcohol, according to the affidavit. Qui, 35, accused his girlfriend of flirting with his friends, claimed that she was "in agreement to having group sex," and told them to leave, Qui told police. RELATED: Lyft fires Austin driver accused of drunken driving with a customer in the car The restaurateur's girlfriend told police that Qui began overturning furniture and breaking glass, prompting her to gather some of her belongings and try to leave with her son. Qui blocked the door and "forcibly pushed her and her son away" from the exit, according to the affidavit. Police said the 35-year-old "Top Chef" winner then began throwing the woman around and telling her she couldn't leave. Qui is "very controlling and extremely jealous," the victim told police. The girlfriend told police that she was experiencing pain in her hip and knee. An officer also noted a fresh cut on her right forearm, bruising on her upper arms and swelling on the right side of her jaw. RELATED: Police: Texas teenage girl stabbed woman 21 times and called it 'absolutely fantastic' in her diary Qui was no longer in Travis County Jail as of Monday morning, according to online jail records. In 2012, Qui won the ninth season of "Top Chef," a competitive cooking reality series on Bravo. The Austin-based chef also won the James Beard Foundation Award for best Southwest Chef that year. News station KXAN first reported the story. jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have been charged with assault after video shows them engaging in violence at the GOP frontrunner's rally in Tucson this weekend. RELATED: Florida man dresses up as Donald Trump's penis outside rally before Tuesday primary elections CBS News reported that Tony Pettway, 32, was charged for allegedly assaulting protester Bryan Sanders at a Trump rally Saturday in the Tucson Convention Center. Video captured by Twitter user Alex Satterly shows Pettway tearing up a sign that Sanders was carrying, sucker-punching Sanders and kicking the protester before he's escorted away by police. Another supporter, 67-year-old Linda Rothman, faces a charge of misdemeanor assault at the same event, according to CBS News. RELATED: Video shows Florida man trying to get dog to salute Donald Trump in loyalty pledge In two weeks, three Donald Trump supporters have drawn assault charges for engaging in violence at the real estate mogul's campaign events. 78-year-old John McGraw was charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct for sucker-punching a protester as officers escorted the protester from a March 9 rally in North Carolina. In a video, the 78-year-old man told Inside Edition that he enjoyed "knocking the hell out of that big mouth," referring to the protester. "The next time we see him, we might have to kill him," McGraw said, adding that the protester could belong to a "terrorist organization." RELATED: Meet the family of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Trump has voiced support for violence against protesters at his rallies. In February, Trump told a crowd in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that he would pay legal costs for supporters who roughed up protesters. "So if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously," Trump said. "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." The mogul has said he is considering whether to pay "legal fees" for McGraw. Trump also told a crowd that he would "like to punch [a protester] in the face" after a protester interrupted the Republican candidate during a rally in Nevada. "He's walking out, big high-fives, smiling, laughing; [I'd] like to punch him in the face," Trump said. jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Guns. Women. Jesus. More guns. Photos published by the Mexican outlet El Blog del Narco give an inside look at the hitmen working for the Gulf Cartel. RELATED: Fugitive Gulf cartel boss nicknamed 'Ewok' arrested in Mexico after years of trafficking in Texas According to the blog, the photos were taken in Tamaulipas, the Mexican state just across the U.S.-Mexico border from Brownsville. In the photos, men and women who look to be in their 20s tout firearms, don military fatigues and display religious idolatry. RELATED: Feds: Suspects in North Texas slaying of ex-Mexican drug cartel lawyer tied to 12 other killings The Gulf Cartel dominates the state of Tamaulipas as well as the states of Quintana Roo and San Luis Potosi, according to a recently declassified DEA report. However, the cartel is suffering internal power struggles, likely contributing to the rise of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. RELATED: The rising Mexican drug cartel figures that could replace Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Cartels send images of themselves to local media to either intimidate rival cartels or put up a nationalistic front, Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration, told mySA.com in September. jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports Posted on 03/21/2016, 1:46 pm, by mySteinbach Public advised to avoid driving on flooded roads The Hydrologic Forecast Centre of Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation advises that normal seasonal daytime high temperatures near 0C in southern Manitoba for the next seven to 10 days are slowing the spring run-off and snowmelt in most areas. There is no significant precipitation forecast for any of Manitobas river basins during this period. As the spring melt continues, all drivers are reminded to be cautious when encountering water on a road as the depth can be deceiving. Motorists are warned to avoid driving on a closed or flooded road. In much of southern Manitoba most of the snowpack has melted and in many areas, including the Souris and Pembina rivers watersheds as well as tributaries of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, the majority of snowpack run-off is complete. Streams have crested and are receding. Over the weekend, there was some local overland flooding as well as flooding caused by frozen culverts or ice jamming of drains and small streams. There is currently an ice jam on the Red River downstream of Selkirk, in the vicinity of Peltz Drive and McIvor Lane, causing levels to rise on the Red River. The ice jam is caused by the narrow river channel in the area. Officials are monitoring the situation and will consider use of the Amphibex ice breakers if conditions, including open water downstream, permit their usage. The ice jam mitigation program was undertaken this winter, breaking a 24-kilometre channel through the ice on the Red River, with additional icebreaking work on the Brokenhead, Fisher and Icelandic rivers. The icebreaking and ice-cutting equipment is operated and maintained by North Red Waterway Maintenance Inc., a corporation formed by the rural municipalities of St. Andrews and St. Clements, and the City of Selkirk. The Red River crested in most locations in the Canadian portion of the rivers basin late March 18 and has remained relatively stable since then. Ste. Agathe crested at approximately 28,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Levels on the Red River were high enough on the weekend for a small amount of water to flow into the floodway channel naturally, but the inlet control structure has not been operated and is not expected to be operated this year. The Red River in Winnipeg also crested late March 18 at approximately 18.1 ft. at James Avenue due to ice jams. The peak flow was approximately 43,000 cfs. Flows on the Assiniboine River are being monitored closely and ice that is still in place on portions of the river is affecting water level readings at some stations. Tributary flows to the river are generally dropping, although when temperatures increase significant run-off is still expected from the upper portions of the basin into Shellmouth Dam. Flows at Brandon are expected to stay within the banks this year. The Portage Diversion may be operated to manage ice conditions on the lower Assiniboine River. Further north in the upper Assiniboine and Saskatchewan River basins, the snowpack remains intact and only a portion of run-off has taken place. Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman on Monday agreed to allow a direct appeal on an issue in the case of Jessica Sterchi, who is charged with first-degree murder. The judge noted that the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals must also agree to hear the appeal involving whether the full statement that Ms. Sterchi gave to Detective Lucas Fuller should be allowed. Judge Steelman earlier ruled that the latter part of the statement could not go to the jury. That part came after Ms. Sterchi was shown a photo of the victim, Zachary Higdon, then said several times, "I don't want to do this any more." Defense attorney Rip Biggs said Ms. Sterchi had made some admissions earlier in the interview, though she went into more detail later. Prosecutor Cameron Williams said he initially had not intended to file an appeal, but was going to trial without the evidence. However, he said the victim's family desired an appeal and the state attorney general's office agreed to argue the case. He said the attorney general's office said it "would be a very close issue." Ms. Sterchi continued to talk with the detective for over an hour after making the statements about not wanting to go on. Ms. Sterchi, who is on house arrest, is also charged with especially aggravated robbery and tampering with evidence in the 2011 slaying. At an earlier hearing, according to police and prosecutor Williams, Ms. Sterchi knew of a plan between her boyfriend and his brother to rob Higdon. Detective Fuller testified that Ms. Sterchi was the one who initially suggested Higdon's name as someone to rob because she "knew him to be the type that wouldn't fight back." He said, "She had received information from some addicts that he had lots of dope." By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Struggling out of my Campaign 2016 yellow waders TPP/TTiP/TISA President Obamas allies in the media are working hard laying the groundwork for Congressional approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) [CEPR]. Robert Samuelson did his part with a column warning that it would be dangerous if the next president repudiated the TPP. I suppose the piece is worth some brownie points with the administration, but it doesnt make much sense. Shocker. Why Vietnam Loves the Trans-Pacific Partnership [The Diplomat]. In Chinas shadow, Hanoi is biting on the trade pact and swallowing its bitter past with the United States. Wait, doesnt that imply TPP isnt a trade pact? 2016 Policy Kasichs Contradictory Foreign Policy [The National Interest]. Money These ZIP codes give the most to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders [USA Today]. Six of the 10 ZIP codes providing the most campaign cash to Clinton sit in Manhattan. Sanders gets college towns. During last months critical phase of the Democratic presidential campaign, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) raised $14 million more than former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, according to reports filed Sunday with the Federal Election Commission. In that same month, Sanders spent $9.4 million more than his rival [Seven Days]. And all without any negotiable affection with lobbyists and squillionaires! Some 82% of her funds raised through January were for more than $200, compared to 29% for Mr. Sanders. He [xic!!] also has a well funded super PAC, Priorities USA Action, supporting her. [Wall Street Journal, Hillary Clinton Touts One Million Donors, While Bernie Sanders Approaches Two] Bernie Sanders and the Democratic National Convention [Observer]. Led by Sanders, progressives should form a Peoples PAC to elect liberals. No. Not liberals. Leftists, including socialists. No neoliberals allowed. The Voters How the Media Gets the Narrative on the White Working Class Totally Wrong [In These Times]. [T]he assumption [is] that white people who have graduated from college are less racist, less anti-immigrant, less anti-feminist, less homophobic, and generally more tolerant of diversity than people who have not. As a college professor, I very much hope this assumption is valid, but I could find no solid evidence that it is. At least in political commentary, the question is never asked, and you have to wonder why not. Who Is the Hillary Voter? [The New Republic]. This, then, is the one thing the Clinton voter has in common with the Trump voter: a refusal to buy into the prevailing wisdom about their candidate. Sanders Voters in MA to Sue Bill Clinton for Trampling on Voting Rights Seek Delegates be Awarded to Bernie [Ralph Lopez (MR)]. Interesting but only a draft. No complainants. That establishment Republicans such as Williamson are deluded enough to believe that the last 40 years havent been an economic disaster for working class Americans, and that therefore their personal struggles provide an appropriate occasion for sanctimonious moralizing, helps explain why Donald Trump is winning the battle for the Republican nomination [Alternet]. Beyond the Bern: How Progressive Movements Leap Ahead of Electoral Politics [Truthout]. The Trail Breaking: Report Of High Level DNC Infiltration In N. Carolina Sanders Campaign [Wall Street $Shill]. For Republicans, the Senate May Be the Price for SCOTUS Blockade [Washington Monthly (ReSilc)]. The [Republican] seven senators who signaled their willingness to meet with Garland are heading into tough fights in November. Were Still in Nixonland: 20 theses about the state of politics today [Corey Robin]. Must read; very astute. Clinton Email Hairball Fact checking the Hillary Clinton email controversy WaPo. A bit stale, but a worthwhlie roundup for an issue that seems unlikely to die. Stats Watch Chicago Fed National Activity Index, February 2016: A warm weather drop in utility output is a major factor behind a much lower-than-expected reading for the national activity index [Econoday]. Existing Home Sales, February 2016: Housing demand continues to soften with existing home sales down a surprising 7.1 percent in February [Econoday]. Another month of price concession did not boost sales. The weakness in this report, described as meaningful by the usually upbeat National Association of Realtors, is substantial and, like last weeks drop in housing permits, represents a downgrade for housing, a sector that was supposed to be a leader of the 2016 economy. Todays Fear & Greed Index: 78, Extreme Greed (previous close: 79, Extreme Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 75 (Extreme Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Mar 21 at 1:10pm. Police State Watch Professional liability insurance sales among policemen jumps 15% in one year report [Russia Today]. The magic of the marketplace! Last year, US government lawyers, long loath to admit to the programmes existence, admitted to the existence of 14,000 photographs of prisoners being transported on planes and held in secret locations. [Financial Times, The appearance of disappearance: the CIAs secret black sites] Owning Up to Torture [New York Times]. Come on. Torturers have impunity just as much as banksters. Obama Administration Breaks Record in Rejecting FOIA Requests [AP]. Orange County district attorneys office can stay on case despite courthouse brawl [Los Angeles Times]. Weird violience-in-the-establishment story #1. Illinois Lawmakers Daughter Charged In Staple-Gun Attack On Moms Opponent [Talking Points Memo]. Weird violience-in-the-establishment story #2. Gaia A Chinese factory is breeding 20 million male mosquitoes a week, and releasing them into nature to copulate with wild female mosquitoes. Its aimculling the population, and eradicating disease [Quartz]. Class Warfare BREAKING: Duke Non-Tenure-Track Professors Unionize [Inside Higher Ed]. Why we should fear a cashless world [Guardian]. Cash, on the other hand, empowers its users. It enables them to buy and sell, and store their wealth, without being dependent on anyone else. They can stay outside the financial system, if so desired. How your taxes ended up enriching coal executives who are betraying their workers [Vox (ReSilc)]. My taxes? How about our labor? News of the Wired Fluid dynamics explain how quickly a vampire could drain your blood [Phys.org (CL)]. I should really file this under class warfare. The Deep History of Your Apps: Steve Jobs, NeXTSTEP, and Early Object-Oriented Programming [Computer History Museum]. This is a terrific article, but it also shows how slow progress in software engineering has really been. After all, were still living in Doug Engelbarts world! Video: Mobile phone apparently causes fire at Thai petrol station [Asian Correspondent]. America, Regulate Drones Now or Get Left Behind [Wired]. Liquor licensing in Boston is a total mess [Dig Boston (Judy B)]. All politics is local * * * Readers, feel free to contact me with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, and (c) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. And heres todays plant (Fred H): Lovely! Fred H writes: Also known here as a fairyslipper or, technically, Calypso bulbosa. The first one that caught my eye, years ago, I plucked before thinking too much about it. Then I looked around, and not seeing any others I had a terrible thought Luckily, I was wrong. * * * If you enjoy Water Cooler, please consider tipping and click the hat. Water Cooler would not exist without your support. Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News (2) Amy Smirnov works on a client Friday at Massage Heights in Naples. SHARE Denis LeClair pauses Friday inside his store, Massage Heights. Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News Massage Heights offers monthly plans for massages, facials or a combination of both. An assortment of supplies are seen on the shelves at Massage Heights in Naples, Fla. on Friday, March 18, 2016. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) Amy Smirnov works on a client at Massage Heights in Naples, Fla. on Friday, March 18, 2016. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) By John Osborne, Daily News Correspondent In his previous business life, Denis LeClair thrived in high-stress situations, managing TV stations around the country and brokering mammoth deals such as the sale of the Shop at Home network to E.W. Scripps for $235 million while serving as vice president of the Naples-based CobbCorp. But, tired of the constant travel required by his old job that kept him away from his family for long stretches of time, LeClair flipped the script last May and opened Naples' first Massage Heights location, where the New Jersey native revels in running a business that's focused squarely on relaxation for its clients. "It's different, for sure, because now I deal with a lot of people on a daily basis, where before, in my old job, I was by myself all the time or always dealing with the same people, the same CEOs of television stations," said the 55-year-old LeClair, who got his start in the TV industry selling air time in Key West at the age of 26. "Now I get to interact with different people all day long, which is really great for me. Both jobs are fun in their own ways, but I'm really happy I'm doing this now." Happy, too, LeClair said, that he is even able to run his new business now. In August he was diagnosed with cancer, which steadily ate away at his body until his weight had dropped from 207 pounds to 140. Only recently able to return to work and tipping the scales at 142 pounds, LeClair still receives most of his nutrition through a tube, though he's able to eat soup and is scheduled to begin eating normally again next month. "I'm really, really tired of soup," LeClair said with a laugh, adding that his last screening came back cancer-free. "I had throat surgery in August, and I was done with chemotherapy and radiation in December, so next up for me is teaching myself to eat again." LeClair credited his wife, Rosaleen, for keeping the business in full operational mode when he was too sick to go to work. "I literally could not have done it without her," he said. Rosaleen LeClair, who resigned from her job as a teacher at Community School of Naples to take over her husband's business, said the cancer diagnosis on her birthday made things even tougher. "It was terrible," she recalled of the extremely emotional time directly following her husband's cancer diagnosis. "The bottom line that he was completely healthy, and we were blindside by it, literally had to take it one day at a time because we never knew what the next day would bring. But with the help of my faith and friends and family, we got through it." Now teaching again at St. Ann Catholic School in Naples, Rosaleen LeClair joked that God wouldn't allow for a gap in her resume. "He started filling in the blanks for me, even if I didn't want him to," she said with a laugh. As he begins his arduous journey to a complete recovery, Denis LeClair said he would focus his energies on continuing to grow a business that started with 11 employees less than a year ago and now employs 26. "Business now is great; every month we've grown since the beginning," he said of foot traffic at his location that features 10 massage rooms, including a couple's massage room. "As a matter of fact, we're still hiring people because we're having a tough time keeping up with the demand. And we're offering a $300 sign-on bonus for full-time licensed massage therapists." Bryanna Newkirk, who was worked for the business since August, said she wouldn't trade her job for any other. "I love the atmosphere, first of all, and that makes a really huge difference," said the Florida Gulf Coast University student on track to graduate with a degree in spa management. "I can't wait to come into work the next day because I enjoy it so much. Most of all, I love the beneficial aspects that massages have for clients. That's my favorite part of the job." Massage Heights offers 50-minute massages at an introductory rate of $49.99 and facials at an introductory rate of $59.99. Membership packages then start at $59.99 for one massage per month, $69.99 for one facial per month and $129.99 for one of each once per month. Client Carolyn Roth said it's money well spent. "I've been coming there since the beginning, and it's just a very lush, very comfortable, very clean place," said Roth, who along with her husband receives a 90-minute massage once a month. "I just had one today, and I already want to go back. That's how great it is." Denise Cobb, who knows LeClair from his time at CobbCorp, said she isn't surprised by the speed of her friend's success. "I think Denis has been a success in everything he's ever done," she said. "It's a combination of his passion and hard work and just a really positive personality. Everybody that meets him just loves him." Massage Heights is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. For more informationcall 239-449-9009 or see www.massageheights.com. Naples Explorer captain Joe Popka pulled two men to safety on March 18 after their boat went under near Naples Bay. SHARE By Ryan Mills of the Naples Daily News A local fishing captain pulled two men to safety Friday evening after their boat capsized on the way back to Naples Bay. Joe Popka, 49, a retired Naples police officer who now works part-time as a boat captain for Pure Florida, was returning from a sunset fishing trip with 12 customers when he saw something bobbing in the water. "When I looked closer it was one guy holding onto a cooler and a second guy holding onto about 18 inches of boat sticking up," said Popka, who was captaining the Naples Explorer. Popka, his mate, and one of his customers, an off-duty U.S. Coast Guard officer, pulled the two men onto the Naples Explorer and then tied a line to their small motorboat, which was straight up and down in the water, Popka said. They prevented the small boat from sinking to the bottom of the bay, and towed it to the nearest port, Bayview Park. The men weren't hurt, Popka said. They hadn't been in the water long. He didn't get their names, nor did Naples firefighters who responded to the park to check on the men. Their small motorboat went under when it was struck by the wake of a larger boat lined up to get back to Naples Bay. "He swamped them," Popka said, "and kept right on going. And all the other boats kept right on going, too." Popka is surprised another boat didn't hit the men. They were about 50 feet from the channel and 50 yards from shore. "They could have swam to shore," he said, "but they would have lost their boat for sure." Harry Julian, the owner of Pure Florida, said he's proud Popka helped the men, but said it's an expectation in the boating community. "As a mariner, that's what you do, you help other mariners out," Julian said. "There's no exception to that rule." Sgt. Julio Orango with his son Elias, 6 months, and wife Irma Orango thank John Simpson, right, for their prize at the Naples Marine recruiting station, along with their daughters Julissa and Abby. "Marines & Mickey," a new charitable organization, is providing Disney trips to military families. Lance Shearer/Daily News Correspondent SHARE By Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News The founder of a local nonprofit that sends Marines and their families on Disney World vacations is being investigated following claims that he lied about his service with the Marines to obtain money for his organization. Estero resident John Simpson is the founder of Marines & Mickey, which he says has sent 14 families to Disney World since October 2015. Officials with NCIS, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, confirmed this week he is under investigation after partner nonprofits accused him of lying about his titles and ranks. "I can confirm that NCIS is responding to complaints regarding financial practices of the charity 'Marines and Mickey,'" spokesman Ed Buice said in a statement. "If other individuals have similar concerns, NCIS would like to speak with them. Beyond that, NCIS does not discuss the details of ongoing investigations." The Anderson Independent Mail in South Carolina reported that organizers of The Lance Corporal Skip Wells Foundation severed its ties with Marines & Mickey in February after accusing Simpson of lying about his military background. Jason Weeks, one of the men who started the foundation, said Simpson fraudulently took money from another organizer of the Skip Wells Foundation and refused to return it. Together, Simpson and Weeks raised $40,000 under their respective nonprofits in a joint fundraising effort. Simpson, a former Anderson resident, told the Anderson Independent Mail that he joined the Marines in 1994, was assigned to a reconnaissance battalion and served as a drill instructor on Parris Island. A spokeswoman with the Marines Corps Manpower & Reserve Affairs Department confirmed this week that Simpson did join the Marines in 1994. But spokeswoman Yvonne Carlock said his title was Finance Tech and his rank upon discharge was Private. He was involuntarily discharged in 1997 as a result of a special court martial. Attempts to reach Simpson by phone, email and in person this week were unsuccessful. In a statement on his website, Simpson said he never lied about his service and that he was threatened by another nonprofit and was told unless he gave them control of his foundation they would "come up with allegations to ruin me and my Foundation (sic)." "As far as Stolen Valor, I never said I was a Force Recon Marine, never said I had been on one tour to Afghanistan, much less four," the statement on his website concludes. "In closing, This (sic) is nothing more than a blackmail attempt by a competing foundation." Maria Maldonado, a Marine whose son Ethan Arbelo's battle against cancer was featured in a series by the Daily News in 2014, said she too was victimized by Simpson, who offered to launch a fundraiser two weeks before Ethan died. The money would help Maldonado launch her own nonprofit in Ethan's honor, called Ethan's Journey, and the rest would go toward Maldonado's rent. Caring for Ethan since his 2012 diagnosis had made it difficult for her to work and so Maldonado said she relied on fundraisers and donations. Three weeks after Ethan died, Simpson was slow to give Maldonado money for her rent or the web design of Ethan's Journey. Finally, Simpson told Maldonado he was keeping 40 percent of the $6,400 he had raised through a GoFundMe.com account. "I was flabbergasted," Maldonado said. "I didn't care about the money. It was the fact that I was betrayed by another Marine." Frustrated but out of options, Maldonado said she let Simpson keep the cash in the hopes of launching her own nonprofit without trouble. When she learned this month that NCIS was investigating Simpson, she said it came as a relief. "My son lay there dying and he came in with this sole purpose, I feel, of taking advantage of the situation," she said. "I think what he's doing is despicable." SHARE Kathleen Passidomo Garrett Richter Matt Hudson By Arek Sarkissian of the Naples Daily News TALLAHASSEE Sen. Garrett Richter, who is vacating his seat after reaching his term limit, will support Rep. Kathleen Passidomo in her run for the position. Passidomo, R-Naples, faces fellow Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, in an Aug. 30 primary election for Richter's seat. Passidomo and Richter have been friends for more than two decades and have supported each other in past legislative efforts, Richter said. "She has been a great colleague of mine in the Legislature," Richter said. "She and I share similar values and priorities." Most recently, Passidomo and Richter paired up on a bill that became law during this year's legislative session that requires pawnshop brokers to photograph items they buy off the street. Hudson's current House term expires this year. Hudson said he would rather earn the support of the people he wants to represent than influential elected leadership. "I'm focused fully on the endorsement of my constituents," Hudson said. "This is a republic and it's absolutely about the people." Passidomo was elected to the House in 2010 and subsequently re-elected. Hudson was first elected in 2007 and served as house speaker pro tempore under House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island. Passidomo and Hudson are campaigning for a much larger district than what Richter represented. The new district covers both Collier and Hendry counties, and it stretches into Bonita Springs. Hudson represents west Naples, and eastern Collier and western Hendry counties in his current House district. Passidomo represents most of Naples and Marco Island. A Florida Department of State campaign report shows Hudson has raised $422,000 toward his campaign so far, and Passidomo has raised $260,000. FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2015, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Prince William County fair grounds in Manassas, Va. A U.S. judge is urging the Obama administration to protect from public disclosure federal court records involving the once-secret criminal history of a former Trump business partner. The case involves Felix Sater, a Trump business associate who had pleaded guilty in a major Mafia-linked stock fraud scheme and cooperated with the government. The AP reported in December 2015 that, even after learning about Sater's background, Trump tapped Sater for a business development role in 2010 that included the title of senior adviser to Trump. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File) SHARE By JEFF HORWITZ, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) A U.S. judge is urging the Obama administration to protect from public disclosure federal court records related to the once-secret criminal history of a former Donald Trump business partner. In a highly unusual order prompted by The Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan said that unless the Justice Department acts before April 18, he will decide whether to make the court files public under the assumption that federal prosecutors don't care. The case involves Felix Sater, a Trump business associate who had pleaded guilty in a major Mafia-linked stock fraud scheme and cooperated with the government. The AP reported in December that, even after learning about Sater's background, Trump tapped Sater for a business development role in 2010 that included the title of senior adviser to Trump. Sater received Trump Organization business cards and was given an office within the Trump Organization's headquarters, on the same floor as Trump's own. "It seems to me that the government has a unique interest in keeping documents that relate to cooperation agreements under seal," the judge wrote in his order. "The government should speak and assert its position as to whether the public's right to access each document in the record is outweighed by a compelling need for secrecy." Lawyers for the AP had asked the judge to justify sealing a five-year criminal contempt proceeding in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Not only did Cogan seal all documents in the contempt case, he also initially sealed the AP's request that he unseal his justification for their sealing. When The New York Times asked the judge to unseal the AP's request to unseal the sealing order, that request was sealed, too. Late last week, he made the requests by the AP and the newspaper publicly accessible but ordered that the parties to the case file any response to them under seal. The defendants in the contempt case, Frederick Oberlander and Richard Lerner, are attorneys whom the government said revealed once-secret court records about Sater's crimes and cooperation. Sater's lawyers, who once included Leslie Caldwell, now the head of the Justice Department's criminal division, have said that Sater's cooperation was vital to national security and disclosures about his past put him in danger. Oberlander and Lerner said they never revealed sealed records. Some of what they had been ordered not to disclose is already publicly available in the Congressional Record, they said. "We wish that people could inspect the documents, because it would reveal judicial and prosecutorial misconduct of the highest levels," Oberlander told the AP. Also at issue in the case are statements that U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch formerly the top prosecutor in Cogan's district made about Sater's case before the Senate confirmed her last year. Oberlander and Lerner said the government improperly permitted Sater to use his status as a secret cooperator to commit new crimes and avoid paying restitution to past victims, who are owed millions of dollars. In February 2015, Lynch told Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, of the Senate Judiciary Committee that information about Sater's restitution "remains under seal," and that the Justice Department would never waive victims' right to restitution as part of a cooperation agreement. Court records already publicly available at the time showed that Sater was not ordered to pay restitution and the government never requested it. One of Sater's attorneys said in a statement at the time that the government had waived restitution payments partly out of gratitude to Sater. A Justice Department spokeswoman, Melanie Newman, told the AP that Lynch's comments were accurate because some documents related to restitution in Sater's case remain under seal. Oberlander told the AP that the original cooperation agreement Sater signed in 1998, which has been publicly available since 2013, said Sater acknowledged that the penalty for his crime included roughly $60 million in restitution payments to victims. The New York judge has twice asked the Justice Department to pursue contempt charges against the two lawyers who revealed Sater's cooperation. In both cases, local federal prosecutors recused themselves over unspecified conflicts of interest after consulting with Justice Department officials in Washington. They referred the case to federal prosecutors in Albany, New York, who likewise did not act. In his latest order, Cogan again urged prosecutors to go after Oberlander and Lerner. "One would think that the desire to ensure that further informants cooperate in government investigations should also motivate the government to take swift action against individuals who seek to expose the identity of informants, their proffered criminal history and the details of their cooperation," the judge wrote. Sater's attorney, Robert Wolf, said the judge was right. "Mr. Sater shares and supports the court's frustration and outrage as to why these rogue lawyers have not yet been criminally prosecuted," Wolf said in a statement. He credited Sater with providing information that "potentially saved tens of thousands, if not millions, of our citizens' lives." Sater pleaded guilty in 1998 to one count of racketeering for his role in a broad stock fraud scheme involving the prominent Genovese and Bonanno crime families, according to court records. Five years earlier, a New York State court had sentenced Sater to more than a year in prison for stabbing a man in the face with a broken margarita glass. SHARE If there's an elected leader serving Southwest Florida who is more concerned than U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson about the $19.1 trillion national debt, we're not sure who that would be. So it might have surprised some Friday when the fiscally conservative Bonita Springs Republican, who took office in 2014, introduced the Everglades Land Acquisition Act. If Congress goes along, the Interior Department would spend $500 million to buy land in the Everglades Agriculture Area in Palm Beach County. The goal is to direct water from Lake Okeechobee and points north to flow south toward the Everglades, where it can be stored for cleansing and eventually head toward Florida Bay to mimic what nature created before man intervened. "New money to buy land is an uphill fight, but we can't give up," Clawson told the Naples Daily News. The appropriate question isn't why Clawson would see the wisdom of tacking a half-billion of new spending onto an out-of-control federal budget and debt. The better question is why the state and South Florida Water Management District haven't seen the wisdom by now. Clawson understands the urgency. We hope leadership in the state and water district will follow his lead and pursue any remaining possibilities in exercising options for purchase of lands in the sugar farming region south of the lake. State and district leaders blew it last year in not pledging Amendment 1 money toward acquiring the first option that expired in mid-October. Other options exist no doubt more expensive now until 2020. Not new, more expensive The push to buy land south of the lake was re-energized in recent weeks when heavy rains pushed Lake Okeechobee to dangerous levels. The dike holding back the water needs repair; a breach would be catastrophic to towns rimming the lake. Emergency pumping sent lake water toward the Gulf via the Caloosahatchee River and east through the St. Lucie canal. Southwest Florida received a majority of the water releases; coastal estuaries and beaches suffered. Sugar growers were blamed by some environmental groups for the pollution. In a press release, growers struck back, saying less than 1 percent of the lake's total volume was water backpumped from the cane field region. The statement didn't address the quality of what was in that 31,397 acre-feet of water that went into the lake, though. In a full-page ad in the Daily News last week, U.S. Sugar stated just 3 percent of the lake water and 4 percent of its phosphorus comes from the south. Importantly, the ad says the corporation wants to "collaborate in finding a solution that increases water storage and reduces the risks of discharges occurring again." Perhaps a good place to start is working with government leaders to identify land south of the lake that growers can convey, all the while remembering the industry's beneficial price supports and the nation's $19.1 trillion hole. Taking the lead A month ago we suggested Clawson, given the confluence of his fiscal and environmental passions, was the best point person on this issue. He has gone beyond. He's teamed with conservation groups to urge citizens to "pump up the volume" in demanding a solution. He's met with state, local and federal officials. He's led a bipartisan push for a short-term fix through expediting repairs to the dike by Dec. 31, 2020. After Clawson's land-buying bill was introduced, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida endorsed it as part of the solution. A supportive statement from the Everglades Foundation noted "Florida taxpayers will soon cross $3 billion in spending" to clean up polluted water south of the lake. In the Daily News' "Deep Trouble: The Gulf in Peril" series in 2003, the projected total cost of Everglades Restoration was $8.4 billion, to be split by state and federal governments. Compare that with Florida's $3 billion to date for a job that's nowhere near done. So the question really isn't what Clawson proposes to spend. It's what the soaring figure will become if federal, state, district and Big Sugar don't agree on it now. SmartBank, a subsidiary of SmartFinancial, Inc., announced officer promotions. SmartBank is thrilled to announce these well-deserved promotions, which are a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication Travis, Tracy and Jacob exemplify on a daily basis, said Barry Watson, Chattanooga Regional president. Our lending teams combination of knowledge and expertise well positions SmartBank for continued growth in the Chattanooga market. Travis Lytle has been named senior vice president, relationship manager. He has served the local banking community for more than sixteen years. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in finance from Middle Tennessee State University. He serves as a board member for The Tennessee Small Business Center, Co-Lab Chattanooga and the Tivoli Theater Foundation. He also serves as chairman of the UTC Chancellor Multicultural Advisory Council and as commissioner of the Chattanooga Municipal Airport Authority. Additionally, Mr. Lytle is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Chattanooga and hosts workshops for small businesses throughout the Chattanooga area. He is a council member at Olivet Baptist Church, where he attends with his wife, Tonya, and son. Tracy Haney has been named senior vice president, relationship manager. She holds more than 25 years of experience in the financial industry. She received an associates degree as well as a certification from The Southeastern School of Advanced Commercial Lending. Involved with her East Ridge community, she is the current president of the East Ridge Council of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Homebuilders Association of Greater Chattanooga. Ms. Haney is also a member of Christ United Methodist Church, where she attends with her son. Jacob Hawk has been named assistant vice president, relationship manager. Prior to beginning a career in the financial industry five years ago, he worked in real estate. He holds a bachelors degree from the University of Georgia. Mr. Hawk is actively involved in the community through organizations such as the Chattanooga Rotaract Club and the Chattanooga Network Connection. He and his wife, Savanna, currently the East Brainerd Church of Christ. SHARE Bob Griffith, Naples Election dilemma "Compromise means capitulation," a Republican strategy developed over seven years to destroy President Obama but now a cancer turning on its host and eating the Republican Party from within. Here's the ugly situation: a. Donald Trump gets his 1,237 delegates; he's the nominee. The GOP leadership is frightened with toxic Trump and knows that the party's future will be severely damaged. USA Today reports that 7 percent of the Democrats would defect to Trump. But, ouch, 25 percent of the Republicans would jump to the Democrats' side. Disaster! b. Trump doesn't get the required delegates; it's an open convention. The GOP moves quickly to find an alternative to Trump who has already warned that if he feels unfairly treated, he will not be bound by his promise to not seek election as a third-party candidate. OMG! c. Sen. Ted Cruz prevails. Lord help us! The man so detested by his peers that not a single, Republican senator supports his candidacy; who prides himself in never compromising; who, with just two years in Washington shut down the government. He is the poster boy for Washington gridlock. He is this year's Barry Goldwater who managed to lose 44 out of 50 states via ultra rigid orthodoxy. I'll write again soon about how the GOP has now shot itself in the foot again. What's really scary is how quickly it reloads. SHARE David Bolduc, Naples Wrong zone In his recent letter defending Blue Zones in our public schools, John Lynch displayed the same "correct answers do not matter" Common Core logic being taught in Collier schools. First, Lynch stated that attorney Steven Bracci's lawsuit against Superintendent Kamela Patton for creating Blue Zones School Policy outside of the Sunshine Law was thrown out of court. Au contraire mon frere, The lawsuit is very much alive, and moving forward faster than the district's reading readiness scores have fallen to 54 percent with a billion-dollar budget. Additionally, the judge disqualified himself from presiding over the case based on Mr. Bracci's motion to dismiss, where he documented the judge providing Patton's counsel with legal strategy tips on multiple occasions. Overall, with the case finally moving to a fair and impartial forum, the case will finally be heard on its merits. Second, Lynch states that since I previously cited direct quotations from the first secretary general of the World Health Organization the Blue Zones' self-professed governance and health model which exposed the United Nations' vehement disdain for parents and their lust for communist-style control of our children, somehow it will engender ridicule from anyone outside of his Coalition for Quality Public Education (C4QPE) group. Interestingly, Lynch is a board member of the Collier County chapter of the ACLU, and C4QPE's principal registered address is the same address as the Collier ACLU, according to the Florida Division of Corporations. Therefore, if Lynch is worried about "Red Ridicule," perhaps he should start with the ACLU's founder, Roger Baldwin, who stated, "I seek the sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal." SHARE Mary Lou Bolls Education Committee Chair League of Women Voters of Collier County Robin Birnhak, Board Director League of Women Voters of Collier County By Mary Lou Bolls,And Robin Birnhak, Education Committee Chair,Board Director League of Women Voters of Collier County The League of Women Voters of the United States was founded almost 100 years ago as women were on the verge of gaining the right to vote. The goal of the organization was to encourage the newly empowered voters to participate in the civic life of their communities and the country. In 1975, the League of Women Voters of Collier County (LWVCC) was established. Our local League, like the national organization and the more than 800 state and local groups, has been built on the legacy of voting and civic engagement. We encourage people to recognize the importance of government in their lives, to understand the issues underlying public policies, and to utilize voting and other forms of advocacy to make their wishes known and bring about change. The League is an issue-based organization. Before the League takes a stand on a nationwide issue, members engage in a process that involves study and consensus at local and state levels with final approval achieved by vote at a national convention. Positions on more local issues also require study, consensus and approval. In addition, the League is uncompromisingly nonpartisan. It never supports or opposes political parties, elected officials or candidates. Every year, there are issues that need airing, because governmental bodies at all levels make rulings or pass legislation that have major consequences for the public. In election years the responsibilities of our local League expand. In addition to monitoring bills, informing the citizenry of their impact, and working with high school students to understand their county government, the LWVCC's role includes familiarizing the public with the candidates seeking local public office and highlighting their views on important issues. The League has been a sponsor or co-sponsor of many candidate forums and for many years has worked with other groups to develop and disseminate candidates' written responses to issue-oriented questionnaires. Among the League's voter education efforts in the coming months will be forums and questionnaires centered on Collier County School Board candidates and their responses to a range of education topics. The district's public education system should be of major concern to all citizens. It impacts the lives and aspirations of individual students, their views of themselves and the world around them, and their opportunities for higher education, skill training and satisfying employment. It also affects the vitality and prosperity of the entire community. The reputation of the school system is of considerable importance to younger people deciding where to set down roots, and it certainly influences the value of real estate. Large corporations seeking to resettle and even small start-ups consider the quality of the schools not only for employees' children, but also for the availability of an educated and skilled workforce. In the most recent Florida legislative session, there were many education bills reflecting the heated, often partisan discourse that is taking place locally, in the state, and around the country. Within Collier County, there has been much wrangling over education issues with competing ideas of how our school system and the School Board should operate. The frequent accusatory and suspicion laden atmospherics at School Board meetings, the spate of frivolous lawsuits, the angry diatribes from some community members, and the intrusion into the operational details of the school system are counterproductive. Every citizen should want the best possible, adequately funded public education system with high standards for student achievement and equality of educational opportunities for all students. Over the course of the coming months, there will be opportunities for voters to learn about the issues that affect our public schools' ability to thrive and the candidates' positions on those issues. We hope that voters will go to the polls with a deep understanding of the issues and the principles at stake. Gulfshore Playhouse (www.GulfshorePlayhouse.org), Southwest Floridas premier professional theatre, is pleased to announce that during its production of An Enemy of the People will partner with Safe Water. Safe Home. (www.FlintKids.org) to donate the proceeds from every bottle of water purchased. The goal is to contribute the financial equivalent of 5,000 bottles of water by the end of the shows run to support the children of Flint, Michigan. Because An Enemy of the People, a story about the contamination of a towns drinking water that was written in 1882, so closely imitates the devastating situation unfolding in Flint, Michigan and right here in the Gulf of Mexico - we felt it necessary to help. By giving through www.flintkids.org we will be able to support the long-term health and development needs of Flints children, said Kristen Coury, Founder and Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse. An Enemy of the People is a fast-paced version of Henrik Ibsens timeless play by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Jeff Binder, Gulfshore Playhouses artistic associate who was last seen in the critically-acclaimed production of Boeing-Boeing, will play Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a doctor, who discovers that the towns popular medicinal springs are poisoning people who come to the town for their health. Controversy ensues as the doctor is vilified for endangering the towns livelihood. Safe Water. Safe Home. is a supplemental resource to the ongoing pursuit of state and federal funding to provide wraparound health and development services for the children of Flint, Michigan, particularly those most vulnerable, ages birth to six. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha of Hurley Medical Center and Michigan State University, founding donor of the Flint Child Health & Development Fund, who has been at the forefront of this issue, says, If there was ever a time to invest in our children, it is now. Our Flint children deserve every opportunity to be healthy and successful. The creation of this Fund will further ensure that our children are afforded the resources and interventions to overcome this population-wide exposure to lead. Gulfshore Playhouses production of An Enemy of the People will run from March 26 through April 17 at The Norris Center, located at 755 8th Avenue South in Naples. Tickets start at $45 per person. Two special preview performances will take place on Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25, with tickets available for just $30 per person. To purchase tickets, please visit www.gulfshoreplayhouse.orgor call 239.261.PLAY(7529). Gulfshore Playhouse is passionately committed to enriching the cultural landscape of the region by producing professional theatre to the highest artistic standards and providing unique educational opportunities to diverse groups of people in a spirit of service, adventure, and excitement. Gulfshore Playhouses work is inspired by a belief in the magic of theater to expand the imagination, challenge the senses, provoke discussion, and revitalize in the audience an understanding of common humanity. This belief drives the care with which Gulfshore Playhouse treats its artists, audiences, students, staff, and members of the greater community. For more information about Gulfshore Playhouse, please visit www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org. Tom Moran, Managing Director Investments, Senior PIM Portfolio Manager of Moran Edwards Asset Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors (www.MoranEdwards.com), will host an Insurance & Investments seminar on Thursday, March 24 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort, located at 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road in Naples. Moran will discuss his outlook for the economy and the market and the following topics: Helping families meet the complex challenges of wealth management. Retirement planning: Investment strategies for retirees. Navigating risk in a year of change: What it may mean for investors. This special seminar will feature keynote speaker, John Resnick, co-founder of The Lutgert Resnick Group, a highly-specialized firm advising affluent families and executives on the proper design and implementation of life insurance for estate planning, also located in Naples. Resnick has presented and lectured at numerous schools and universities including The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania and Florida State University. Resnick will discuss the following topics: Is my Life Insurance policy really guaranteed? How to know if your Life Insurance policy is in danger of lapsing Risks of universal life. Economic loss of high cash values in a policy. Attorney Daniel D. Peck of the law firm of Peck & Peck, P.A., will participate in the seminar and be available to answer your estate planning questions about the following topics: Florida Domicile QPRTS (Qualified Personal Residence Trusts) GRATS (Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts) Insure your Legacy Dynasty Trusts Seating is limited for this complimentary seminar. For reservations, please call 239-513-2511 or visit www.MoranEdwards.com. Byron Donalds, a Financial Advisor with Moran Edwards Asset Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors (www.MoranEdwards.com), will host a seminar series titled, Claiming Social Security Benefits has Changed, on the following dates and times in Naples. Wednesday, March 23, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Wells Fargo Building, 5801 Pelican Bay Boulevard Friday, April 1, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Collier County Public Library, 2385 Orange Blossom Drive Tuesday, April 5, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Wells Fargo Building, 5801 Pelican Bay Boulevard, Naples 34108 Seminar topics include: What do the new rules mean for you? How are your benefits affected if you delay claiming until age 70? Are there advanced claiming strategies available for your situation? Seating is limited. Make a reservation by calling 239-513-2511. Donalds has been a trusted financial advisor for the past decade. Prior to joining Moran Edwards Asset Management Group, he worked for CMG Surety, LLC and TIB Bank, both of Naples. He is also a political strategist and commentator and serves as a trustee for Florida Southwestern State College. Donalds attended Florida State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and marketing. Above Board Chamber of Florida invites the public to enjoy business after hours at its Spring Fling, Friday, April 1 from 5 8 p.m., hosted by the Bayfront Inn 5th Ave. in Naples. Enjoy networking, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, discounted drinks, music, door prizes and lots more. Admission is only $5 for members, and $10 for guests. Bring plenty of business cards and enjoy the evening at one of Naples' top resorts! RSVP is required. Visit www.facebook.com/aboveboard for more information. Door prize donations are now being accepted. Contact Jeanne Sweeney at 239-910-7426. Special rates for those who want to stay over at the Bayfront Inn will be $119, City View and $129, Bay View. Call 239-649-5800 and tell the resort you are with the Above Board Chamber. The Above Board Chamber of Florida is dedicated to bringing people of all faiths together within the community, in the workplace and amongst one another. Their mission is to supply members with the tools that will allow them to take every aspect of their lives Above Board. For more information on the event or on how to become a member of the Above Board Chamber, contact Jeanne Sweeney at 239-910-7426 or visit www.aboveboardchamber.com. Dr. Carlos Cuello, chief cardiologist at two Physicians Regional locations in Naples, is the first volunteer physician from the United States to visit Heartbeat Internationals new location in the Dominican Republic. In February, Dr. Cuello volunteered his time to assist with lifesaving heart care procedures for those who cannot afford them. During his first trip, he implanted defibrillators and a unique type of pacemaker. The Closed Loop Stimulation pacemaker is manufactured and donated by German device company BIOTRONIK. Dr. Cuello said it is "probably the first one implanted in the Dominican Republic. This special pacemaker features heart rate controls that speed up or slow down, depending not just on a patients physical needs, but on their mental needs as well." Dr. Cuello returned to the Dominican Republic for a week in early March to assist with six more operations. He implanted pacemakers and defibrillators. All devices were donated by BIOTRONIK. On his two trips, Dr. Cuello saved the lives of eight people, ranging in age from 34-70. HBI ended 2015 by opening a new Heart Center in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo. Heartbeat International Dominicana (HBID) saved the lives of 10 patients during its first full month of operation. Dr. Cuello hopes that the new center will contribute to heart care awareness in the Dominican Republic. He says that Now there's an awareness of cardiac arrest, the risks, causes, benefits of devices to prevent cardiac arrest. That was inexistent when I grew up there. He is optimistic about the effects of his work and of the new Heartbeat International Dominican Republic center on the community. "I think it will have a tremendous impact. This Heart Center will further awareness to a disease that's affecting the world in epidemic proportions. Dr. Carlos Cuello: Dr. Carlos Cuello was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He graduated in 1977 with honors from Universidad Nacional Pedro H. Urena in Santo Domingo. Dr. Cuello completed fellowships at both the University of Massachusetts and New York Medical College, where he also did his residency. Currently, he is chief of cardiology for Physicians Regional at their Collier Boulevard and Pine Ridge locations, both located in Naples. Thirty years ago Federico Alfaro, MD, a Guatemalan physician, was treating a seventeen-year-old patient. The boy had a heart condition cardiologists refer to as heart block, an affliction in which the heartbeat continually slows until one day the heart just stops pumping. The boy's condition was curable. The problem was that he was poor. Dr. Alfaro tried desperately to find financial assistance to provide the boy with the pacemaker he needed. But in the end he had to watch the boy die. He swore another countryman would not die because they could not afford a pacemaker. And so our mission was born. Above Board Chamber of Florida is pleased to present The Value of Giving Charity Begins at Work from 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m. on Monday, April 11 at the Hilton Naples, 5111 Tamiami Trail N. in Naples and on Thursday, April 14 at Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe Street in Fort Myers. Reservations are required at www.aboveboardchamber.com. We all know it feels good to give back to our community. Aside from the intrinsic rewards, when charity begins at work, organic business growth often follows. Aprils Above Board Chamber luncheons are an opportunity to learn from local business leaders how to grow goodwill to benefit the community and the success of your company. The Naples meeting will feature a panel including Connie Byrne, Recruiting Manager for Arthrex; Steve Sanderson, President and CEO of United Way of Collier County; Lisetee E. Homes, CFO of Community Foundation of Collier County; and Jim Henderson, President at Williams C. Huff Companies. The Fort Myers meeting will feature a panel including J. Tom Uhler, Founder and Principal of Uhler and Vertich Financial Planners LLC; Cliff Smith, Executive Director of United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee; Carolyn Rogers, Vice President of Development & Communications Southwest Florida Community Foundation; and Attorney Vera Bergermann of Bergermann Law Firm. The Naples meeting will be emceed by Sue Huff, President of E. Sue Huff and Associates. The Fort Myers meeting will be emceed by Connie-Ramos Williams, President and Chief Marketing Officer at CONRIC PR & Marketing. The Naples meeting is sponsored by Michael Longo: Naples Floral Design. The Fort Myers meeting is sponsored by Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida. Annual sponsors for the Above Board Chamber of Florida are CONRIC PR & Marketing and Fuller Online Solutions. Naples lunch registration Registration on or before Thursday, April 7 will be $25 for members, $30 for friends. After April 7, registration will be $28 for members, $33 for guests. Fort Myers registration Registration on or before Friday, April 8 will be $25 for members, $30 for guests. After April 8, registration will be $30 for members and $33 for guests. Non-members are encouraged to attend two meetings, then consider joining us to be part of the Above Board Chamber of Florida. To become a member of the Above Board Chamber, contact Jeanne Sweeney at 239-910-7426. The Above Board Chamber of Florida is dedicated to bringing people of all faiths together within the community, in the workplace and amongst one another. Their mission is to supply members with the tools that will allow them to take every aspect of their lives Above Board. For more information on the event or on how to become a member of the Above Board Chamber, contact Jeanne Sweeney at 239-910-7426 or visit www.aboveboardchamber.com. Preferred Travel of Naples CFO and General Manager Olga Placeres joined with a select group of travel agency representatives at the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) Legislative Day and Signature Travel Network board meeting in Washington, DC on March 14 and 15. ASTA Legislative Day is open exclusively to ASTA members. Travel professionals from all segments of the travel industry converged on Capitol Hill for the event to speak directly to lawmakers about legislation that impacts travel agents and the broader tourism industry. Preferred Travel is an ASTA member and Placeres also is a Signature Travel Network executive board member. She was the only Southwest Florida travel representative to attend the ASTA Legislative Day. Tennessee middle schools looking to add a spark to their physical education programs can get a new PE curriculum, training for their teachers and equipment for their students through the Shape the State program of the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation. Now in its sixth year, the program has awarded 100 Shape the State grants, valued at $10,000 each to Tennessee schools serving middle grades students. Twenty more schools will be selected this year. Applications will be accepted on the Better Tennessee website March 21 through April 21. Winning schools will be announced in May. Shape the State grants have helped 100 schools transform their physical education classes in a positive way, said Calvin Anderson, BlueCross senior vice president and executive director of the foundation. Starting today, were looking for the next 20 schools that will recharge their PE programs. In addition to supplying the acclaimed SPARK physical education curriculum, teacher training and equipment, schools earning the grants get an additional $1,000 to spend at their discretion on their health, nutrition and wellness programs. Backseat Drivers: Can Logano go all the way this year? Alex Weaver, Mamba Smith, and Kim Coon discuss whether Joey Logano has an advantage with his early lock-in to the Championship 4. (NaturalNews) More than a half-dozen Western states that depend on the Colorado River Basin for the bulk of their water are drawing much more heavily from groundwater supplies than previously thought, according to a new study, which is the latest indication that the historic drought gripping much of the region is threatening their future access to water.According to, over the past nine years the basin -- covering Wyoming, Utah, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada -- has lost some 65 cubic kilometers of fresh water, which is nearly double the volume of the country's largest reservoir, Lake Mead. It was a figure that truly surprised the study's authors, who used data from a NASA weather satellite to examine groundwater supplies."We don't know exactly how much groundwater we have left, so we don't know when we're going to run out," said Stephanie Castle, a water resources specialist at the University of California, Irvine, and the study's lead author. "This is a lot of water to lose. We thought that the picture could be pretty bad, but this was shocking."About two-thirds of water lost over the past near-decade came from underground supplies, instead of surface water, thereported, citing the study's findings."We were shocked to see how much water was actually depleted underground," Castle told the paper.Although surface water in the Colorado River Basin is regulated closely by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, states regulate groundwater on their own. And some of them, such as California, do not have groundwater management regulations, though others, such as Arizona, have gone as far as transferring surface water from the Colorado River to underground aquifers for later use.As noted by theYet, what surprised researchers in particular was how much groundwater had been accounting for the difference. Indeed, in excess of three-quarters of water lost over the past nine years came from underground. And groundwater does not replenish itself as quickly as surface water, which collects from rain and snow. The unexpected heavy use is straining resources that were already limited."You get a wet year, you get some precipitation, and those reservoirs can fill right back up," Castle said. "It can take years, or hundreds of years, to refill groundwater basins.""The Colorado River Basin is the water lifeline of the western United States," said senior author Jay Famiglietti, senior water cycle scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on leave from UC Irvine, where he is an Earth system science professor."With Lake Mead at its lowest level ever, we wanted to explore whether the basin, like most other regions around the world, was relying on groundwater to make up for the limited surface-water supply. We found a surprisingly high and long-term reliance on groundwater to bridge the gap between supply and demand," he said.The study's authors concluded that federal officials allocated 30 percent more water from the Colorado River than was available; the gaps were then made up from groundwater.Across the Western states, farmers and urban centers that rely on groundwater are already seeing their water tables decline, which indicates that supplies are running low."We really don't know how much water is down there. We've already depleted a lot of it. There could be more, but when we have to start to dig deeper to access it, that's a bad sign," Castle said. "If [ground water basins] continue to be depleted, they don't come back up." Human judgement vs. computer judgment Feeding the machine Ensuring moral responsibility (NaturalNews) Are people responsible for actions they have yet to commit? This moral dilemma doesn't just make for fun armchair philosophy. A team of researchers has demonstrated that computers are better than human judges at predicting who will commit a violent act.In a paper published last month, the researchers detailed how they created a system that began with people who had been previously arrested for domestic violence, and determined which participants would most likely commit the same crime later.Authorities can use the crime prediction software to detect patterns. These patterns can help officials recognize a criminal's intent and the probability that they will commit the same act twice. The technology could prevent injuries and even save lives. On the other hand, critics note that such technology is corrosive to the foundations of justice and moral responsibility In response, proponents insist that police departments already use computers to decipher when and where crimes are most likely to occur . More than half of state parole boards use predictions based on data analysis to determine whether a convict should be released from prison or remain incarcerated. In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security already uses FAST (Future Attribute Screening Technology) to pinpoint potential terrorists, by analyzing an individual's body language and tendencies. The most recent system is simply an add-on to these technologies.Although the technology is better at predicting the behavior of criminals than human judges are, it is not 100 percent airtight. What makes the recent study unique, is that it highlights how effective the system is at gauging criminal behavior in comparison to experts."The algorithms are not perfect. They have flaws, but there are increasing data to show that they have fewer flaws than existing ways we make these decisions," said Richard Berk, a criminology and statistics professor at Penn's school of Arts and Sciences, who helped design them system. "You can criticize them -- and you should because we can always make them better -- but, as we say, you can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."Berk emphasized that he only used publicly available data on individuals who had been previously arrested. The system isn't monitoring citizens; however, it is being used to decide if a criminal ought to be released or detained.Berk has been involved in crime predictive software for more than a decade. By 2008, he had built a computer system that was better than professionals at deciphering which parolees would most likely commit another crime. In particular, Berk used a machine learning system, which extrapolated data from numerous computers until it unearthed a pattern that could make future predictions and be tested against background knowledge.In a study published last month in the, Berk and Penn psychologist Susan Sorenson reviewed nearly 100,000 legal cases, which took place between 2009 and 2013. They used a machine learning system, which collected data on age, sex, zip code, age of first arrest and a list of previous charges like drunk driving, animal abuse and gun related crimes. The system wasn't fed information on race; however, the system did discern racial patterns based upon zip codes.The duo reported that approximately two-thirds of the data was used to "train the system." The remaining data was used to test the system. They fed the computer the same information a judge would have access to, such as whether an individual had been arrested for domestic violence before.One way to ensure that offenders do not commit repeat offenses is to jail anyone charged with domestic violence. However, there is a hefty price tag attached to jailing everyone. Nearly half of individuals arrested for domestic violence are released, according to Berk. The hurdle doesn't lie in releasing half the detainees, but in determining which half ought to be let go.The researchers found that approximately 20 percent of the detainees released by the judge committed the same crime later, whereas only 10 percent of the computer's choices repeated the same crime.Berk and Sorenson are helping the Philadelphia law enforcement use the machine learning system to assign the risk level for domestic violence in households. The parole system is already used in Philadelphia. The machine learning system determines whether city parolees are a low, medium or high threat, enabling police to primarily concentrate on high-risk cases.Nevertheless, it's hard to shake off the uneasiness attached to committing someone for a crime they have yet to commit. This technology isn't limited to criminals, but has implications for society in general. Such software could be used by companies to decide whether they should fire an employee, or by doctors to decide if they should deny a patient surgery.At a more fundamental level, punishing people based on their proclivities corrodes the belief that an individual ought to have committed an act in order to be held morally responsible. A person's thoughts may reflect an individual's character, but we don't prosecute people based upon thoughts alone. In addition, holding people accountable for future crimes undermines the idea that people are innocent until proven guilty. Had an individual known they would commit a deplorable act in the future, they could take active steps in the now to avoid those undesirable consequences.Regarding people as moral agents instead of numbers is the only way to ensure that the state prosecutes people based upon past actions instead of future actions. Feeding a machine physical data about a person isn't sufficient to determine how a person will act, because not all human choices are fueled by physical causes. The ideas of other people's minds, for instance, can cause us to change our minds and make choices that alter the course of the future. Thus, such technology though useful and potentially necessary in several respects places too much trust in the hands of machines, and not enough trust in the hands of people. Rauner Will Support Trump If Trump Wins The Republican Nomination By Mae Rice in News on Mar 21, 2016 6:35PM Illinois governor Bruce Rauner last February in Chicago. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Gov. Bruce Rauner is, as we all know, a chill guy who goes with the flow, so he will support Donald Trump if he wins the Republican presidential nomination. The governorwho still has not passed the state effing budget because he's actually nationally known for not going with the flow at allexpressed his weak and conditional support for Trump on Monday. "I will support the Republican Party's nominee for president," Rauner told reporters Monday, according to the Tribune. "I'll do everything I can to work with that nominee." Rauner elaborated: "As I've said, from the beginning, I think we should respect the voters' decisions The process is still in mid-stream. We should let the process play out, and I'm not going to comment on specific candidates." Rauner sees this as his duty as the leader of the Illinois Republican party. Perhaps relatedly, a recent poll suggested that half of Illinois residents dislike Rauner. Rauners Monday statements were his first public comments since Trump won the Republican presidential primary in Illinois last Tuesday. A pre-primary Trump rally at UIC Pavilion was postponed due to safety concerns. A weapon for bio-terrorists The unintended consequences of gene editing (NaturalNews) Gene editing is now considered a national security threat alongside cyberattacks and nuclear weapons. That is, at least according to the government's latest annual report on national security threats. The report listed gene editing as a technology that, "probably increases the risk of the creation of potentially harmful biological agents or products."Back in 2012, a popular gene editing method known as CRISPR, or "gene drive," surfaced, which enabled researchers to change the DNA of almost any organism with ease. CRISPR tools target, cut and repair snippets of DNA. According to an article published in, researchers plan to use CRISPR to, "adjust human genes to eliminate diseases, create hardier plants, wipe out pathogens and much more."There are plenty of advantages to be reaped from CRISPR, but they are overshadowed by its disadvantages. So much so, that James Clapper, U.S. Director of National Intelligence, deemed gene editing a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) in the annual worldwide threat assessment report.Authorities have been worried that gene editing technologies like CRISPR are a national security threat for a while. With CRISPR, scientists have created gene drives that guarantee an altered gene is inherited by an organism's offspring and subsequent generations. The FBI, the Pentagon and the United Nations bio-weapons office have been monitoring the technology out of concern that bio-terrorists could use it to bring about mass destruction Clapper did not specify why CRISPR has the intelligence community nervous, but several bio-security experts have. In particular, a gene drive that spreads DNA that kills pollinating insects could collapse a country's agricultural system. Terrorist groups like ISIS could use gene drive to breed super killer mosquitoes, which harbor and transmit deadly diseases.For this reason, Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Senior Associate at the UPMC Center for Health Security, was called on to testify about the dangers of gene editing by a National Academy of Sciences panel last year. He described gene editing as "entomological warfare."Although super mosquitoes are an unlikely threat, the threat CRISPR poses to bio-security is real. Since the technology behind gene drive is relatively inexpensive and widely available, countries increase the risk of spurring dangerous biological agents. Recent discoveries, "move easily in the globalized economy, as do personnel with the scientific expertise to design and use them," states the report.Piers Millet, an expert on bioweapons at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., said he was surprised that Clapper singled out gene editing on the WMD list, since creating a bioweapon requires a level of expertise in a broad range of technologies.The intelligence community is worried about the unintended consequences of CRISPR too not just the intended consequences of bio-terrorists. Although the goal of CRISPR is to weed out the genetic basis for various illnesses, the technology is not 100 percent effective. Sometimes, gene editing hits more than just a targeted cell. Previous gene therapies have even caused cancer in some patients.No one is sure what reverberations altering the genome of an organism could have on the environment. It's not just weeding out genetic defects either. In the era of designer babies, parents would be able to hand-select which traits they wanted for their children. After all, who gets to deem what is regarded as an "improvement" of the genome?"Humanity does not have the maturity and ethical boundaries to play god with organisms of any kind. CRISPR and other genetic editing techniques are amazing marvels of technology, but great technology combined with a wholesale lack of wisdom can lead to catastrophe on a planet wide scale,"said Mike Adams, the Editor ofFurthermore, it is not known how germ line editing will impact future generations. Those genetic changes could be passed down when a person has children. According to John Holdren of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, germ line editing for clinical use, meaning pregnancy, "is a line that should not be crossed at this time."Guidelines and laws about what is and is not allowed by germ line research vary across the globe. Some places ban the research altogether, others allow lab research but not pregnancies, and some have no policies whatsoever. In the U.S., the National Institutes of Health does not fund germ line research, but private funding is permitted.Americans appear to be just as weary of gene editing as security officials. According to a STAT Harvard poll, approximately 83 percent of Americans are opposed to germ line editing to improve IQ and appearance. According to that same study, however, 59 percent of Americans thought federal health regulators should approve gene therapy, whereas 30 percent thought they should not."Given the broad distribution, low cost, and accelerated pace of development of this dual-use technology, its deliberate or unintentional misuse might lead to far-reaching economic and national security implications," said Clapper. No one took responsibility, including the one federal agency that was supposed to 'That's a good question' (NaturalNews) One of the Environmental Protection Agency's core functions is the enforcement of provisions contained , which includes "the authority to implement pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry," and to assist states in ensuring that the general public has safe drinking water.But in recent months, the EPA seems to have forgotten this core function or, at a minimum, its bureaucrats have simply been too distracted by other priorities imposed by the Obama administration to pay much attention to their basic duties.Recently a scandal involving contaminated water in Flint, Mich., came to a head, in which regional EPA officials were aware that the city's water system was contaminated with lead . But now, there has been a second case of lead-tainted water that the agency was aware of but did nothing to fix, this time in Sebring, Ohio.As reported byand, Ohio state environmental officials were aware as early as last October that residents of the small town located in Mahoning County, about 60 miles southeast of Cleveland were consuming lead-tainted water, but failed to warn the general public.Instead, as reported by"... the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency sent multiple warnings to the Sebring Water Treatment Plant, demanding that operators there notify the public that tests showed elevated lead levels. The EPA even set a deadline of Nov. 29 to notify customers of the health threat."No warnings were issued, according to the EPA."Epic fail.Testing that took place between June and September found high lead levels in water at a number of older homes in communities that are served by the Sebring plant. Lead, asreaders know, is known to cause nervous system damage and harm to the reproductive system and kidneys. Young children and the unborn are even more susceptible to lead toxicity."High lead levels in children can cause behavioral issues, mental retardation and learning disabilities. And it can be fatal at high levels," the paper noted.However, the EPA did not issue any notice of violations to the treatment plant until Jan. 21, which finally prompted a public notice at which time some 8,100 people who obtain their drinking water from the Sebring system found out they were being exposed to toxins.Days ago, the state began sending bottled water to residents and customers of Sebring, along with water testing kits. Schools in the surrounding area were closed. And state regulators have said that two of the 123 water samples taken from schools in the Sebring area came back with levels of copper and lead that exceeded federal limits.In recent days officials with the Ohio EPA also said that the most recent water test at the time at three separate schools in Sebring turned up excessive levels of lead at two drinking fountains. Officials added that 22 other samples have shown evidence of lead that was actually below federal levels, while the rest of them showed none.These discoveries have led the EPA to issue "an emergency order barring the water-treatment plant's director, James Bates, from working at the plant," the paper reported. "The EPA has said that Bates falsified records to the EPA, which is calling for a criminal investigation."reached Bates at his home, where he defended himself, claiming he has not falsified data in 23 years on the job, and that the EPA is attempting to make him the scapegoat after not acting more quickly themselves."We did 40 samples, and we sent all the information to the 40 people who actually (lived) where the water was tested," he said, noting that the plant sent some public notifications in December.But the test period was between June 1 and Sept. 30. When asked why those notifications did not go out sooner, he had no answer."That is a very good question," he said. "And I've got to wait until I get the (Ohio EPA) authorization, and then I can definitely answer that question."Keep up with all of the failings of the federal Environmental Protection Agency at: EPAWatch.org Beware of these buns! Azodicarbonamide Artificial trans fats Bleaching agents Caramel Color Natural or artificial flavors (NaturalNews) Let's face it, we ALL love bread. Well, the large majority of us anyway. But conventionally processed bread can be detrimental to our health for a number of reasons, due to the long list of unhealthy ingredients it contains, including added sugars, chemical preservatives and artificial coloring.Another reason it's not so great for our bodies is because wheat crops are routinely doused in harmful herbicides like glyphosate , which the World Health Organization (WHO) deemed " probably carcinogenic " last spring.As you're likely aware, one of the primary reasons Big Food adds unhealthy ingredients to their products, is to; in fact, this is their main concern when it comes to formulating food products because itUnfortunately, bread is no exception, and in fact can be the golden child of chemically preserved foods. As Food activist Vani Hari, the Food Babe explains, "Real food naturally goes bad that's what it is supposed to do."Except for the Arctic Apple, however, whose makers genetically engineered it to never turn brown and of course we haveof this modification.But anyway, back to bread."So when I see bread that lasts over 10 days, I start to squirm thinking about all the additives it must contain to keep it looking 'fresh,'" wrote Food Babe in one of her latest blog posts , exposing the fast food industry's fake bread."[B]uns at popular fast food restaurants are designed to last much longer than fresh baked buns, sometimes longer than 2 weeks. In order to achieve this long shelf life that improves profitability they have to pump those buns up with artificial, man-made, chemical ingredients ."So, what exactly is in fake bread, and what impact is it having on our bodies? One commonly found ingredient, which is well known due to the significant amount of bad press it's received thanks to Food Babe and other food activists, is Azodicarbonamide, a dough conditioner.Azodicarbonamide has been dubbed the "yoga mat" chemical because it's used to make yoga mats and shoe rubber . Food Babe and others successfully petitioned Subway to remove this chemical, which is banned in Europe and Australia, from their sandwich bread in 2014; however, it's still widely used elsewhere.The dough conditioner has been linked to respiratory problems, allergies and asthma, according to the WHO . When heated, it breaks into two compounds associated with tumor development and cancer. Fast food chains guilty of using this chemical include Burger King, McDonald's (McRib bun), Dairy Queen and Arby's.Conventionally produced bread tends to contain emulsifiers, or chemicals used to create texture which can be found in other things like cake, ice cream and salad dressing.are "a byproduct of oil processing including partially hydrogenated canola and soybean oils which contain artificial trans fat," explains Food Babe.Artificial trans fats are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease. They also promote inflammation and obesity, reports . Shake Shack, Dairy Queen, KFC, Burger King, Wendy's, McDonald's, Jack In The Box and Arby's all use these chemicals in their buns.Another harmful and quite disgusting ingredient used in buns is calcium peroxide, a bleaching agent and dough conditioner that's banned in China. This ingredient screams "heavily processed." If you see it, it's best avoided. Chick-Fil-A, McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Jack In The Box and Arby's all use calcium peroxide.Found in soda, chocolate, custards, doughnuts, gravy and brown bread, artificial caramel color comes in four different types, with some containing a potentially carcinogenic chemical called 4-methylimidazole (4-Mel). Studies show that this chemical causes cancer in mice, reports . Currently, there are no legal limits on the amount of 4-Mel used in food and beverages.Arby's uses 4-Mel in their buns, but we haven't learned which type yet."Any time you see flavors on an ingredient list be aware that you don't really know what you are eating," says Food Babe. Each "flavor" contains a secret list of up to 100 ingredients, according to the Environmental Working Group, including "synthetic chemicals such as the solvent propylene glycol or the preservative BHA."They also contain genetically modified ingredients and excitotoxins such as MSG, which synthetically stimulate your brain to crave more. Carl's Jr., Dairy Queen, Wendy's and Arby's are all guilty of using so-called natural and artificial flavors in their buns.For more on harmful substances to avoid in fast-food buns, continue reading the rest of Food Babe's article here Importing coca leaves Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (NaturalNews) Coca-Cola has been a household name since the company was first created back in 1886 by a pharmacist in Atlanta named Dr. John. S. Pemberton. Within two years of its creation, Coca-Cola became the world's number one selling carbonated beverage, and today is sold in over 200 different countries, according toCoca-cola has a share of 42.8 percent of the U.S. carbonated drinks market, and approximately 1.7 billion servings are consumed every single day. The brand itself is worth an estimated $74 billion. So it's not surprising that the company chooses to keep its recipe a secret. In fact, until 1903, the recipe actually contained cocaine from the coca leaves themselves.Nowadays, the recipe is cocaine-free but still kept top secret although it seems that's not the only secret surrounding the manufacturing process and companies that Coca-Cola does business with.According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "It is illegal to bring coca leaves into the U.S. for any purpose, including to use for brewing tea or for chewing." There is only one company in the U.S. that is legally allowed to import coca leaves namely Stepan Company, which is based in Illinois. As stated by, Stepan Company has special permission from the DEA to import upwards of 100 metric tons of coca leaves every year, most of which come from Peru.At its New Jersey factory, Stepan Company then extracts the cocaine from the leaves, before they are shipped to Coca-Cola to be included in its unique syrup recipe. Big Pharma's Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals then purchases the cocaine from Stepan Company, and it is ultimately used for medicinal purposes.Questions have been asked about what "medicinal purposes" require such an enormous amount of cocaine approximately 333 kilos of cocaine per 100 metric tons of coca leaves with an estimated street value of $16.7 million And Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals is now in the limelight for apparently not paying any taxes in 2015.According to, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals is one of 27 companies that paid no income tax in 2015, apparently because this Big Pharma company is based outside of the U.S. The website for Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals states that the company is registered in Dublin, Ireland which might explain why out of its $215.3 million pre-tax profit, the company escaped paying $114.7 million in taxes.This isn't the first time that the Mallinckrodt name has made the press, and the Mallinckrodt Group is under scrutiny for much more than its tax evasion. In 1973, the Mallinckrodt Group dumped tens of thousands of barrels of nuclear waste in St. Louis, which has recently been liked with more than 2,700 cases of cancer in the local area.According to, the landfill occupies around 200 acres of land in Bridgeton, and has been on the U.S. EPA's Superfund National Priorities List since 1990, when nuclear contamination began to surface near a creek and children's playground.The EPA has been monitoring the site, but hasn't actually done anything to clean up the mess caused by the Mallinckrodt Group. Over the past few months fires have broken out at an underground landfill site which is in very close proximity to the radioactive waste fill but it seems nothing is being done to protect the community nearby.Residents have been voicing their concerns about the nuclear waste for more than 30 years, as reported by, due to the prevalence of birth defects, cancer rates and a number of rare diseases such as a rare form of leukemia in children.How is it that a corporation operating in the U.S. for so many years can evade tax to the value of $114.7 million dollars in a single year and get away with doing irreparable environmental damage on U.S. soil? And why does Coca-Cola continue to line its pockets with money from such a dark and dirty corporation? Yet another reason to avoid Coca-Cola and its many junk food products on your next shop. General Mills desperately hoped the DARK Act would pass Unethical corporations like General Mills will only label GMOs when forced to do so General Mills has a long history of deceptive labeling and dishonest products General Mills has no intention to stop feeding you GMOs and glyphosate Stop buying General Mills products, even if they're labeled Even in labeling GMOs, General Mills still somehow behaves unethically Continue to boycott General Mills products Food Forensics: The new food science book from the Health Ranger (NaturalNews) General Mills, a highly unethical food corporation that bitterly fought against labeling GMOs in California and Oregon, has now surrendered to Vermont's labeling laws and announced it will start labeling GMOs across the country."General Mills has announced it will start labeling products with genetically modified (GMO) ingredients, becoming the second major food company to make the transition following Campbell Soups decision last month," reports Ecowatch.com . The pro-Monsanto biotech shills in the mainstream media -- like Forbes.com -- have also covered the story, but they're ridiculously claiming that printing an extra line on food labels is going to raise food prices across the country and make groceries unaffordable.This surrender by General Mills stands as yet another huge victory for consumers and a staggering defeat for the food monopolists and Monsanto deceivers who have desperately tried to block all GMO labeling by any means necessary (including engaging in illegal campaign money laundering carried out by the Grocery Manufacturers of America).All along, General Mills financially supported that money laundering and helped fund highly deceptive efforts in California to block GMO labeling there. Even now, General Mills' totally clueless executive vice president and chief operating officer Jeff Harmening laments the fact that the DARK Act did not pass as General Mills wanted. In a deceptively worded post on the General Mills website , he even states that he was "disappointed that a national solution has still not been reached."By "national solution," he means the nationwide outlawing of mandatory GMO labeling laws. That was what General Mills pushed for, along with Monsanto, PepsiCo and all the other usual food giant suspects whose entire business models depend onGeneral Mills, like every other food giant that depends heavily on GMO ingredients,. In fact, they've only surrendered to labeling after being dragged kicking and screaming to that inescapable conclusion. General Mills could have chosen to label their GMOs at any time over the last several years, but they refused to do so. Even as Campbell's took the lead and announced its intention to label all GMOs , General Mills refused to engage in food transparency until it was forced to do so.Even its own page explaining its reluctant GMO labeling cave-in begins with a huge lie. It states "We believe you should know about your food and how we make ours." ButIn reality, General Mills believes in hiding GMO ingredients in all its food products and making sure consumers are left in the dark about what they're buying and eating."One thing is very clear," General Mills' Jeff Harmening writes on the company's website. "Vermont state law requires us to start labeling certain grocery store food packages that contain GMO ingredients or face significant fines."And that's precisely the point. Deceptive corporations like General Mills -- who essentially function as manufacturing and propaganda partners of Monsanto -- will never engage in honest food transparency. They have no self-derived ethics or honesty, and they have only announced this GMO labeling initiative after being forced to do so by the voters and lawmakers of Vermont, whom they strenuously opposed at every turn.Even in announcing its intention to label GMOs solely to avoid being fined by Vermont, General Mills can't resist spreading yet more pro-Monsanto GMO propaganda and lies.As Harmening writes, "All sides of this debate, 20 years of research, and every major health and safety agency in the world agree that GMOs are not a health or safety concern."Harmening just can't stop lying, in other words. To state that "all sides of this debate... agree that GMOs are not a health or safety concern" is a desperate deception that's almost Obama-esque in its invocation of neurolinguistic twistery. It's also a page ripped right out of the Monsanto playbook, claiming that there is essentially no side to the debate that isn't pro-GMO. (The "science is settled" even when it isn't.) Isn't it obvious that some sides of this debate have legitimate and scientifically backed concerns about health and safety? One look at GMOseralini.org tells the side of this debate that Monsanto and General Mills hope you never discover!When rats fed GMOs and glyphosate develop horrific cancer tumors -- and when government agencies like the USDA and FDA function as nothing more than industry lapdogs -- there are legitimate safety concerns surrounding GMOs.Entire books have documented the enormous health risks associated with GMOs and glyphosate herbicide, including Altered Genes, Twisted Truth and GMO Myths and Truths: A Citizen's Guide to the Evidence on the Safety and Efficacy of Genetically Modified Crops and Foods (both really informative books that I highly recommend).General Mills, in other words, iseven as it is surrendering to labeling requirements that it strongly opposed (and tried to block). The company still doesn't get it, and its executives justThat's no surprise, as General Mills is the same company that once released a TOTAL breakfast cereal named "TOTAL Blueberry Pomegranate" that contained absolutely no blueberries or pomegranates.A few years back, I actually put together a hilarious Monty Python style satire skit making fun of General Mills for this insanely deceptive cereal product, which exemplifies the kind ofstill being practiced across the entire company:General Mills clearly has no intention to stop feeding people GMOs, and they have absolutely no intention to stop using glyphosate-soaked wheat as a source ingredient in their cereals, bars and other products, either. General Mills, in other words, isabout GMOs and their health implications.This is precisely why voters and state laws are so crucial to setting boundaries for these unethical food corporations. Without state laws that mandate honest disclosure, companies like General Mills will deliberately deceive their own customers through ingredient secrecy and deception. There is zero chance that they will voluntarily do the right thing on their own, in other words.When companies like General Mills speak of "national solutions," what they mean is. That's what General Mills wants, and that's what it helped fund. There isn't a shred of evidence that General Mills is genuinely interested in food transparency. The General Mills corporate culture is steeped in systematic deception and ongoing efforts to deny its own customers access to accurate information about the origins of its food ingredients.I have no doubt that, possibly with another version of the DARK Act they're likely trying to push through.Because General Mills really has no real interest in food transparency, the company doesn't deserve your business.Stop buying General Mills products, including their natural and organic brands such as Larabar, Annie's, Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen. Don't hand over your money to a deceptive corporation thatand that still thinks anyone who has health and safety concerns about GMOs is a kook.General Mills has demonstratedin the realm of GMOs or honest food labeling. This is a corporation that actively fought against food transparency and is still likely doing so. This is a corporation that has only agreed to label GMOs after being forced to do so. It did not come to the idea of food transparency on its own; that had to be forced onto the company by the voters and legislators of Vermont.The fact that General Mills is now reluctantly complying with this law only as a last ditch effort to avoid fines is actually a further condemnation of its deceptive business practices. General Mills is a corporation that remains mystified and baffled by the very idea of corporate ethics or honest food labels; and it has no intention of behaving ethically on such matters unless it is dragged kicking and screaming to a point where it has no other option.Remember: General Mills is a corporation that took profits from the products you bought, then funneled those profits into campaign opposition schemes to defeat GMO labeling in California, Oregon and other states. And they succeeded nearly everywhere! Yet they failed in Vermont, and now Vermont is forcing the entire industry to face the reality of food transparency across America.By the way, this also demonstratesto reshape issues on a national scale. Go Vermont! (And the Tenth Amendment!)For all the reasons detailed here, I am continuing to recommend a boycott of all General Mills products -- including its organic and natural brands -- until this unethical, clueless corporation comes around on the issue of food transparency and honest labeling.When a food manufacturer continues to wage a war of propaganda and disinformation against its own customers, it doesn't deserve your business. Today, you can send a powerful message to General Mills byWhose products should you buy instead? Nature's Path, One Degree Foods and other brands that promote organics and non-GMO products. Look for the "Non-GMO Project Verified" label on foods at the grocery store, andOver two years in the making,publishes the heavy metals testing results from over 800 foods, supplements, spices and superfoods. Available now for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, click here for the Food Forensics website and book preorder links " - Michael T. Murray, author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine" - Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association." - Robert Scott Bell." - Ty Bollinger, The Truth About Cancer Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. For the first time in 28 years, Alaska has a new butterfly: a possible hybrid between two related species that adapted to the harsh Arctic climate. University of Florida researchers, led by lepidopterist (or butterfly expert) Andrew Warren, suggest that the newly discovered butterfly might be the result of the mating of the Chryxus Arctic and the White-veined Arctic. The offspring is named by scientists the Tanana Arctic, or Oeneis tanana, as it lives in the forests of Tanana-Yukon River Basin. "Hybrid species demonstrate that animals evolved in a way that people haven't really thought much about before, although the phenomenon is fairly well studied in plants," said Warren, the senior collections manager at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History, in a statement. In fact, the Tanana Arctic has been hiding under our noses for some time now. In 2010, as Warren was going through the collection, he said a specimen labelled as Chryxus Arctic butterfly "didn't look right." It had a different-looking genitalia and larger white specks on the underside of its penny-colored wings, giving it a frosted look. With 825 butterfly species recorded in the United States and Canada, the Tanana Arctic, a member of the Arctics family, may be the only endemic one in the Last Frontier, meaning it cannot be found anywhere else. Since butterflies adapt quickly to changing climate, the new discovery can help in monitoring the climate. The Tanana Arctic can also be studied to learn about Alaska's geology due to its remote residence. "This butterfly has apparently lived in the Tanana River valley for so long that if ever it moves out, we'll be able to say 'Wow, there are some changes happening,'" Warren said. He also added that the region itself is already experiencing a lot of changes, particularly glacier and permafrost melting. Warren hopes to return to the Tanana-Yukon basins next year in search of this already extraordinary butterfly. The research is recently published by the Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. Someone Is Saying The N-Word On Chicago Police Radio, Again By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Mar 21, 2016 4:35PM Some radio equipment (Photo by Paul L. McCord Jr. via the Creative Commons on Flickr) It's happened again: for the second time in a week someone is saying viciously racist things over the frequencies used by Chicago police. Spot News recorded a snippet of the offending scanner fire. It sounds like a routine call but at the 1:04-minute mark, someone breaks in and says, "Will you shoot all these goddamn n*****s and get it over with?" A man's voice asks, "Did you get a radio number on that?" A female dispatcher replies "no." And the man's voice responds, "It was not one of ours." You can hear it all here (warning: disturbing language): Last week, a recording from a Chicago police scanner captured someone saying, "Black Lives Matter, my ass. Fucking n*****s." The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Police Department has launched an official probe into who was behind the recording and has promised that if it's someone in the department, they will be immediately suspended and subject to disciplinary proceedings. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications said that the audio "lacks identifying characteristics of an official police radio." In a statement sent to Chicagoist Monday morning, the police department's office of News Affairs said they have "confirmed" the broadcasts are coming from an unauthorized radio. "The racial comments are abhorrent and absolutely unacceptable," the statement reads. "We have confirmed these are coming from external, unauthorized radios accessing emergency frequencies. At this time, there is no evidence that this individual is a city employee, however, OEMC and CPD continue to investigate. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Sun-Times last week, "It is strictly prohibited for a Chicago police officer to use unauthorized radios to access frequencies. While Im not going to say its never happened, certainly officers would face discipline if they cued up on air. . . . There needs to be additional investigation." We will update this post with a statement from CPD when we receive it. During the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Formula One driver Fernando Alonso was involved in a crash that was equal parts terrifying and spectacular. We can say that because he walked away with barely a scratch on him, something that will be hard to believe when you watch this video: [[372854611,C]] Alonso was traveling nearly 200 miles an hour when his right front tire clipped the left rear tire of Esteban Gutierrez. Alonso hit the wall, went airborne and flipped a few times before smacking in to another wall. When the car finally came to a stop Alonso shocked the relieved crowd by almost immediately getting out and walking away with only a slight limp. Alonso said he's just fine and proceeded to describe the ordeal. You are not exactly aware where you are," said Alonso. "You are just flying and then you see the sky, the ground, the sky, the ground and you dont know. Then I didnt know where I was because I was so far from the track. Everything happened slower than on the outside. You want to stop and it doesnt stop, it keeps going and going and going. It was quite scary. Scary for him, and scary for people watching ... including one particular fan who was immediately on the driver's mind. When I stopped I saw a little space to get out of the car and I went out quickly just to make sure that my mum, who was watching the race on TV at home, could see that I was okay." The race was stopped for 20 minutes to clean up pieces of the car from the track. Nico Rosberg ended up the winner. BART is getting an entirely new fleet of high-tech trains, and the agencys transit problems will magically disappear when the older trains get put out to pasture. Right? On Monday, the sixth consecutive day of power surge issues peppering the Bay Area Rapid Transit System, spokesman Jim Allison wouldnt commit to the problems vanishing, despite a fleet of 775 new trains scheduled to replace the 669 old ones over the next six years. Theres no guarantee that the new cars wouldnt encounter these kinds of problems, Allison said. Duncan Callaway, an assistant professor at UC Berkeley's Energy and Resources Group, told NBC Bay Area that he is not intimately familar with BART's specific problems. But based on what he knows, "we can't be sure if the new cars would solve the issue. Clearly, the third rail control system is part of the problem." Despite rigorous testing and head scratching, BART engineers have still not figured out what is causing a high spike of voltage along a stretch of track near Highway 4 in Contra Costa County, and also in the Transbay Tube. Together, the two surges have fried more than 250 small switches called thyristers since the end of February on a total of about 130, newer C trains. To compare, BARTs older A and B cars have not suffered these unidentified power surges. BART crews worked over the weekend to try to figure out what is going on, to no avail, even with expert help from outside California. "Testing over the weekend found very short spikes of high voltage," BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said Monday. "The experts are providing a fresh set of eyes to the problem. Crews have been systematically identifying all possibilities and then eliminating them one by one." Also at issue: While BART is expecting a sleek new fleet of trains, the cars will be running on 40-plus-year-old infrastructure. BART leaders have been quite open about their desire for a $3 billion bond to be put on the fall ballot that would update old rails and train control equipment, expand maintenance facilities and rebuild other parts of the system. Of course, the hope is that the new trains, manufactured by Bombadier Inc. in Quebec, will alleviate these problems, Allison said. But even if the new fleet is problem-free, theyre a ways off in coming on board. The first test train of the new fleet arrived on March 15, the day before BART service was shuttered between the North Concord/Martinez and Pittsburg/Bay Point stations. That one car is being tested at a special barn at 955 Whipple Road in Union City. Once that car is tested and is approved for service, BARTs timeline shows that the first 10 cars are expected to go into service in late 2016. In mid-2017, 66 new cars should be added to the fleet, BARTs timeline shows. Then, in 2018, BART expects delivery to ramp up to 16 new cars a month. The final batch of 223 trains are scheduled to be delivered by fall 2021, bringing the full fleet to 775 new cars. BART's goal is to ultimately obtain enough money to increase the fleet to 1,081 train cars, although an exact timetable on that is not yet determined. The first official day of Spring on Sunday did not bring with it any significant weather swings, but was simply part of a relatively mild weekend when it comes to weather. However, violence across the city still claimed the lives of three people, and left 24 others wounded. Friday: The first fatal shooting happened at approximately 1:50 p.m. in the 3700 block of West Division Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, according to police. A man was discovered unresponsive after shots were heard in the area, and he was taken to Norwegian Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead a short time later, and identified as 42-year-old Lorenzo Lonnell Lancaster of the 3400 block of West Ohio Street. At 3:15 p.m., three men were driving in a grey sedan when an offender fired shots at their vehicle. The victims self-transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were listed in good condition. The victims were an 18-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the arm and back, a 20-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the back, and a 21-year-old man with a graze wound to the head. On Sunday, 18-year-old Dwon Wright was arrested and charged with one felony count of aggravated battery, according to police. The second fatal shooting of the weekend occurred at 5:31 p.m in the 4500 block of West Diversey Avenue in the Belmont Gardens neighborhood on the citys Northwest Side. Police say a 24-year-old woman was in a parked car when an unknown offender in another car opened fire. The woman, who police said was a documented gang member, was hit in the chest. She was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Less than an hour later, another person was shot in the Humboldt Park neighborhood in the 1400 block of N Kildare Ave. Police say a 19-year-old man suffered graze wounds to the head and a gunshot wound to the shoulder and hand. He was driving when an unknown offender passed him on the right side in a light colored sedan and fired shots at his vehicle. The offender fled northbound on Kildare, and the victim was taken in good condition to Norwegian American Hospital, police said. On the Far South Side in the citys South Deering neighborhood, a 28-year-old man was shot in the hip at around 7:04 p.m., police said. The shooting occurred in the 10000 block of S Yates Blvd, and the man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition. Police say the man was walking when an unknown vehicle began firing shots, then fled northbound on Yates. At 8:30 p.m., a 28-year-old man was inside a business in the 11200 block of S Halsted St in the Morgan Park neighborhood when two attackers walked in and shot him in the lower leg. The victim was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, according to police. About 9 p.m. in the 4600 block of W Jackson Blvd in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, an 18-year-old man was shot in the lower leg. Police say an unknown man walked up to the victim, produced a handgun, and announced a robbery. As the victim tried to flee, the attacker fired shots, hitting the victim who took himself to Loretto Hospital. He was treated and released. Two men were wounded in the 800 block of N Lockwood Ave at approximately 10:15 p.m. Friday night. The men were standing outside when two cars pulled up and someone inside fired shots. The 43-year-old victim was shot in the arm, and the 47-year-old man was shot in both of his legs. Both were taken to Stroger Hospital, where their conditions stabilized, according to police. Saturday A man and woman, both 29, were shot at 12:19 a.m. Saturday in the 4200 block of S. Marshfield Ave. They were in a car in the Back of the Yards neighborhood when an SUV pulled up and someone inside began shooting. The woman suffered a graze wound to the head, the man was shot in the shoulder, and both were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. During a domestic situation in the 2800 block of W 83rd St in the Ashburn neighborhood on the city's Southwest Side, a 32-year-old man was shot at 12:10 p.m., police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his abdomen, and a suspect was taken into custody. A 32-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were in a car in the 900 block of N Central Ave in the Austin neighborhood when they were shot Saturday afternoon. At 3:23 p.m., a red SUV pulled up alongside their vehicle and fired shots. The man was shot in the left arm and left leg, and the woman was shot in the left leg. They were taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, police said. At approximately 4:10 p.m., a 36-year-old man was shot in the 4100 block of W. 25th St in the Little Village neighborhood, police said. He was walking on the street when an unknown man came out of a gangway and began shooting, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the right leg. At 9 p.m. on the West Side, a 22-year-old man was sitting inside a van in the 3500 block of W Fulton St in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. A Chevrolet Malibu pulled up and someone inside fired shots, police said. He self-transported to Rush Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to the left leg. At 11:55 p.m., a 37-year-old man was shot in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on the South Side. He was sitting in a car at a stop sign in the 8500 block of S Paulina when he heard shots and felt pain, police said. He was shot multiple times in the side and taken to Christ Medical Center in stable condition. Sunday: In the East Side neighborhood on the city's South Side, a 41-year-old man was walking in the 9600 block of S Ewing at 1:55 a.m. when someone inside a black Chrysler nearby began shooting. He was shot in the left leg and taken to Christ Medical Center in good condition. A 30-year-old man was standing on the sidewalk in the 7000 block of S Eberhart in the Park Manor neighborhood on the city's South Side at 2:55 a.m. when someone shot him in the back, according to police. He was taken to Mount Sinai in fair condition. At 4:35 a.m. in the 7900 block of S Eberhart in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, a 31-year-old man was shot in the leg, according to police. He was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital. At approximately 5 a.m., a man was walking on the sidewalk in the 4900 block of S Laflin when someone began shooting. The 27-year-old victim was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital. Sunday's first fatal shooting occurred in the Albany Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. According to police, a hispanic male wearing a baseball hat and a dark jacket fired shots in the 4800 block of N Albany at about 2:47 p.m., then took off on a bicycle. Two male victims were taken in critical condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said. A 26-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the torso, and a 23-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The 23-year-old man was pronounced dead at the hospital. A 13-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side at around 4:20 p.m. She was walking in the 1300 block of S Karlov Ave when she heard shots and felt pain, police said. She suffered a graze wound to the armpit and was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. At 8:35 p.m., a man was taken to Christ Medical Center from the 8800 block of S Hermitage in the Illinois Medical District neighborhood. He was listed in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the back. Two other shooting incidents occurred throughout the weekend. A child died after accidentally shooting himself on the city's South Side Sunday afternoon. Officials say the young boy was taken in critical condition from the 6700 block of S Aberdeen in Englewood to Comer Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An off-duty police officer was also part of a police-involved shooting on the city's Northwest Side Saturday night. Police say an officer was walking at 10:30 p.m. near Schubert Ave and Monitor Ave in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood, when he "encountered an aggressive male subject holding his waistband area." He was conducting a pat down when the man called out to family members, and a man with a bat came outside and struck the officer. The officer fired shots, striking the bat-wielding man. Both offenders are in custody and the officer is on administrative duties per department protocol. It's a bar that serves nothing but tap water. For free. The concept, developed by two Minneapolis artists, started as pop-ups across the country, ranging from an event at a North Carolina artists' space to a waterfront fundraiser in Chicago to a four-month run at an art museum in Arkansas. They've been such a hit that Colin Kloecker and Shanai Matteson are preparing to open a storefront Water Bar in northeast Minneapolis, a taproom serving pints of city water plus limited-edition pours from other communities. Visitors will get to taste and compare, but the goal is bigger: connecting the public with the scientists, utility employees, environmentalists and activists who will serve as bartenders. "It's really about opening up a conversation with the idea that 'Water is all we have,' which is our tagline, because that's all we're serving," Matteson said. "And then the conversation goes from there." The timing is opportune with the widespread attention on lead-tainted water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton making water issues a personal priority for the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The storefront Water Bar, which is slated to open to the public in May, won't serve pricey boutique "artisanal water" as has been tried elsewhere just plain-old tap water. Its funding will come from various sources, such as a neighborhood association and a crowdfunding website, as well as money from ongoing pop-up events. Any tips for the bartenders will go toward supporting allied organizations and providing seed funding for community projects. "What Water Bar does is let communities and experts come together and talk to each other about, 'What are the issues here? Have you thought about where your water comes from? What are you concerned about when it comes to water?'" said Kate Brauman, lead scientist for the Global Water Initiative at the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment. Brauman worked the bar at a sustainability event on campus last year. It was so popular they ran out of cups. A 2014 pop-up Water Bar installation at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, was part of a contemporary art exhibition. "The best art displaces you from your everyday experience and allows you to think creatively and critically about yourself and your place In the world around you. And the Water Bar does that beautifully," said Chad Alligood, one of the museum's curators. The pop-up events also have connected Kloecker and Matteson, who are married, to other water-minded organizations. The Crystal Bridges event led to an invite to the Alliance for the Great Lakes' annual Taste of the Great Lakes fundraiser last June. There, they served Chicago city water from Lake Michigan; tap water from Toledo, Ohio, which was coping with a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie; and tap water from Green Bay, Wisconsin, which runs a pipe nearly 30 miles to a cleaner part of Lake Michigan, said Jennifer Caddick, the alliance's engagement director. In Greensboro, North Carolina, Kloecker recruited city water employees and students from a Cape Fear River Basin program at Guilford College to bartend at a pop-up event in October. "There were always 15 to 20 people around in front of the Water Bar. You would have thought they were drinking vodka martinis or something," said Steve Drew, director of Greensboro's water system. Some swished the water in their mouths as if they were tasting wine, videos from the event show. Some couldn't tell the difference between the samples. A boy whose chin barely came over the bar tried a couple samples and said, "I think I like the orange one best," referring to a glass jug with a little orange label that meant it came from Reidsville, one of Greensboro's suppliers. "All right!" replied bartender Mike Borchers, deputy director of Greensboro's water system. Donald Trump is meeting with influential Republicans at a Washington D.C. law firm Monday as the party's establishment continues to grapple with how to manage the unconventional candidate's dominance in the GOP primary race, NBC News reported. Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee told reporters outside the meeting that the issue of "party unity" would be discussed at the gathering. Sen. Jeff Sessions, the candidate's most prominent congressional voice on national security and immigration policy, is scheduled to be in attendance, as are Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, Rep. Renee Ellmers of North Carolina and Trump endorsers Rep. Tom Reed of New York and Duncan Hunter of California. Conservative commentator and leading Trump critic Erick Erickson wrote Monday that the Jones Day meeting constitutes a "capitulation of the Republican Establishment" where "leaders of the party will gather to kneel before Donald Trump and pledge allegiance to him." Steady snowfall made for a sloppy Monday morning commute across much of New England, yet many residents were relieved that the spring storm wasn't nearly as bad as first forecast. After initial forecasts last week of up to a foot or more of snow in some areas, the National Weather Service downgraded its predicted precipitation and much of eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and northeast Connecticut ended up with about 6 inches. Coastal areas of New Hampshire and Maine got a little more, around 8 inches. By noon, the snow had stopped and the sun was out in much of the region. Plymouth nurse Kathy McKee was pleasantly surprised when the storm didn't dump as much snow as predicted. When she left her home, only 3 to 4 inches of snow had fallen, compared to some forecasts that had predicted as much as 10 inches. "I'm relieved now and back looking forward to spring again," she said. In Stratham, New Hampshire, about 8.5 inches fell, according to preliminary National Weather Service numbers. In Massachusetts, Oakham got 7.5 inches of snow while Boston got less than 3. In Connecticut, Tolland got 6.5 inches, while in Rhode Island, Burrillville led the state with 6 inches. Monhegan island in Maine got 8 inches, while Portland got 6.7 inches. New York got much less. A little more than 3 inches had accumulated in Nassau County. New Jersey and Pennsylvania had slight accumulation on cars and grassy surfaces. Schools across New England either closed for the day or delayed opening by two hours. Police in New England reported several morning accidents, likely caused by slick roads. Power outages were minimal, but dozens of flights in and out of Logan International Airport in Boston were canceled. Kathy Fernandez was unfazed. "It's New England. No big deal," said the Providence, Rhode Island, resident, briskly walking to work as flurries fell. "It's just a little flurry. For the amount of snow we've had this year, I can't complain." The snow is expected to quickly melt as temperatures rise into the 50s by midweek. Some black ice is possible later on Monday and for the Tuesday morning commute. The AIPAC Policy Conference, the largest gathering of the nation's pro-Israel movement, hosted four of the five U.S. presidential candidates Monday. Hillary Clinton, John Kasich, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz all explained how their administrations would treat Israel if they are elected president in November. The annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee draws top Jewish leaders from across the world. The event is a traditional stop for U.S. politicians eager to demonstrate their foreign policy credentials by wading into Middle East conflicts. It also drew several dozen protesters alternating between anti-Trump and anti-Israel chants to Washington, D.C.'s Verizon Center. AIPAC bills itself as nonpartisan and has never endorsed a candidate. But the organization has played a big role in partisan political debates over issues of interest to Israel. Most recently, it worked hard to try and scuttle the Iran nuclear agreement, putting the group at odds with ardent deal supporters Clinton and Democrat Bernie Sanders, and to a certain degree, with Kasich, the lone Republican who had not said he would automatically rescind the pact. Sanders who is trying to become the first Jewish candidate to win a major party's presidential nomination skipped the AIPAC meeting to campaign ahead of primaries in Utah and Arizona on Tuesday. He planned to lay out his own foreign policy vision with a speech in Salt Lake City later Monday. Clinton spoke first, previewing an early line of Democratic attack against Donald Trump. She cast the GOP front-runner as unqualified to handle heated international conflicts as commander in chief in a speech before the prominent pro-Israel advocacy organization. The former secretary of state used her address not only to highlight her decades of work in the region but also to raise questions about Trump's credentials and trustworthiness. "We need steady hands," she told thousands of activists gathered in Washington on Monday. "Not a president who says he's neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday and who-knows-what on Wednesday because everything's negotiable." Israel's security, she proclaimed to loud applause, "is non-negotiable." The comments were aimed at Trump, who sparked criticism from Republican allies of the Jewish state when he vowed to be a "sort of a neutral guy" on Israel in February. While the U.S. is officially neutral in the Middle East conflict, his statement sparked a marked rhetorical departure for typically strongly pro-Israel U.S. presidential candidates. Trump focused on Iran in his speech, telling the gathering that "Iran is the biggest sponsor of terrorism around the world" and bashing Clinton, speaking with the aid of a teleprompter a rarity for the businessman who usually speaks off-the-cuff using hand-scrawled, point-form notes. Trump also slammed the United Nations as a group that is "not a friend" of democracy, freedom, the United States or Israel. He said that that "each side" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "must give up something" for a peace deal to work. Cruz, speaking after Trump, criticized the Republican front-runner for referring to "Palestine" in his speech. "Palestine has not existed since 1948," Cruz began in his speech Monday to applause from the crowd in Washington. The Texas senator seized on Trump's past statement promising to be "neutral" in brokering a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians. "As president, I will not be neutral," Cruz said. "America will stand unapologetically with the nation of Israel." Trump, himself, did not address his past reference to neutrality. Kasich took Trump on as well, taking subtle shots at his rival by saying he already knows about the dangers facing the U.S. and its allies: "I don't need on the job training." He also said he would stamp out intolerance, racism and anti-semitism. In a change from months of pledging that he would not "rip up" the multinational Iran nuclear deal, Kasich told the arena he is now calling for a suspension in the U.S. involvement in it after Iran's recent ballistic missile tests, which he said are a violation. The Public Health Committee of the General Assembly wants to see a one-week limit on all prescriptions that contain opiates. Opiates, which are in the heroin family of narcotics, and their use have been described as both an epidemic and a crisis by local law enforcement and Gov. Dannel Malloy. Its too late for Nick but something fast and furious needs to be done here" said Sue Kruczek, who lost her son Nick at the age of 21 to a heroin overdose. She says he took his first dose of oxycodone at the age of 14 before a hockey game and was hooked ever since. He eventually went to rehab but it wasn't enough. His very first game, an upper classman tossed him a little white pill to help him relax. Nick must have liked the way it made him feel because he later told us he never skated a high school game sober. Lawmakers say a one week limit on opiate prescriptions from doctors will lead to fewer pills in ready supply in medicine cabinets across the state. Refills would have to be filled by a doctor in person. Members of the public health committee kept pointing to how minor procedures like wisdom teeth removal will lead to prescriptions of up to 30 days of drugs that lead to addiction like oxycodone and percocet. Rep. Sean Scanlon, (D - Guilford), said, 55% of those last year who misused prescription drug pills got them from a friend or a relative. This starts very innocently and most people who start out taking these probably would tell you today that they wish they hadnt because they never knew how bad it was going to get from there. Dr. Daniel Tobin from the Yale University School of Medicine said such a law could provide doctors with a sort of fall back to tell patients they shouldn't prescribe them more than a few days worth of pain killers. Were under pressure from patients who are suffering to do more and more," Dr. Tobin said. "Sometimes even though our better judgment might be to limit what were giving a patient, it can be really hard to sit across from a patient who is in pain and say, no, this is not safe for you. Two children were killed and their mother stabbed Thursday in a bizarre crime involving the family of an internationally known pianist in North Texas, Benbrook police said. [[372477922,R]] The children's father is pianist Vadym Kholodenko. Police said Friday morning he is not a suspect in the case and his estranged wife will be held for a mental health evaluation once she recovers from her wounds. Someone who went to the house to check on the family on the 6600 block of Waterwood Trail called 911 at about 9:30 a.m., according to Benbrook Police Cmdr. David Babcock. Officers found the mother identified by neighbors as 31-year-old Sofya Tsygankova stabbed but still alive. Her two daughters, identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner as 5-year-old Nika Kholodenko and 1-year-old Michela Kholodenko, were both dead. According to the medical examiner, the children were found in bed. Unlike their mother, police said, they had no visible injuries. "The manner of death has not been determined at this time, but they were not stabbed," Babcock said. "Until we speak to the mother, it's too early in this investigation to establish any suspects or motives at this point," Babcock said. Benbrook Police Cmdr. spokesperson David Babcock updated the media regarding the murders of two children found inside a Benbrook home. Tsygankova was rushed to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where she underwent surgery. Her condition is not known. Court records obtained by NBC 5 show Kholodenko filed for divorce from Tsygankova in November. Kholodenko's attorney wrote that the couple married in 2010 and stopped living together as a couple last August. Tsygankova filed a counter-suit, records show, asking for attorney fees. Neighbors said they didn't know anything about the divorce but added that Tsygankova seemed like a good mother who loved her children and frequently jumped with them on a trampoline in their back yard. "She played outside with them," said Messer. "If they were on the trampoline, she was on the trampoline." [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More Inside the family's garage Thursday, a suitcase on the floor and a balloon that said "I love you," provided few clues about what happened inside the house. In 2013, Kholodenko became the first winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, which was held following the death of acclaimed American pianist Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr., according to Kholodenko's biography. Kholodenko was scheduled to perform three shows with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra this weekend. A statement issued late Thursday by the symphony said, "We are currently formulating our plan for this weekend's concerts in light of the developing situation and plan to release a statement in the morning." David Kulesz, the attorney representing Kolodenko in his divorce, released the following statement Friday morning on his client's behalf: "Mr. Kholodenko is experiencing great grief at this time and has no further comment. Thank you for respecting his privacy." Babcock said a suspect has not been determined, and there were no signs of forced entry at the home. "It's very disturbing," said Terri Messer, who lives on the other side of the family's rented duplex. "I wouldn't have expected anything like this." Edmund Phelps shares his views on China's economy in the future on Friday at Tsinghua University in Beijing. [Photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn] The Chinese economy is expected to expand 6.5-7 percent this year, its lowest growth rate expectation in years, but both the Chinese government and leading international economists are confident that a hard landing remains unlikely. Edmund Phelps, the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, said that it was "reasonable to expect" this medium-high growth rate in China, taking into account China's entrepreneurial actions to seize the opportunities of lower production costs and urbanization. "There may be financial difficulties that will cause a temporary dip in employment; but China may also get lucky, since there may be positive forces coming from the rest of the world," said Phelps on Friday, addressing the international discussion centered on the "Role of the State in the Next Stage of China's Development," jointly held by Columbia University Center on Global Economic Governance, Columbia Global Centers | Beijing, IPD and Tsinghua University. "What was going on in China before is still going on, pushing productivity," he said. Given the size of the Chinese economy, the second largest in the world, many Chinese economists are hopeful that China can have a fairly easy rise without the fear of a serious downturn, but Phelps warned that the low probability of a downturn does not rule out less serious risks, as difficulties can still surround investment and innovation in the private sector. The Nobel economist acknowledged measures taken by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to simplify approval procedures so that entrepreneurs find it easier to start new companies in the private sector. Phelps was actually among the foreign experts who participated in the consultation symposium for perfecting this year's government work report, which Premier Li delivered on March 5 at the annual NPC session. At the symposium, held last January, Phelps said that opening the private sector to a multitude of start-up firms, a decision adopted by the Chinese government starting in 2014, could "create a faster growth in productivity and income. Such measures include allowing banks to create financial companies to facilitate small businesses in the private sector to raise capital for innovative projects. Even so, according to Phelps, China's financial sector is "still a long way from being as helpful for innovation as it could be." He insisted that the private sector should not be regarded as inferior to the public sector, especially in terms of creativity and innovation, because it is generally the more dauntless private sector both in the financial sector and the real economy that wishes to see changes happen for increased survival in the market. An American Marine from Temecula in Southern California was killed in Iraq by indirect fire, defense officials announced Sunday. Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin died Saturday in northern Iraq from wounds suffered when his unit was attacked with rocket fire, according to a news release by the Department of Defense. He was serving in Operation Inherent Resolve, which is the military's campaign against the Islamic State. ISIS fired a rocket at a small outpost near Mahmour, south of Mosul, where U.S. military service members are advising Iraqi security forces, U.S. military officials told NBC News. Three others were also injured in the attack. Cardin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Cardin enlisted in 2006, just two days after his high school graduation, his mother told NBC4. He comes from a military family; both of his grandfathers served and one of his brothers was in the Army. He was awarded several medals and citations during his 10 years of service. This was his fourth deployment. The last U.S. service member killed in Iraq was in October 2015. The incident was under investigation. A trend in the fast-moving Dallas-area real estate market is to opt out of the market altogether. Some sellers are choosing to avoid the typical route of listing their home, sharing dozens of photographs online and hosting an open house. Instead, they choose to sell their property in a more hush-hush manner. Realtors call them hip-pocket properties. "Some people feel like it gives their property a more exclusive feeling," said Stacey Beckham Lake, a realtor with Ebby Halliday. "Some people have privacy issues, and they dont want their neighbors to know theyre selling their house. And some just dont want to allow a lot of people into their home to see it." To sell a house as a hip-pocket listing, a sellers agent will tell other agents who have prospective clients about property. And only a select few will be given the option to see and bid on the home. Lake told NBCDFW she never advises clients to sell their home as a hip-pocket, although she understands the reasoning some have. "I totally get it," Lake said. However, Lake emphasized that her duty to her sellers is to get the best possible price for their home. And she firmly believes that is done by putting the house on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and allowing the house to be seen by the largest possible audience. Given the speed at which some homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area sell some homes in particularly popular areas are on the market for a matter of hours Lake noted that she can understand the frustration of buyers and their agents who miss out on prime properties that they never knew were for sale. "It is frustrating to think, Oh my gosh. I didnt even know that was available,'" Lake said. "That would have been the perfect house, the perfect neighborhood. If I had known, my buyer would have done anything to get that house." A briefing Monday from a panel appointed to refine plans for a Dallas Trinity River Parkway sparked new conflict over the roadway first approved by voters 18 years ago. The special panel reviewed a low-speed parkway concept released last year by a "Dream Team" of planners appointed by Mayor Mike Rawlings to see how it could conform with a high-speed tollway plan already approved by federal regulators. Last year's parkway plan was intended to improve access to a proposed Trinity River Park, which was also promised to voters years ago. The new panel found the parkway plan could meet federal approval in several key aspects but called for additional study on other questions with between $2 and $3 million required for more consultants. Animation released at Monday's meeting still shows a tree-lined roadway like the parkway plan last year and it adds a landscaped median. But it also straightens some of the meandering suggested last year and includes a higher speed limit of 45 miles per hour. "Overall, I'm real excited about what I see here," said Councilman Lee Kleinman. "I'm excited that we have come to a point of compromise and consensus." But strong division was still obvious at Monday's meeting between longtime supporters and critics of a tollway, who were members of the latest review panel. Former City Council member Angela Hunt, a strong critic, said too many parkway features were removed in the latest plan. She called for stopping the process and starting an entirely new plan. "Unfortunately, this has really devolved at every opportunity, at every branch. This road has become straighter, faster, longer and wider and that doesn't represent a true park road," Hunt said. State Rep. Rafael Anchia, a tollway opponent, said last year's Dream Team concept should be followed. "After today we hope that the Dallas City Council comes to the same conclusion as the Dream Team and that is that the massive toll road is not needed," Anchia said. Tollway supporter Lee Jackson, a former Dallas County Judge and now University of North Texas chancellor, said the original Trinity Project promised several functions to voters, including downtown congestion relief. "It's serving flood control, recreation and mobility. It was never proposed purely as a local park access road," Jackson said. Jackson said a slower speed road strictly for park access is not likely to attract the money needed to build it. Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk supported the original plan and said critics are still trying to stop any Trinity roadway from being built. "If you'd asked me when we passed this in 1999 if we'd still be sitting here doing this, I would have been broken-hearted," Kirk said. "But unfortunately, this is the Dallas way." Pleasant Grove Councilman Rickey Callahan said his constituents demand an alternate route around Downtown Dallas that a Trinity Parkway could provide. "My goal has always been to have a high speed reliever road," Callahan said. "You know, we're all giving up something there folks." Council members receiving the briefing wanted to allow a month or so for public comment before taking a formal vote on hiring more consultants to move the plans forward. "I don't want to see you all here back here in 15 years talking about this same thing. So, let's move forward," Councilman Erik Wilson said. Authorities are looking for a flight attendant who fled Los Angeles International Airport without shoes Friday night after being subject to a random search that turned up about 70 pounds of cocaine in two carry-on roller bags, authorities told NBC News. The flight attendant, like other crew members, is not normally subjected to searches. But just after 7 p.m. Friday, the unidentified JetBlue flight attendant was pulled aside by TSA officers for a random screening in Terminal 4, law enforcement sources familiar with the incident said. The woman, who was not identified, appeared nervous and made a cellphone call in a language not recognized by officers, authorities told NBC News. She was then taken aside to a secondary screening area and was asked for her employee identification. Suddenly, the woman bolted from the screening location, running with her bags toward an escalator. After a short distance she jettisoned the luggage and her Gucci shoes, exiting the terminal. It was not immediately clear which flight she was set to board. The incident, which is being investigated by Los Angeles Airport Police, LAPD and the Drug Enforcement Administration, was captured on video, which was not immediately released. The drugs have been booked into evidence. DEA spokesman Timothy Massino said the woman faces felony drug charges. Angie Crouch contributed to this report. A 6-year-old girl who spent most of her life with California foster parents was removed from her home on Monday under a court order that concluded her Native American blood requires her placement with relatives in Utah. Lexi, who is part Choctaw, cried and clutched a stuffed bear as Rusty Page carried her out of his home north of Los Angeles to a waiting car. Los Angeles County social workers whisked her away. Dozens of people had converged on a Santa Clarita neighborhood to demonstrate against plans to move Lexi from her foster family's custody and place her with Choctaw Nation blood relatives who live in Utah. "How is it that a screaming child, saying 'I want to stay, I'm scared,' how is it in her best interest to pull her from the girl she was before that doorbell rang?" he told KNX-AM radio. His wife, Summer Page, screamed "Lexi, I love you!" and a crowd of friends and neighbors cried, prayed or sang hymns. The child's case falls under the purview of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, which was enacted in the 1970s to help keep American Indian children with American Indian families. The law, passed in 1978, outlines federal requirements that apply to state custody proceedings that involve a child who is a member of or eligible for membership in a federally recognized tribe. The Save Lexi Facebook page had indicated the girl would be removed Sunday morning from the home of foster parents Rusty and Summer Page, who took in the child four years ago, but it was later announced that the girl's removal had been postponed. Many of the demonstrators stayed put, some camping out in front of the home overnight and into Monday morning. The crowd remained at the home at midday after the foster family told NBC4 they plan to comply with the plan to move the child, who has been living with the foster family for more than four years. "It's all about Lexi," said foster father Rusty Page. "We've got to keep that in the forefront of our minds and our hearts." In a statement issued Monday, the National Indian Child Welfare Association said the foster family was aware of the case requirements and the temporary nature of the care provided. "In this contentious custody case, there have never been any surprises as far as what the law required," according to the statement. "The foster family was well aware years ago this girl is an Indian child, whose case is subject to the requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act, and who has relatives who were willing to raise her if reunification with her father was unsuccessful. "In fact, the only surprising turn of events is the lengths the foster family has gone to, under the advice of an attorney with a long history of trying to overturn ICWA, to drag out litigation as long as possible, creating instability for the child in question. That the foster family now argues bonding and attachment should supersede all else despite testimony of those closest to her case, seems like a long-term, calculated legal strategy based on the simple fact that the law was always clear, they understood it, but just chose not to abide by it." The Pages say they want to adopt Lexi, who is part Choctaw, and say the girl considers them and their three children to be her family. The Pages' legal appeals have not been successful. Philip Browning, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, said law does not allow the agency to comment on details regarding specific cases. "I am aware that there are questions whether my Department will comply with a court order to replace a child in accordance with the federal Indian Child Welfare Act," he said in statement. "I want to assure the public that my Department will continue to act in the best interest of the children we serve and remain in compliance with the court orders and laws governing our work. I am also aware that sometimes the court must make orders that involve resolving competing priorities and interests. Often there are no easy solutions, but when a court makes an order, we must follow it. In this particular matter, I would ask the media to give this child her privacy, not only because it is in the child's interest, but because it is also the law." A Miami-Dade Transit supervisor is facing sexual battery and kidnapping charges after authorities say he raped an intoxicated woman from Brazil who was in Miami for the Ultra Music Festival at a Metromover station. Carl Lee Wilt, 41, was arrested Sunday and remained behind bars without bond, Miami-Dade jail records showed. It's unknown if he's hired an attorney. According to a Miami-Dade Police arrest report, the 25-year-old victim was heavily intoxicated at the Park West Station Saturday night and wasn't allowed onto the Metro Mover due to her safety. A witness who was on the platform later flagged down officers and said he saw a man pick up a woman and take her into a utility room, locking the door behind him, the report said. When officers arrived to investigate, they had to wait five minutes before the door was opened, the report said. Wilt opened the door and came out of the room with his zipper down and the woman was unconscious on the floor, police said. The woman couldn't remember any details of her encounter with the man and said she didn't consent to having sex with him, the report said. Wilt admitted to having sex with the woman in the secluded utility room, the report said. The woman was taken to Miami Jackson Hospital's rape treatment center, while Wilt was taken into custody. "The Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works holds its employees to the highest standards for professional public administrators. We expect all employees to serve our residents and visitors with professionalism and respect," department of transportation director Alice Bravo said in a statement. "Because this incident is currently under investigation, the Department cannot comment further and refers all questions to the Miami-Dade Police Department." In addition, Public Works officials said Wilt has been relieved of his duties without pay and the department is "moving forward with the disciplinary process regarding this incident." Miami police said one person died during Ultra Music Festival this past weekend. Officials said it is still unknown how the person died. No further information was available as the investigation is ongoing. The man's aunt and uncle said 21-year-old Adonis Pena Escoto was like a son to them. "When my husband called and said he died I was in shock," aunt Rosa Escoto said. They said he helped them with the family business and cared for his ailing dad, who has a serious heart condition. Pena Escoto was pursuing a career with the Miami-Dade corrections department while performing in an Improv group. His family insists he was not into drugs and question how the young man died Saturday at Ultra. "We are still looking into that," Miami Police Chief Manuel Orosa said at a press conference. "The autopsy is yet to be completed and the toxicology will take probably a few months. Rosa Escoto said her nephew's friends, who were with him at the festival, told her he had complained about being dizzy. She said the friends had him sit in the car to see if he felt better." "The friends go back to the festival. When they left, he never wake up," she said. This isn't the first death reported at the festival, which just finished it's 16th year. Last year, a New Jersey man died after attending Ultra due to multiple organ failure, according to authorities. "It is very dangerous for the community, very dangerous," uncle Luis Escoto said. Miami city officials are calling for the end to the music festival after this weekends events. Police reported a number of drug-related arrests and the injury of a security guard who was trampled on by fans trying to enter the premises without a ticket. With the drug use and the noise, I have to say that Ultra has overstepped its welcome, Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said. Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff told The Miami Herald on Sunday that crowd control at an event with 55,000 people is impossible. Sometimes it takes a wake-up call to do something, Sarnoff told the Herald. Its simply not safe. Police reported a total of 84 arrests at this weekends three-day event, which went from Friday to Sunday. Thirty-three of those arrests were felonies and 50 were misdemeanors. Investigators on Sunday were still looking into an incident where a throng of fans critically injured security guard Erica Mack, 28, after they tried to push over a fence at Southeast 1st Street and Biscayne Boulevard on Friday. She suffered a broken leg and brain hemorrhaging, and is currently recovering, police said. About 65 percent of the events attendees are from out of town, the Herald reported. Some of Ultras supporters slammed the mayors sentiments about the festival, saying the event is an economic boon for the city. This is something that has to be discussed said Carmel Ophir, who owns The Vagabond nightclub in downtown. There are so many positive things about Ultra. Sarnoff said the Ultra Music Festival brings in about $1.5 million to the Bayfront Park Trust, which maintains the venue where the event takes place. But he argues that the city of Miami needs to stop issuing permits for the annual event, a proposal the mayor supports. I realize it puts Miami on the map, Regalado said. But we dont want to be showcased as the city of chaos. (function() { function async_load_poll(){ var exscript_poll_script = document.createElement("script"), head = document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]; exscript_poll_script.type = "text/javascript"; exscript_poll_script.src = "https://excitem.com/nbc/s_embed.php?id=1849"; head.appendChild(exscript_poll_script); } if (window.attachEvent){ window.attachEvent("onload", async_load_poll); } else { window.addEventListener("load", async_load_poll, false); }})(); President Barack Obama has signed many guest books during his time in office, but the message he left behind for Cubans is one for the history books. "It is a great honor to pay tribute to Jose Marti, who gave his life for independence of his homeland. His passion for liberty, freedom, and self-determination lives on in the Cuban people today," Obama wrote in dark ink in the book after he laid a wreath and toured a memorial dedicated to the memory of Jose Marti. President Obama's first stop on his first full day in Cuba was Revolutionary Square, home to the memorial to the independence hero. Marti was an influential poet and journalist who became a symbol for Cuba's bid for independence against Spain in the 19th century. Obama arrived midmorning for the brief wreath-laying ceremony. Standing in a lineup of Cuba and U.S. officials, the president listened as a military band played both the Cuban and American national anthem. He held his hand on his heart for the "Star Spangled Banner" and watched as three Cuba soldiers carried a massive wreath of red and white roses to the base of the Marti memorial. Obama made no remarks. The scene was heavy with reminders of Cuba's history. Behind Obama were striking steel sculptures of two Cuban Revolution figures: Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos. Six people were hurt Monday afternoon when an MTA bus crashed into a pillar underneath the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive in Manhattan, fire officials said. The QM11 bus crashed into a pillar near an overpass on East 34th Street at around 4:30 p.m., according to the FDNY and MTA. It's not clear what caused the crash. But a worker in the area who witnessed it said he saw the bus coming down the highway "and I guess he didn't see there was a curve, or he was just coming too fast, but he just grinded onto the curve and he hit the pole and then he stopped." The bus tipped over slightly, jamming the doors shut. Passengers were stuck inside for about 15 minutes, and the FDNY had to take the doors off when they arrived. Six people were hurt, including the driver, according to fire officials. Two people were taken Bellevue Hospital with non-life threatning injuries, and a third -- seen being taken off the bus on a stretcher and onto an ambulance -- was taken to NYU with chest pains. Three others had bumps and bruises. The FDNY initially said at least nine people were injured. One woman on the bus, Bettina Waterman, said it "was very scary. I've never experienced anything like this -- I've been riding 38 years on the bus, and I've never been in an accident." She added the bus driver simply told them he lost control and that he seemed very "remorseful" and apologetic. Another passenger, Aaron Young, said he felt the driver was going too fast around a curve. The DOT has been notified and are responding to determine the structural soundness of the pillar. Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible. The QM11 is an MTA express bus that travels between downtown Manhattan and the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens. You are here: Home The Boao Forum for Asia Press Center will open to journalists during its annual forum in the coastal city of Boao, located in China's southern island province of Hainan. Boao Forum for Asia Press Center. [Photo provided by Zhou Xiaolu] The press center, shaped like a seagull, is meant to signify the flight of the Boao Forum, of China, and even of Asia as a whole. The center, with a total investment of 110 million yuan (aboutUS$17 million), was completed within 150 days, half of the regular time usually required for such a project. Constructed by the China Cosco Shipping Corporation, the center covers 4,158 square meters and can accommodate 2,500 people. Along with prayer room service provided in the center, there is also rinsing equipment installed in the rest rooms for the convenience of some ASEAN journalists, Zhou Xiaolu, designer of the center, told China.org.cn. A non-governmental and non-profit international organization founded in 2001, the Boao Forum for Asia is committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to their developmental goals. Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. A lawsuit brought against the City of San Diego and the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) by the First Amendment Coalition (FAC) asking for records about policies, rules and procedures they use for Stingray surveillance is allowing the public, for the first time, to see how the technology is being used by the San Diego Police Department. In its initial response, the SDPD said the information was exempt from disclosure. Details on the agencys IMSI catcher system (Stingray) was confidential, the police said, protected under the states evidence code. Neither the public nor the media could have details about their electronic tracking system that had at one time been used by intelligence agencies against enemies of the United States. An IMSI catcher acts like a cell tower; originally created to take advantage of holes in cellular coverage. The technology has been around for nearly two decades but the SDPD didnt start using it until late 2010. Documents released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from the media and public interest groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, reveal cities like Baltimore have been using cell site simulators since 2007. NBC 7 Investigates first reported evidence that local law enforcement use the technology last year. The Stingray is manufactured by Harris Corporation and is described as a device capable of tracking the signal of cellular telephones even if the person has disabled GPS capabilities. Related: Stringray surveillance was used to help with 26 police investigations since December 2010, according to documents released. Read the first part of the investigation here. The SDPD rejected citizens and media requests for information about their use of the stingray, including those from NBC 7 Investigates. In addition to filing public records request, NBC 7 Investigates asked the San Diego City Council for information about how the SDPD uses Stingrays. City council members said they never reviewed the program. San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez has asked for a review of how the equipment is used and how private citizens are protected from inappropriate monitoring by the Police Department. Attorney Kelly Aviles and her client, FAC, filed a lawsuit against the SDPD and the City of San Diego in order to obtain documents detailing how the technology is used locally. FAC agreed not to seek technical information about the device, Aviles said. We were only interested in whether the City had the device, how they were using the device, and if there was any judicial oversight, Aviles told NBC 7 Investigates. We didnt need more technical details about how it was manufactured, but we did want to make sure the public understood just how intrusive the technology really is. According to Gerry Braun, Director of Communications for the San Diego City Attorneys Office, The SDPD mishandled the CPRA (request). In an email to NBC 7 Investigates, he said, they had a second chance to get it right, and did. The City Attorneys Office does not approve or disapprove of the release of documents. In the proposed settlement, Aviles and FAC are requesting $70,000 in reimbursement for attorneys fees but Aviles said money was never the object. We werent in this for the money, she said. We thought the police were improperly refusing to turn over information that should be made public. City Council will decide in open session in the next few weeks whether to sign off on the City Attorney and FAC conditional settlement. NBC 7 Investigates reviewed all the documents released as a result of the lawsuit and found 26 different cases between December 2010 to March 2015, where the SDPD using the technology to investigate various crimes. The logs and how the records were kept are not consistent and contain redactions. Click here to see more on how the SDPD used the Stingrays. SDPD had originally promised both the FBI and Harris Corporation they wouldnt disclose details on the Stingray. For the first time the agreements the police signed with the Harris Corporation is being made public. Click here to view them. In a statement to NBC 7 Investigates, FBI Special Agent Darrell Foxworth said the non-disclosure agreements are intended to prevent unauthorized disclosure of sensitive law enforcement information to the general public and is not to be construed to prevent law enforcement from disclosing to the court or a prosecutor the fact that this technology was used in a particular case. Click here to read the full statement from Foxworth. This is one of a series of posts from NBC 7 Investigates highlighting the publics right of access to information. The stories were published to coordinate with Sunshine Week, an annual campaign bringing attention to federal and local access issues. In California, the public is able to request information from government agencies, offices and officials through the California Public Records Act. For more information on how to request information click here. Nearly 30 firefighters were in the area of Hillcrest and North Park to fight a series of fires that occurred within an hour. By 11 a.m. Monday, officials said there were a total of eight fires. The most recent was reported at 7:46 a.m. inside a shopping center near Vermont Street and University Avenue. San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Rob Hartman said there were multiple fires in trash cans within the shopping center. Approximately 30 minutes earlier, at 7:19 a.m., a fire was reported in two trash cans near the Ace Hardware store at 10th and University Avenue. A fire was reported inside a shed near the corner of Essex and Richmond streets at 7:10 a.m. The homeowner told NBC 7 he awoke Monday to find the shed in front of his home on fire. [[372944701,C]] Approximately one block away from the shed fire, just before 7 a.m., a call came in at Herbert and University where a small trash can and nearby garbage cans were on fire. Hartman said the trash can fire did significant damage to a home. One of the residents in the area -- who happened to extinguish one of the fires, expressed frustration over the spate of blazes. "Pull yourself together. That's ridiculous," said Len Dewit. "We're trying to have a great community here and you're lighting a dumpster fire with apartments right here. That's ridiculous." San Diego Fire-Rescue and San Diego Police were responding to the area and investigating a possible connection between the fire. Two car fires were reported earlier Monday at Boundary Street and Lincoln Avenue, approximately two miles east of the other fires. Hartman did not say if those fires were being investigated along with the trash fires. Fire officials said the fires were suspicious in nature and they are continuing the investigation. They will talk with witnesses and examine surveillance video. A Navy lieutenant is under investigation in connection with an incident on a flight from San Diego to Japan, officials from the Navy told NBC 7 on Sunday. According to Japanese news reports, the Navy officer groped and punched a 19-year-old woman sitting next to him on a plane. The officer was taken into custody in Japan on charges of simple assault. He was arrested at an airport about 40 miles from central Tokyo. It's the second U.S. serviceman arrested in Japan in less than a week. The Navy officer was handed over to U.S. authorities under the terms of the Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Japan. The Japanese government determined the case should be investigated by the U.S. Navy as the officer was on duty at the time of the alleged incident. The lieutenant, whose name is not yet being released, was assigned to Helicopter Strike Squadron Five One based in Japan. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is investigating to determine if there were any violations of the uniform code of military justice. In the meantime, the Navy lieutenant is in formal custody on base in Japan. Sam Samuelson, the public affairs officer stationed at the Japan base, released a statement in response to the incident, saying, in part: "The purpose of the investigation is to determine if there were any violations of the uniform code of military justice and then if it is determined that there were any violations then of course the Navy would take appropriate disciplinary action in the matter." No charges have been filed. If charges are filed, they will be handled in military court. The U.S. Navy is still investigating to find out exactly what happened. It comes less than a week after the arrest of a 24-year-old American sailor accused of sexually assaulting a Japanese tourist while she slept in a hotel room on Okinawa. Phone calls to U.S. Navy's public affairs office in Japan were not returned at the time of the officer's arrest. Akilah Johnson, a sophomore at Eastern Senior High School in Northeast D.C., has received the surprise of a lifetime when she was named the winner in Google's national "Doodle 4 Google" contest. Johnson's doodle, called "My Afrocentric Life," was showcased on Google's homepage Monday. Johnson is the contest's first winner from Washington, since the District was not eligible to participate in the "states-only" contest in the past. Her entry was picked from 100,000 student entries and topped the 53 state and territory champions. Along with being named the "Doodle 4 Google" national winner, Johnson won some other big prizes as well -- including a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 Google for Education grant "towards the establishment and improvement of a computer lab or technology program" in her school. She also won a trip to the Google headquarters in California to meet the Google Doodlers, the opportunity to nominate a teacher to accompany her to Google Headquarters, a Chromebook, an Android tablet, and a T-shirt with her doodle printed on it. For her trip to California, Johnson decided to bring her mother, Tikecia Johnson, and her art teacher, Zalika Perkins, who'd urged her to enter the contest. This year's contest theme was "What makes me... me." Johnson's attendance in the Roots Public Charter School and the Roots Activity Learning Center in Northwest D.C. was the inspiration for her doodle, which consisted of many black culture symbols and signs that represent the Black Lives Matter movement. She drew the word "Google" as a box braid, one of the many things that represent that. "These schools promote a strong connection to African heritage, and an Afrocentric lifestyle; we regularly celebrated important African-American people, and I learned a lot about my history as an African-American," Johnson wrote in her contest entry. "As I grew older, I realized that the black people that came before us have made us into what we are today. So of course, I had to include them in my doodle on the theme, 'What makes me... me.'" Johnson also paid homage to the District by including the D.C. flag, a Washington sign, and the Washington Monument. "I based this picture off my lifestyle and what has made me into what I am today," Johnson wrote. "Of all the things I chose to include, the six most special to me are the Symbol of Life (the ankh), the African continent, where everything began for me and my ancestors, the Eye of Horus, the word 'power' drawn in black, the woman's fist based on one of my favorite artist's works, and the D.C. flag -- because I'm a Washingtonian at heart and I love my city with everything in me!" Two other local students -- Anjali Pulim, from Clarksville Middle School in Maryland, and Preston Sakata, from Herndon Elementary School in Virginia -- were also finalists in the contest. Good news, cherry blossom lovers! This weekend's cold weather did not affect the Tidal Basin's famed cherry blossom trees. Peak bloom is still set for Wednesday and Thursday, the National Park Service (NPS) said. Temperatures are expected to reach near-freezing Monday night, NPS Spokesman Mike Litterst says it will not affect peak bloom. Peak bloom is considered to occur when 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry trees along the Tidal Basin are in bloom. The NPS said that in past years, unusually warm or cold temperatures have resulted in peak bloom as early as March 15 and as late as April 18. The average date for blooming is April 4. Once the trees reach peak bloom, the blossoms can remain on the trees for 4-10 days, according to NPS. This year's National Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off Sunday and runs through April 17. Here's a peek at some of the best events: 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 opening ceremony features performances at the Warner Theatre (513 13th St. NW). Tickets are free but are required to attend; see the festival website. 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 Blossom Kite Festival, 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 will blast off above the water after a full day of enjoying food vendors, an artists' marketplace and more. The Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival will blast off above the water after a full day of enjoying food vendors, an artists' marketplace and more. Saturday, April 16 : The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade boasts a 10-block-long lineup of balloons, bands and all things pink. Grandstand tickets are on sale now for $20, but standing room along the route is free. : The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade boasts a 10-block-long lineup of balloons, bands and all things pink. Grandstand tickets are on sale now for $20, but standing room along the route is free. 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. 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 Sakura Matsuri Festival. 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. 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. Three students were arrested after police at George Mason University responded to a report of flames shooting out of a dorm room window last week. Police said they were called to the Jefferson Hall dorm after someone saw the flames. When they investigated the room, they found drug paraphernalia and items consistent with the production of a dangerous device late Wednesday night. News4s Northern Virginia bureau reporter David Culver reported that according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Fairfax County court by university police, investigators found a toolbox filled with multiple matchbooks, lighter fluid, hand sanitizer, and candles. He said they also found a PVC pipe in the room. The investigators said in the affidavit that those items could be combined to manufacture fire bombs or make explosive materials," Culver said. Three students were arrested on campus. Two are facing drug- and alcohol-related charges, and one is charged with possession of bomb-making materials. Branden Adoseh, a freshman at GMU, said he watched police collect evidence, bringing out a big container from the dorm room across the hall from his room. I had no idea any of that stuff was in there, Adoseh said. I mean, I know the people there, and I wouldnt say that any of them were doing too crazy. But, I had no idea what they had those for. University police said there is no threat to the campus community. Culver said while it was concerning to some students, others were not surprised. The fact that it was there and that no one else on the floor was able to catch onto that it was there, I mean thats concerning, said Sydney Cano, a freshman at GMU. No, (Im not surprised.) Not this day and age," said GMU freshman Patrick Hare. People do a lot of crazy things, sometimes in the region of being unsafe. Police have not released any details about any possible motives. The identities of the students who were arrested have also not been released at this time. Officials are investigating the deaths of four bald eagles in Delaware. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said in a statement Sunday one eagle was found dead near Dagsboro on Saturday morning. Three other birds were found disoriented in a farm field in Sussex County, about a mile away from where the first eagle was discovered. They later died. Wildlife officials said other eagles flew from the area before they could be captured and have their health evaluated. Officials are asking the public to report any eagles that appear to be sick. Sgt. John McDerby of the Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police said in a statement officials do not know what caused the eagles to become sick and die. A group of 13 bald eagles was found dead Feb. 20 near Federalsburg, Maryland. U.S. Fish & Wildlife determined those eagles did not die from natural causes. USFWS is now offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who can lead to the person or persons who killed the birds in Maryland. Two bald eagles chicks hatched over the weekend at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Others hatched last week at California's Channel Islands National Park. A Virginia State Police trooper is accused of shooting and killing a pit bull during the evening of March 8. Trooper Daniel Campbell, 28, assigned to the Fairfax Division, was arrested Friday by Manassas Park Police detectives. He is charged with discharging a firearm in a public place and one count of cruelty to an animal. Police were called to the area near the Manassas Park Community Center and Dog Park around 9:45 p.m. on March 8 for gunshots fired. When officers arrived, they found a tan colored pit bull, suffering from a single gunshot wound. The dog was rushed to an emergency animal hospital, where it died from its injuries. Virginia State Police supervisors were alerted to the incident on March 16 and got in touch with Manassas Park Police detectives. In accordance with state police policy, Campbell is on unpaid leave from the department, pending outcome of the investigation. The supervisors have also started an internal investigation of the incident. Investigators have not release any possible motive behind the shooting. Flash The deadly suicide bombing attack in Istanbul by a suspected Islamic State (IS) militant has spelled out the serious shortcomings Turkey faces in countering terror threats. A policeman checks a car in Ankara, Turkey on March 18, 2016. Three bombing attacks hit Turkish capital in five month. [Photo/Xinhua] Turkish security analysts are worried that the national security has been in jeopardy by radical religious groups as well as the Kurdish militancy and more attacks may come if no measures are taken by the government. "Turkey has never gone through a period as risky as today," Sedat Laciner, president of the Social and Political Research Institute, said. On Sunday, a Turkish government official confirmed that Mehmet Ozturk, 24-year old Turkish national from the southeastern province of Gaziantep, was the suicide bomber that killed four foreign tourists and injuring 37. He was believed to be affiliated with the IS. In a televised speech, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said a DNA test confirmed the identity of the bomber. Local media reported that bomber's identity was tested positive against the samples of blood, hair and saliva obtained from the suspect's father, Nahsen Ozturk. "Security lapses and intelligence failures have paved the way for the terror strike in Istanbul," Laciner believes. He emphasized that Turkey should revise its foreign policy and anti-terror campaign strategy. Turkey has been a staunch supporter of rebel groups in Syria since 2011 and considers Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regime as "illegitimate." Turkey, a partner country in the U.S.-led coalition against IS, has been criticized in recent years for not cracking down hard on logistics and the transfer of foreign fighters to the radical groups including the IS in Syria. Turkey's main opposition republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu echoed similar concerns, saying that Turkey must repair its troubled ties with Russia, Syria, Israel, Egypt and Iran. "If your neighbor with which you have the longest border (Syria) turned into Afghanistan, then you will turn into Pakistan, which it has happened already," he explained. "This foreign policy must be revised 180 degree," he stressed. QUESTIONS ON BACKGROUND OF THE BOMBER On Sunday, the Turkish interior minister also claimed that the suspected bomber had no record in the police and gendarmerie. However, the suspect's name was floated back in October when local media reported that four IS suspects entered into Turkey from Syria and police has been on the lookout for them. The three were identified as Turkish nationals while the fourth was said to be a foreigner. The suspect's father, who was detained by police for questioning along with the bomber's brothers and the mother, said he filed a missing person report with the police in 2013 when Ozturk was believed to have joined the IS. Bayram Kaya, the security expert, said the interior minister must have been misled, given the fact that the bomber had a record in police files on both IS militancy and missing person cases. "Apparently, somebody has dropped the ball on his case, leading to a major failure to prevent the deadly attack," he noted. Five people have been detained so far in connection to the suicide blast in Balo Street, off the Istiklal Avenue which is one of the busiest attraction centers of Istanbul with its rich cultural and historical heritage as well as shopping center. Three of the foreigners who lost their lives in the attack were Israelis, two also holding the U.S. nationality. The fourth victim was Iranian. Sunday's attack in Istanbul appeared similar to a January suicide bombing attack blamed on the IS that killed 11 German tourists. Turkey has also been hit recently by the terror acts of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), listed as terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. The vehicle bombing attack on March 13 by the PKK affiliate group killed 37 in the heart of the Turkish capital. POLICE DEMORALIZED Parliamentary deputy Baris Yarkadas lamented that the IS and PKK are taking turns in attacking civilians in Turkey, accusing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government of politicizing the police force with partisan approach. "The government has removed the organized technical surveillance teams that were composed of 41 highly-trained professionals who were tracking and monitoring terrorists," he explained. "Unfortunately, none of them is on the job today," Yarkadas added. Tens of thousands of police officers including veteran chiefs have been purged, dismissed or reassigned in Turkey since December 2013 when the investigations by the police uncovered corruption network that implicated senior government officials. The main opposition CHP has already submitted a proposal to the government asking the appointments to the police and intelligence units to be made on a merit basis rather than partisan and ideological motives. Connecticut lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow qualified patients under 18 years old to use medical marijuana to treat their debilitating illnesses. Under the proposal, patients under 18 who've met the necessary requirements would need the consent of a parent or guardian in order to receive the drug. Currently, a patient must be at least 18 years old. The bill would also expand the number of illnesses that can be treated with medical marijuana. The new conditions include cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, irreversible spinal cord injuries, uncontrolled intractable seizure disorder and terminal illness requiring end-of-life care. Connecticut legalized medical marijuana in 2012. There are six dispensaries in the state serving more than 9,400 registered patients. The Public Health Committee is scheduled to vote Monday on the bill. The law enforcement family paying tribute to Massachusetts State Police Trooper Thomas Clardy. They came from across the state and around the country. Long line of mourners outside St. Michael Parish in Hudson for Trooper Clardy's wake. @NECN pic.twitter.com/dVaD7ho9An Michael Rosenfield NBC10 Boston (@MikeRNBCBoston) March 21, 2016 State Police know the exact number because one of Trooper Clardys little girls counted every single one who paid tribute to her dad. It was a tremendous showing of support from the community. Some came with signs, others with flowers. Karen Penney handed out blue ribbons. We made themfor people who come today, said Penney. Trooper Clardy had six children with his wife Reisa and there were lots of young faces in attendance. Families gathered Friday to remember Massachusetts State Police trooper Thomas Clardy and show support for his family. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito greeted some of the mourners in line outside St. Michael Parish. The final goodbye will take place tomorrow. The funeral will be held at the same church at 11 in the morning. Police said theyve identified a man who reportedly approached a six-year-old child near a bus stop in Burlington, Massachusetts and believe he did so without criminal intent. On Wednesday, a six-year-old boy told his mother that he was approached by a man in an "older green car" near the intersection of Gedick and Gibson Roads around 3 p.m. The man asked the boy where he lived, prompting the child to run home and tell his mother. Police said they investigated the report and were able to locate the owner of the car, a Burlington resident, who also matched the childs description of the driver. After interviewing the suspect, police said they determined there was no criminal and intent and dont plan to file any charges. "There does not appear to be any criminal intent by this man," Chief Kent said. "We believe he had no intention of harming the boy he approached, and that at no time was there a threat to public safety." A school bus went off the road on the way to school in Buxton, Maine Monday morning, as a snow storm coated the roads and made travel conditions slick. The students were on their way to Bonny Eagle High School and Middle School in Standish, Maine, according to MSAD 6 Superintendent Frank Sherburne.. No students were injured. They had to evacuate the bus and wait for another vehicle to pick them up along Route 22. "We probably shouldn't have had school," said Bonny Eagle High School student Jared Geaumont. "A lot of the other districts didn't have school." Students and parents said they were surprised the district didn't call a snow day. "To be completely honest, I have no idea what was going through my Superintendent's head," said student Kiyah Noel, who had a rough commute driving to the high school Monday. "No one is really that happy about it." Superintendent Sherburne said it was a decision he did not take lightly, and one he thought was appropriate for the forecast. "Based on the information that [a local meterologist] gave us, we were only supposed to get an inch or two of snow, and it was supposed to be over by mid-morning," said Sherburne. "We made the best decision that we could with the information that we had," he said. "Clearly, that information was an error." By the afternoon, the Standish area received at least five inches of snow. "[The roads] weren't that good," said Howard Liberty, who has children who attend a nearby school on a snow day. "It's a tough call to make, but I air on the side of safety," said Liberty. "When it comes to kids, I air on the side of safety." Bonny Eagle school bus slides off Rt 22 in Buxton, photo credit: Brandi Hatch pic.twitter.com/Cdqg0JibZ4 Danielle Waugh (@DanielleWaughTV) March 21, 2016 Two New Hampshire State Police troopers were injured on Monday morning while responding to snow-related accidents on Interstate 95 south in Portsmouth on Monday morning. Trooper Scott Garton was completing an accident investigation on I-95 around 7:50 a.m. when a second vehicle, driven by Kathleen Shippy, 64, of Kittery, Maine, lost control and veered toward him in the breakdown lane. Garton attempted to get out of the way, but was hit by the side of the vheicle and pinned between it and his cruiser. Fortunately, the collission was not at high speed and Garton suffered only minor injuries to his hips and legs. About 20 minutes later, state police Sgt. Steven Cooper, who responded to the crash with Garton, was sitting in his cruiser in the breakdown lane, to the rear of Shippy's vehicle, when he was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Toby MacGrath, 46, of Bowdoinham, Maine. Cooper suffered injuries to his back. Both Garton and Cooper were treated at Portsmouth Regional Hospital and later released. The other drivers were not injured. Monday's snowfall caused numerous other accidents and slide-offs across New England on Monday morning. Elsewhere in New Hampshire, there was a plow truck rollover on Interstate 93 in Canterbury, crashes on I-93 in Londonderry and Manchester, and a report of a car into a pole in Stratham. A multiple-vehicle crash on Interstate 495 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, caused delays in both directions early Monday morning. Another accident was reported on Route 128 in Beverly. There were also a couple of tractor-trailer crashes on Interstate 84 in Tolland, Connecticut, on both sides of the highway. One truck that crashed was carrying frozen meat. Accidents were also reported on Route 9 and Interstate 91. In Maine, slide-offs were reported across the state, including a school bus that went off the road in Buxton. Norwich multi-faith march calls for refugee action Norwich multi-faith march calls for refugee action A multi-faith Palm Sunday march across Norwich city centre this afternoon (March 20) has repeated calls on Norfolk County Council to fulfil its pledge to welcome 50 Syrian refugee families to the city as soon as possible. Keith Morris reports. The 120-strong march, organised by Sanctuary Norfolk and the Mothers Union (Norwich Diocese), began at St John the Baptist Catholic Cathedral. Cathedral Dean, Fr David Paul, said: Today is Palm Sunday when we remember the Lords welcome into Jerusalem. For people of all faiths, we believe Gods welcomes us all into his life and we want to extend that to those who are in great need. For Syrian refugees that need is more desperate than ever. We bear witness to the welcome God wants us to extend to those who have been made homeless, who have fled wars and persecutions. We will be joining together in prayer for the situation and also to ask those in authority to be open and generous and to welcome those who want to come to Norwich to be part of our family here." Clergy and Christians from several Norwich churches joined others in the march to St Peter Mancroft church where various speakers addressed the crowd. Marguerite Phillips, President of the Mothers Union, Norwich Diocese, said: We need a response from Norfolk County Council on when something might happen. We are praying constantly for refugees wherever they are and wherever they come from. There is a lot of willing support in Norfolk and our members are prepared to do whatever is necessary but a good deal of what is needed already seems to be in place. We believe that this support for refugees is a basic humanitarian response and as Mothers Union members we see it as our obligation to help those in desperate need. Lets hope the County Council are moved by the response today. Anas Injarie, a Syrian doctor, working as an eye specialist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital said that he was director of a prosthetic limbs project in a small part of Syria which, over the last three years, had helped produce prosthetic limbs for 3,000 people, most of them women and children. What is happening in Syria is beyond imagination, he said. Right now we have people on our doorstep, calling on our humanity. What are we if we do not help them and open our doors to the women and children who are suffering. What are we in Norwich if we do not allow just 50 are we not ashamed to even say that number. This is the moment when our true humanity should prevail all we need is love. Marie-Lyse Numuhoza, a Rwandan genocide survivor and refugee from 22 years ago, and now a trustee of Diocese of Norwich Mothers Union, told her own personal story of escaping gunmen. Marie-Lyse, said: I heartily appreciate the welcome, the friendship and the love that I was given by the British people. Peace and human rights is what the people of the world need. We need to all live together in harmony and I am asking you all here today to call upon the local authority not to just take 50 refugees but to take as many as you can take, because as refugees, we come with love, we come with friendship and we come with knowledge. What we need from you is healing and safety. Amanda Hopkinson of the Justice and Peace Group told the crowd that talks with Norfolk County Council had been going on for well over a year with little progress. "Council leader George Nobbs has badly misjudged the mood of the county while in Essex they have agreed to take in 500 refugees by Christmas and Suffolk they are taking in 200, she said Great Yarmouth Muslim, Nasreen Ayub Khan, also spoke before the march continued to the nearby St Stephens Church, where all present joined together in praying for the situation. Pictured above are marchers in front of Norwich Catholic Cathedal and the Forum and , below, a full picture gallery of the event. A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal to be launched on November 29. A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal to be launched on November 29. Norfolk drug and alcohol charity pays tribute to its founder Andy Sexton, CEO of the Matthew Project, introduces a series of tributes from the charity to its founder, Peter Farley. Read more Cliff look alike at Cromer Church breakfast Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Read more Heartsease Lane Methodist church to close As part of a reorganisation of the Norwich Methodist Circuit, Heartsease Lane Methodist Church will be closing towards the end of the year. Read more Free Julian of Norwich reflection and prayer day The Friends of Julian of Norwich present a free Quiet Half-Day with Robert Fruehwirth, author and former Priest Director of the Julian Centre, on Saturday November 12, 10.30am-2pm. Read more What it means for us to repent Nigel Fox believes that now is the time for a tide of repentance, and shares his thoughts about what that actually means for our society. Read more Christmas card shop opens in Norwich church Thousands of Christmas cards from around 30 local Norfolk charities have gone on sale today (October 19) at the Original Norwich Charity Christmas Card Shop inside St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich city centre. Read more Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe Revelation in Norwich is a Christian resource centre, offering a bookshop, a meeting place and a welcoming refuge for refreshment open to visitors of any faith or none. Read more Farewell as Yarmouth church leader moves on Captain Marie Burr, the Salvation Army leader in Great Yarmouth, has paid tribute to everyone at the church and charity after she left her post at the end of last month to move to a new role. Read more Norwich Cathedral chorister in BBC final Norwich Cathedral chorister Alice Platten has her sights set on being crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year after reaching the final stages of the prestigious nationwide competition. Read more Norwich to hear pastor, Policeman and tramp tale Essex Baptist Pastor Dave McDowell has been a Policeman, fed orphans in India and lived under a boat as a tramp. He will tell his remarkable story at the October dinner of Norwich FGB on Wednesday October 26. Read more Pioneer UK leader speaks at Sheringham church Ness Wilson, national leader of the Pioneer network of churches, was the main speaker at a day of teaching and worship held at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham on 12 October, to be followed up by Word and Worship sessions at October half term. Read more Norwich event to give tips on bouncing forwards St Stephens in Norwich will be hosting an evening in October with Patrick Regan OBE, as he explores themes from his book Bouncing Forwards. Read more Youth for Christ lights a fire in north Breckland North Breckland Youth for Christ will be putting on a mini residential camp this year to coincide with Bonfire Night. Read more Delia Smith interviewed at Norwich church Top TV cook and well-known writer Delia Smith spoke about her faith at SOUL Churchs weekly Chapel gathering on October 11. Read more Children's Christian holiday club in Briston A half term childrens holiday bible club is taking place in Briston next week, and there is no charge to take part in the fun. Read more Ashill church puts on music to touch the soul The Fountain of Life Church in Ashill is hosting an afternoon concert in early November with classical, jazz, opera, ballads and pop classics. Read more Fakenhams new rector is officially installed Rev Tracy Jessop has been officially installed as Rector for Fakenham during a service at Fakenham Parish Church on Tuesday September 27, fourteen months after their last reverend retired. Read more As we all know, the public cloud has been growing incredibly fast. What may be less obvious is that growth is likely to continue even if the overall economyand tech spendingslows. At least, thats what cloud companies are seeing and betting on. According to the Wall Street Journal, business demand for cloud services remained strong even amid signs of a broader economic slowdown. And according to RBC Capital projections reported in the Journal, capital spending among the 18 cloud service providers it tracks jumped 29 percent in 2014, rose just 6 percent in 2015, but will accelerate to 15 percent in 2106. The Journal also said that Amazon, Microsoft and Google spent $26 billion in capital expenditures in 2015, a good chunk of it on data center capacity. These projections are in line with IDC projections from last year, despite growing fears of a global economic slowdown. How can that be? See also: Nearly one-third of all IT infrastructure spending now devoted to cloud and Cloud to consume almost half of IT infrastructure sales by 2019 According to the Journals Dan Gallagher, A slowing economy drives businesses to wring more efficiency from their technology budgets. And the enormous scale of modern cloud service providers is nothing if not efficient. A few companies, such as Dropbox, eventually reach a point where they have the scale to replicate the kinds of efficiencies created by the giant cloud services companies in their own private clouds. To be clear, Dropbox will still be using cloud-based principles: it is not abandoning the cloud, just the public cloud. Others will leverage the public cloud for some things, but keep their own data centers for high-value workloads. See also: Why Dropbox dropped Amazons cloud But relatively few companies have the scale to run a private cloud with the efficiency of an AWS, even given AWS reported 24 percent profit margins, which dwarf the 3 percent earned by the companys retail business. While public/private hybrid clouds certainly make a lot of sense for many companies during this transition period, the long-term trend seems inarguable. More and more workloads will end up in the public cloud. Thats the new default: Only those companies and workloads with a particular reason not to live in the cloud will stay out of it. And the list of appropriate reasons to avoid the cloud is shrinking, not growing. Last week WikiLeaks launched the Hillary Clinton email archive; its described as a searchable archive for 30,322 emails & email attachments sent to and from Hillary Clinton's private email server while she was Secretary of State. The 50,547 pages of documents span from 30 June 2010 to 12 August 2014. 7,570 of the documents were sent by Hillary Clinton. The Washington Examiner honed in on an email from 2012 that was forwarded to Clinton after her deputy chief of staff noted that it was a pretty good idea. It is supposedly proof that Google wanted to help insurgents overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad. It seems like the State Department, Google and Al Jazeera were all in cahoots. The email originated from Jared Cohen, who was top dog at Google Ideas at the time but previously had been a low-level staffer at the State Department. The email, with the subject line of Syria and a PDF attachment titled Defection Tracker, explained that Google planned to launch a tool to publicly track and map the defections in Syria. Regarding the Clinton email scandal, John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, described it as far more serious than what happened to General Petraeus. And if politics win over legalities, and Clinton is not indicted, then the FBI will explode. Last week it was revealed that Clintons IT specialist Bryan Pagliano received an immunity deal and was happily singing about the details of how her email system was set up. An unnamed intelligence source told Fox News, Bryan Pagliano is a devastating witness and, as the webmaster, knows exactly who had access to [Clinton's] computer and devices at specific times. His importance to this case cannot be over-emphasized. Clinton reportedly paid Pagliano $140,000 on the side to manage her private server. If that is true, then it blows her claim out of the water that the server was installed in her home as a matter of convenience. Clinton has claimed the whole mess is a vast right-wing conspiracy, but as former Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein pointed out on CNN, The vast right-wing conspiracy didnt put the server in her damn closet. San Francisco officials using ISIS favorite Telegram app to evade public record laws Destroy the evidence is the flipside to public officials having their correspondence leaked or even having to be accountable for what is said. If theres no record of communications, then its a handy way to evade public record laws. Several San Francisco city-council members have allegedly resorted to using Telegram which is supposedly ISISs favorite self-destructing messaging app to spread propaganda. The Information reported (paywall) that five supervisors who help make some of the laws are using Telegram to circumvent open record laws. When questioned, some of those supervisors denied using the app at all or using it to evade public record requests as they fully expect their communications to be subject to Sunshine laws. Nonetheless, The Information cited a city hall source as claiming the public officials were encouraged to use the app. In fact, San Francisco officials allegedly love Telegram because it self-destructs, according to April Veneracion, a top aide to Supervisor Jane Kim. Veneracion also told The Information that she wasnt sure if using the app broke public records laws, but added, I should find out though! Despite other officials denials of using the app, The Information reported, A view of the app showed several supervisors and their aides had been active. In many cases, the app was used daily or hourly by those officials, aides and advisers. The texts, according to California law, are supposed to be part of the public record if they are work-related to public business. You are here: Home Flash China warned the United States not to endorse observer status for Taiwan in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) on Monday. U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill on Friday which requires the U.S. secretary of state to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan in Interpol. "Interpol is an inter-governmental organization made up of sovereign states, whose charter has clear stipulations on its membership," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing. China has always handled issues relating to Taiwan's participation in international organizations in line with the one-China principle, Hua said. Indeed, the Chinese mainland and relevant parties have made a "practical arrangement" for Taiwan to engage in cooperation with Interpol in fighting crime, which has proved to be effective, Hua said. Reiterating that the Taiwan issue is China's domestic affair, Hua demanded the U.S. abide by the one-China policy and the three China-U.S. joint communiques. "The U.S. should not speak for Taiwan to participate in international institutions [as a sovereign state], which otherwise will disrupt cross-Strait relationship and China-U.S. ties," the spokesperson added. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Milford Allen talks about his time in WWII in the Timberwolves infantry near Germany. At his home in Urbana on Thursday, March 3, 2016. An updated Cochrane Review, published today in the Cochrane Library, says that the benefits of a variety of interventions intended to reduce sitting at work are very uncertain. Millions of people worldwide sit at a desk all day, and over recent years this has led to increased levels of physical inactivity in the work place. Health experts have warned that long periods of sitting can increase the risk of heart disease and obesity. There are a number of different approaches to reduce the amount of time we spend sitting down while at work. One option that is increasing in popularity is the sit-stand desk. These are desks that are designed to allow you to work at your desk sitting down or standing up. A team of Cochrane researchers updated a systematic review that looked at the effects of different strategies to encourage people to reduce the amount of time they spend sitting at work. They looked at twenty studies with a total of 2,174 participants from the US, the UK and Europe. They included evidence from both randomised and non-randomised studies. Although sit-stand desks are popular, their potential health benefits are very uncertain. The researchers found very low quality evidence from three non-randomised studies and low quality evidence from three randomised studies, with 218 participants, that people who used them sat between 30 minutes and two hours less, compared to when they used conventional desks during the working day. Sit-stand desks also reduced total sitting time, both at work and outside work, and the durations of sitting episodes that last 30 minutes or longer. Standing more did not produce harmful effects in the studies, such as musculoskeletal pain, varicose veins or a decrease in productivity. Other interventions aimed at reducing inactivity such as taking a walk during breaks at work didnt change the length of sitting time at work. The authors found low quality evidence that counselling may lead to a modest reduction in sitting time, (around 30 minutes on average). The researchers found a number of limitations in the included studies that reduced their confidence in the validity and applicability of the results from the trials. The quality of evidence was low for most of the interventions looked at, mainly because the studies were poorly designed and recruited small numbers of participants. The studys lead author, Nipun Shrestha from the Health Research and Social Development Forum, Thapathali, Nepal, commented: This Cochrane Review shows that, at the moment, there is uncertainty over how big an impact sit-stand desks can make on reducing the time spent sitting at work in the short term. There is also low quality evidence of modest benefits for other types of interventions. Given the popularity of sit-stand desks in particular, we think that people who are considering investing in sit-stand desks and the other interventions covered in this review should be aware of the limitations of the current evidence base in demonstrating health benefits. We need further research to assess the effectiveness of different types of interventions for reducing sitting time in workplaces in both the short and long term. The evidence base would be improved with larger studies, longer follow-up and research from low income countries. Co-author Jos Verbeek, from the Cochrane Work Review Group, Kuopio, Finland, said: Necrotizing enterocolitis is an intestinal disease that afflicts about one in 10 extremely premature infants and is fatal in nearly one-third of cases. The premature infant gut is believed to react to colonizing bacteria, causing damage to the intestinal walls and severe infection. In a study appearing March 17 in Cell Reports, researchers at UMass Medical School, University of Trento and Cincinnati Children's Hospital describe an association between necrotizing enterocolitis and a subset of E. coli bacteria, called uropathogenic E. coli, that colonize the infant gut. "Bacteria start to colonize infants as soon as they are born, but preterm infants colonize and react to colonization differently than term infants. What we found is that when preterm infants are colonized by uropathogenic subtypes of E. coli, they are much more likely to develop necrotizing enterocolitis," said co-first author Doyle Ward, PhD, associate professor of microbiology & physiological systems at UMass Medical School and director of operations for the UMass Medical School Center for Microbiome Research. Uropathogenic E. coli, or UPECtypically the cause of urinary tract infectionsis frequently found in the gut of infants and adults. But according to the new study, when UPEC colonize the gut of extremely premature infants, those infants have a higher risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). "This is a challenging and complicated disease, and I think that any new information that offers an opportunity to save an infant's life is an important advance," Dr. Ward said. "We have identified a type of pathogen that preterm infants may be uniquely vulnerable to." The researchers collaborated with hospitals in Cincinnati and Birmingham, Ala., to obtain stool samples from a cohort of 166 infants: 144 pre-term and 22 that had been carried to term. The team sequenced the infants' stool and developed metagenomic analysis tools to identify the bacteria colonizing each infant. Previous work had already identified Enterobacteriaceaea family of bacteria that includes E. colias potentially associated with NEC, but Ward and his colleagues used new analysis tools to distinguish the different types of E. coli in the infants. The team singled out UPEC as the E. coli type most strongly linked to infants who developed NEC. In the study cohort, 27 of the infants developed NEC, all pre-term. The disease was fatal in 15 of those cases. UPEC was found in 44 percent of the infants who developed NEC, compared to only 16 percent of the 111 infants who survived without developing NEC. "Our study suggests that if you can quickly identify UPEC in the microbiome of a pre-term infant, you can know that the infant has a greater risk for NEC before there are any symptoms," Ward said. Although the team didn't address the question of where UPEC in an infant's gut might originate, they did observe an association between vaginal delivery and death from NEC in these extremely pre-term infants. "Many infants do have UPEC in their gut," Ward said. "It may be that they're colonized when they pass through the birth canal, and this could be a source of risk. We just don't know yet." But Ward strongly cautioned against making such generalizations from one cohort, adding that more work is needed. "It's important to realize that infants also acquire many beneficial bacteria from their mothers during vaginal birthand it's likely that the good bacteria have a role in preventing NEC. We're still at a basic research stage." "The take-home message is that if we can identify these potentially harmful organisms early enough in a pre-term infant, and learn about them in advance, we can arm physicians with information that could help them make care decisions for these vulnerable infants," he said. Source: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MADISON There are 115 universities in the United States that can lay claim to an R1 rating from the national organization that ranks research institutions, and Wisconsin is now home to two of them the UW-Madison and the UW-Milwaukee, which joined the elite Research Level 1 list in February. Thats great news for Wisconsins two largest universities, and it doesnt diminish the efforts of the states smaller colleges and universities both public and private that are fulfilling their respective academic missions to provide teaching, service and research. A recent presentation in Appleton demonstrated how other four-year schools in the University of Wisconsin System are enhancing their research agendas, not only in applied work that can lead directly to company and job creation, but in basic research that is a necessary foundation. It served as a reminder that state policymakers underfund the R&D missions of colleges and universities at the states economic peril. At a meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network in Appleton last month, listeners heard about the work of Algoma Algal Biotechnology, a company that is turning wastewater into green chemicals through a process that involves algae and a solar reactor. Possible products are chemicals that can be used to produce synthetic rubber, medical latex, lubricants, solvents, glues, animal feed and even flavors and fragrances. High on the product list is a system for capturing isoprene gas, which is used in making tires. The technology and the company are tied to the UW-Oshkosh, which is the third-largest research university in the UW System in terms of dollars spent on research. It is also an example of how the WiSys Technology Foundation is helping to move research ideas from the laboratory bench to the marketplace. Created as an offshoot of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which has handled UW-Madison invention disclosures and licenses for 90 years, WiSys performs a similar role for the rest of the UW System outside the UW-Milwaukee. It manages disclosures from professors, other faculty and students; obtains patents where possible; and generally supports inventors as they move toward licensing their ideas or building a company. (WiSys) is the missing ingredient from where I was before, said Chancellor Andrew Leavitt, who took the top job at UW-Oshkosh in late 2014 after working in Georgias public university system. The numbers appear to back Leavitts impression. Invention disclosures on UW System campuses outside the Big Two in Madison and Milwaukee have climbed steadily of late, with 56 invention disclosures in the 2014-15 fiscal year. Three patents were issued that year and others are in the pipeline; seven licensing deals were executed; about $560,000 in grants were awarded and 12 campus-based proposals were funded. Executive director Arjun Sanga, who came to Wisconsin after working in similar technology transfer roles in Texas and Kansas, has expanded the role of WiSys through outreach on individual campuses and through regional directors that understand links to industry. While the pipeline is producing more inventions, disclosures and companies such as Algoma Algal Biotechnology, observers worry it could run dry in future years if state support for higher education declines. Faculty members wont have time to conduct research if teaching loads become heavier, and the value of what they teach will be diminished if theres not a balance of research and service, which is broadly defined but includes starting young companies. The number one resource is time, said Leavitt, who has led efforts in Oshkosh to make resources such as the campus Business Success Center and Small Business Development Center readily available to faculty and students alike. As a result, UW-Oshkosh students are increasingly well-represented in contests and other activities tied to undergraduate research. While economists dont often agree on much, theres not much dissent over the notion that research universities contribute to the prosperity of cities, regions and states around them. Studies by the Federal Reserve Bank and others have cited the power of academic research and development in the economy, from direct spending tied to such research to the transfer of knowledge to companies of all sizes to the human capital that comes with creation of a highly skilled workforce. Wisconsins economy may not feel the difference next year or even the next, but continued erosion of support for higher education will prove costly over time. A strong system is emerging to pull out the best campus ideas; lets invest in it. Steven Falowski, MD, Chief of Functional Neurosurgery at St. Lukes University Health Network in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania today was the first surgeon in the world to implant Medtronics brand new, full-body, MRI-compatible paddle electrode leads for the Restore neurostimulator system. The morning surgery was performed at St. Lukes Quakertown Hospital. Patient Joseph Getz, age 62 of Nazareth, PA, received the Specify SureScan MRI surgical leads during an operation to implant Medtronics Restore spinal cord stimulation system for the treatment of chronic pain. Approved just earlier this month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the Specify SureScan MRI surgical leads will now allow physicians to offer full-body magnetic resonance imaging for any patient with a Medtronic neurostimulator. All patients with a spinal cord stimulation system should have the ability to be offered the same imaging options as those without one, said Dr. Falowski. World-renowned in the field of functional neurosurgery, as well as a board member of the North American Neuromodulation Society, Dr. Falowski was chosen by Medtronic to be the first to implant the new device given his research and passion in the field of neuromodulation, as well as his prominence as a key opinion leader for spinal cord stimulation. According to Dr. Falowski, Patients and other health care providers are concerned about access to MRI when considering an implantable device. The approval of this technology allows me to have an option in which I can offer patients a neurostimulation system that manages their pain and provides access to the diagnostic benefits of MRI. According to Medtronic: Studies show that 82 percent of patients implanted with a spinal cord stimulator are expected to need an MRI within five years of receiving their implant and Medtronic SureScan MRI neurostimulation systems offer patients the confidence of knowing that they can receive optimal diagnostic imaging anywhere in the body should the need arise. MRI scans have become a diagnostic standard of care, allowing physicians to detect a wide range of health conditions by viewing highly details images of internal organs, blood vessels, muscles, joints, tumors, areas of infection and other areas of the body by using strong magnetic fields and radio frequency pulses to create images of structures inside the body. Prior to todays surgery to receive a Medtronic neurostimulation system, Getz, who suffers from scoliosis, arthritis and spinal stenosis, sought relief for his chronic back and leg pain through a variety of approaches including physical therapy, pain medicine and spinal injections at St. Lukes Spine Institute and St. Lukes Pain Center. A successful, short-term external trial spinal cord stimulator confirmed that Getz would be an appropriate patient to receive a permanent spinal cord stimulator, a medical device implanted on the spine that blocks pain and improves function for patients by sending mild electrical pulses to the painful area in order to disrupt pain signals traveling between the spinal cord and the brain. Getz, who worked for many years in the manufacturing industry and who is now employed as an inventory supply clerk at St. Lukes University Hospital, Bethlehem, says his pain has worsened in the last year and has been aggravated by physical work he has done on a bathroom remodeling project at home. Given the significant relief he received with the five-day trial stimulation Getz is eager to move forward with the permanent implant. Mr. Getz has a history of health concerns unrelated to his back problems requiring follow up imaging with MRI and expressed concern about the ability to obtain this imaging modality with his new device, notes Dr. Falowski. Having this technology available to him allows him to obtain the significant benefits of pain relief without limiting his need for follow up imaging. Source: http://www.slhn.org/ Responding to a request from the Ministry of Health in Cabo Verde, the World Health Organization (WHO) is sending a team to Cabo Verde, with joint participation of experts from WHO AFRO and the Institut Pasteur, Dakar. Although the number of cases of Zika in Cabo Verde is declining, the Minister of Health announced on 15 March the first case of microcephaly. Investigations are underway to determine if this case of microcephaly is linked to Cabo Verdes outbreak of Zika virus. Among the 7490 suspected cases of Zika virus reported between 21 October 2015 and 6 March 2016, 165 involve pregnant women, from which 44 women have already delivered without any complications or abnormalities. Between 29 February and 6 March 2016, 33 suspected cases of Zika were registered on 2 of 9 islands in Cabo Verde, in Santiago island and Sao Filipe municipality (Fogo island). There has been no circulation of the Zika virus on the islands of Sal, Sao Vicente, Santo Antao, Sao Nicolau and Brava. Furthermore there have been no cases reported on the islands of Boa Vista and Maio since mid-February. The team includes epidemiologists, laboratory experts, maternal health specialists and communication staff who will collaborate with the Ministry of Health to evaluate the reported case of microcephaly and to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the outbreak and its impact. It will also identify potential remaining gaps and to support the countrys response and investigations. The team will be building on the work already underway by the health authorities in the country. The first group departed for Cabo Verde on 17 March to provide laboratory technical support, including further laboratory investigation and enhancing laboratory diagnostics capacity. Other team members will review surveillance data and systems tracking Zika virus and its complications, assess and document vector control processes, review interventions for managing pregnancy in the context of Zika virus, and support outreach to communities and the public to raise awareness . WHO is also assisting the Ministry of Health to implement WHO guidelines for managing pregnancies of women infected with Zika to ensure womens decisions about their pregnancies are based on the best possible information about risks to the fetus. Included in WHO guidance for pregnant women in the context of Zika are the following recommendations: Pregnant women living in areas of Zika virus transmission should follow the same prevention guidelines as the general population. Pregnant women living in areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission should a) attend their regular antenatal care visits in accordance with national standards and comply with the recommendations of their health-care providers and b) start antenatal care visits early for diagnosis and appropriate care and follow-up if they develop any Zika virus symptoms or signs. Accurate and evidence-based information on the prognosis of the identified abnormalities should be provided to the affected pregnant woman, and her partner if she wishes. Based on the prognosis of associated fetal brain abnormalities, the woman and her partner if she wishes should be offered non-directive counselling so that she, in consultation with her health-care provider, can make a fully informed choice about the next steps in the management of her pregnancy. Women who carry their pregnancy to term (until the birth of the baby) must receive appropriate care and support to manage anxiety, stress and the birth environment. Plans for care and management of the baby soon after birth should be discussed with the parents in consultation with a paediatrician or paediatric neurologist where available. Women who wish to discontinue their pregnancy should receive accurate information about their options to the full extent of the law, including harm reduction where the care desired is not readily available. Women, whatever their individual choices with respect to their pregnancies, must be treated with respect and dignity. Source: http://www.who.int/ Before women even become pregnant, their biological profile may predict a lower-birthweight baby, a UCLA-led research team reports. Most people have a high level of cortisol -- a hormone the body releases in response to stressful events (and also at other times) -- when they get out of bed in the morning, and that level declines throughout the day. In some people, however, cortisol levels are low in the morning and decrease by a smaller-than-normal amount during the day. This pattern has been associated with progression of a variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis and cancer, as well as chronic stress and a history of trauma. The new study analyzed 142 women who were participating in a larger study that was conducted by the Community Child Health Network, which looked at how chronic stress affects new parents and their babies. The subjects were chosen for the UCLA-led research because they provided daily saliva samples, and because they became pregnant again during the CCHN study. The new research, which found that the women were likelier to give birth to lower-weight babies, is published online in the journal Health Psychology and is scheduled to appear in an upcoming print edition. It is the first evidence that maternal cortisol patterns before conception influence the weight of the baby. "We found that the same cortisol pattern that has been linked with chronic stress is associated with delivering a baby that weighs less at birth," said Christine Guardino, the paper's lead author and a UCLA postdoctoral scholar in psychology. More than 300,000 babies each year in the U.S. are born with low birth weight, meaning that they weigh less than 2,500 grams, or less than about five-and-a-half pounds. They have a higher-than-normal risk for infant mortality developmental and for health abnormalities throughout their lives, including cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The UCLA-led research looked at families in Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Lake County, Illinois; and eastern North Carolina, beginning a month after the birth of a child, and again when the child was 6, 12 and 18 months old. Women's cortisol levels typically increase by two to four times during a normal pregnancy, and that increase plays an important role in a baby's growth and development. But when cortisol levels are elevated beyond that range, the effects can be both immediate -- because elevated cortisol levels reduce blood flow to the fetus -- and longer-lasting -- influencing the child's response to stress later in life, said Chris Dunkel Schetter, a professor of psychology in the UCLA College and the study's co-lead author. Elevated maternal cortisol reduces blood flow to the fetus, which deprives the fetus of oxygen and nutrients. Previous studies have shown the importance of stress hormones during pregnancy for fetal growth and development, but the new study provides the first evidence that the mother's stress physiology before she even conceives is also important. It suggests that a woman's health and life circumstances before her pregnancy, especially chronic stress, matter greatly. Dunkel Schetter said women planning a pregnancy should take into account the possible effects of everyday stress and begin planning for a healthy first pregnancy well in advance. "Improving pre-conception health can profoundly improve our overall health," she said. "Women should treat depression, evaluate and treat stress, be sure they are in a healthy relationship, be physically active, stop smoking and gather family support. All of the things that create an optimal pregnancy and healthy life for the mother should be done before getting pregnant." Dunkel Schetter said there has been considerable interest in recent years in the importance of pre-conception health, and the new data supports that push. The study evaluated mothers who are African-American, Latino or Hispanic, and white non-Hispanic. A majority of them have household incomes near or below the federal poverty level, which in 2013 was $23,550 for a family of four. The mothers were affected by stress triggered by numerous sources, ranging from finances, family relationships and neighborhood issues to major life events such as the death of a family member, interpersonal violence and racism. The researchers gauged the subjects' stress levels based on measurements of their blood pressure, body mass index, the level of cortisol in their saliva and other factors, which collectively offer insight into how the body's systems age in response to stress. The researchers also interviewed mothers and fathers in their homes. Guardino, Dunkel Schetter and collaborators are now conducting follow-up research on the children from the original study who live in Illinois, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina. The children are now between 3 and 5 years old. Introduction The modification of laboratory animal genomes is carried out by micromanipulation of embryos or oocytes. The usual techniques of micromanipulation are: transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) into the cytoplasm into a pronucleus of early zygotes; or microinjection of nucleic acid constructs like larger bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC), simple transgenes, and zinc finger (ZFN). Such methods are known as cytoplasmic and pronuclear injection, respectively. ES cell transfer is another method, which involves genetically modified embryonic stem cells injection into embryos in 8-cell stage or blastocyst. One other technique is the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of sperms coated with nucleic acid (sperm-mediated gene transfer) or genetically altered sperms into oocytes, for generating genetically modified offspring. All the aforementioned methods vary in the optimal injection angles, and differ in manipulators requirements and in the injection movement speeds. Therefore, most labs use adjustable and independently pre-fixed workstations for various injection technologies. Eppendorf AG has come up with TransferMan 4r (Figure 1), a multifunctional manipulator, which is apt for all these applications. Figure 1. Eppendorf TransferMan 4r micromanipulators. TransferMan 4r has many features such as DNA injection, cell transfer or ICSI, so as to simplify the workflow process. Intuitive and precise movement in all spatial dimensions during injection is enabled by the novel DualSpeed joystick. The workstation can withstand all external vibrations. The manipulator elements can be adjusted and installed quickly and easily. The motor modules positional changes suit all types of microscopes. Angle adjustment is easily accomplished; it is easy to set shallow angles of 0 (preferred for ICSI or pronucleus injection) or up to 45. Materials and methods The following devices are required for performing the genetic engineering technique: two TransferMan 4r micromanipulators (one for positioning the transfer/injection capillary and the second for moving the holding capillary) 4r micromanipulators (one for positioning the transfer/injection capillary and the second for moving the holding capillary) infrared laser for laser-assisted ES cell transfer, e.g. from Hamilton Thorne (USA) or OCTAX (Germany) (Germany) inverted microscope integrated with differential interference contrast (DIC), and 10x, 20x and 40x objectives CellTram Air microinjector for holding the oocyte Air microinjector for holding the oocyte adapter for inverted microscope CellTram vario microinjector for transferring the ES cells vario microinjector for transferring the ES cells holding capillaries, for example Eppendorf VacuTips FemtoJet microinjector for pronucleus injection microinjector for pronucleus injection ES cell transfer capillaries, e.g. Eppendorf Piezo Drill Tips ES, TransferTips ES injection capillaries from BioMedical Instruments Eppendorf Microloader for filling the injection capillaries operation of the Micromanipulator TransferMan 4r The TransferMan 4r micromanipulator as well as the joystick and the functional soft keys can be operated in a simple manner (Figure 2). The saving of three capillary positions, setting of a vertical limit, and avoiding capillary breakage are enabled by choosing the Cell transfer application mask. The DNA injection application mask allows temporary deactivation of the Y motor, and allows for storing the capillary position. The joystick allows easy control of the microcapillary in all three directions, and the TransferMan 4r can store up as much as five independent positions, based on the type of application mask selected. Figure 2. Display of the TransferMan 4r control panel: (A) Initial display: Choose Your Application; (B) Cell transfer application mask selected with function keys for position storage and Z-axis limit. The 4th softkey is user-definable e.g. for Axial, Clean or other functions. The standard movement mode of the joystick allows direct transmission of the hand movement to the microcapillary. The joystick can be activated in the dynamic mode when the highest deflection of the radius of actual path has been attained, so as to allow the needle to move in the preferred direction with increasing speed (Figure 3). The use of the joystick and the user-definable application mask quickens the workflow, and reduces the time needed for the samples to be held under the microscopes light beam. Figure 3. Principle of the DualSpeed joystick with direct (1) and dynamic deflection (2). Preparation of cells, embryos and injection samples Different organisms can be utilized for cytoplasmic or pronuclear injection; similarly, many laboratory models exist for ES cell transfer. The procedure for the injection methods is similar for different species, though this article concentrates on mouse model generation. Preparation of the workstation for pronuclear (and cytoplasmic) injection One of the TransferMan 4r micromanipulators is employed for injection capillary movement, and the other is used for holding capillary movement (Figure 4). Figure 4. Workstation set-up for microinjection of nucleic acids into the zygote: TransferMan 4r, CellTram Air and FemtoJet in combination with Zeiss Axio Vert.A1 microscope. A holding capillary and a CellTram Air microinjector are employed for holding the embryo. Tapered microinjection capillaries and the programmable microinjector FemtoJet are employed for nucleic acid injections. As the microcapillaries for pronuclear injection are straight, the injection angle needs to be flat to the extent possible. Different injection chambers are available which act as a microenvironment for the zygote during the process of injection. Here, an injection chamber based on required specification was used. A drop of M2 medium is placed on a homemade injection chamber. After placing 10-20 zygotes in an area of the drop, it is covered with oil. The injection is activated by hand or foot control of the FemtoJet. The continuous flow option is recommended for cytoplasmic and pronuclear injections, since the pronuclei have different sizes, and the pronuclei swelling for the zygotes are realizable in individual injection time. Moreover, the combined pronculei and cytoplasmic injection can be realized in one step if the continuous flow option is utilized. Empirical determination of the basic settings of the injection pressure (pi) and the compensation pressure (pc) are needed, based on the injection capillaries inner diameters. The injection and holding capillaries are accommodated into the capillary holder and aligned, prior to the injection. The Clean function should be activated for clearing clogs in the capillary, before the injection. For optimization of the injection workflow under the microscope, the following procedure was adopted (Figure 5). Figure 5. Storage of positions for nucleic acid microinjection into zygotes. For the holding capillary (left side) three different positions are stored for uptake, injection and collection of the zygotes. For the injection capillary two positions (injection and parking) are set. On the holding side, when the capillary reaches the area in which the uninjected zygotes are placed in the M2 drop, Position 1 of the TransferMan 4r storage function is activated. The CellTram Air microinjector along with the fixed VacuTip holding capillary easily takes up a zygote, which is shifted to a central location for nucleic acid injection. This position is saved as Position 2. The zygote is then shifted to another location in the M2 drop, after injection, for separately collecting the injected zygotes and the uninjected zygotes. This capillary location is stored as Position 3. On the injection side, the injection capillary is brought close to the fixed zygote (Position B), which is to be injected; the parking position is denoted as the Position A. Preparation of the workstation for ES cell transfer into blastocysts or morulae Two TransferMan 4r devices are employed for the transfer and holding capillaries control, during the shifting of ES cells into the embryos (Figure 6). Figure 6. Workstation setup for ES cell transfer into blastocysts: two TransferMan 4r, CellTram Air and CellTram vario in combination with Zeiss Axio Vert.A1. The VacuTip holding capillary and the CellTram Air hold the morulae or blastocysts. The TransferTip (ES) capillary and the CellTram vario enable the transfer of the ES cells. Blunt end tips such as Drill Tips ES, rather than spiked needles, can be utilized for laser-assisted transfer or piezo-assisted transfer. The transfer and holding capillaries are fixed in the capillary holder. Mineral oil is filled in the transfer capillary, by rotating the CellTram vario wheel. The two capillaries are aligned at the base of the injection chamber. After placing a drop of M2 medium in the injection chamber; 20 early embryos are shifted into a location in the drop. In addition, ES cells, numbering a few hundred, in the medium are pushed into the injection chamber. The following procedure was adopted for optimizing the workflow under the microscope (Figure 7). Figure 7. Storage of positions for ES cell transfer into blastocysts. For the holding capillary (left side) three different positions are stored for uptake, injection and collection of the embryos. For the injection capillary two positions (injection and cell collection) are set. On the holding side, Position 1 is saved, if the capillary reaches the area in which the uninjected embryos are kept. The CellTram Air microinjector along with the fixed VacuTip holding capillary easily takes up an embryo that is subsequently shifted to a central location for ES cells injection. The current capillary position is saved as Position 2. The embryo is shifted to another location in the M2 drop, after the injection, for separately collecting the injected zygotes and the uninjected zygotes. This capillary location is stored as Position 3. Under phase contrast and 20x magnification, the ES cells quality can be analyzed, and the cells can be selected based on their shape and size. For injecting blastocyst, ES cells, numbering 15 to 20, are collected into the capillary along with a small quantity of medium, and positioned proximal to the tip opening. An embryo is held tightly to the holding pipette in the injection position, by utilizing the CellTram Air. After placing the blastocysts, the injection needle tip is aligned to a focal plane which is same for the blastocysts equator. This effect is realized by slowly touching the embryo surface with the tip so as to find the right plane. The loaded injection capillary is moved into the blastocyst cavity, in one continuous movement, so as to transfer the cells into the cavity. Care should be taken to avoid pushing of lysed cells or oil bubbles into the blastocyst. Post-injection, the capillary is carefully taken out from the embryo. Perforation of the zona pellucida by a laser enables the microcapillary to be penetrated into the embryo, thus allowing for the ES cells to be injected into 8-cell stage morulae or embryos. The injection capillary is inserted through the zona pellucida perforation, and about five to eight ES cells are introduced into the space of the perivitelline. The needle is withdrawn slowly, and the embryos are released from the holding capillary. Results and Discussion Pronuclear Injection As regards to pronuclear injection of DNA, it is useful to shift the injection capillary with electric motors in a vibration-free motion. An exact movement of the injection enables low mortality. For this purpose, the Eppendorf TransferMan NK 2 was employed for regular injections. The same injection results obtained by utilizing the TransferMan NK 2, were also obtained when the TransferMan 4r was employed for many transgenic projects for pronuclear injection (Table 1). Table 1. Results of pronuclear injection experiments performed during a time period of four weeks. Manipulator Zygotes injected Lysis rate of injected zygotes Injected zygotes transferred Founder born TransferMan NK2 1024 23.4% 784 5 TransferMan 4r 1335 18.4% 1090 5 By utilizing an extra 10 adapter for shallow injections in tandem with the TransferMan 4r and the TransferMan NK 2, the injection angle can be easily adjusted to about 5 so as to carry out ultra-low injections. ES Cell Injection Classical blastocyst injection has been in use for a prolonged period in the authors facility. This technique results in producing chimeric animals having variable ES cell contribution. During the transfer of ES cells, the injection movement requires a straight and dynamic force, which in common practices, is realizable by a hydraulic controlled system that enables direct hand movement transmission from the joystick to the glass capillary. For ES cell injection with the TransferMan 4r, the 8-cell embryo injection assisted by laser was first tested, and later on blastocyst injection, so as to determine the performance of the manipulator. Although being a motor-driven system, the TransferMan 4r works directly and dynamically, similar to a hydraulic or mechanical system. For efficient blastocyst injections, impetus and short injection capillary movements are needed; this effect is enabled by the joystick transmission and the motors. The workflow can be accelerated by utilizing the dynamic movement mode. Conclusion In conclusion, employing the TransferMan 4r for ES cell injections into the blastocysts and into 8-cell embryos were a success, and the results are comparable to those obtained with a hydraulic system. Acknowledgements Produced from materials originally authored by Ronald Naumann from the Transgenic Core Facility, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany. References Nagy, A., Gerstenstein, M., Vintersten, K., Behringer, B.: Manipulating the Mouse Embryo, a Laboratory Manual. Third edition (2003) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Davies B, Davies G, Preece C, Puliyadi R, Szumska D, Bhattacharya S. Site specific mutation of the Zic2 locus by microinjection of TALEN mRNA in mouse CD1, C3H and C57BL/6J oocytes. PLoS One. 2013;8 (3):e60216. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060216. Moreira PN, Pozueta J, Giraldo P, Gutierrez-Adan A, Montoliu L.: Generation of Yeast Artificial Chromosome Transgenic Mice by Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. Methods Mol Biol. 2006; 349:151-61. Pease, Shirley; Saunders, Thomas L. (Eds.) Advanced Protocols for Animal Transgenesis. An ISTT Manual (2011), XV, Springer Protocols Handbooks. About Eppendorf NA Eppendorf NA, with headquarters in New York, are a subsidiary of Eppendorf AG (Hamburg, Germany) manufacturer of laboratory instruments and consumables for the life sciences. To make it easy for labs in the United States to benefit from Eppendorf quality, they provide total customer support and service: taking/tracking orders; product installation and training; application support; calibration services; general product maintenance and repair, and more! Eppendorf's products Eppendorf products are used in all types of life science research and testing settings from basic laboratory applications to highly specialized cell and molecular biology applications. They are highly regarded for their quality design and performance beginning with extensive research and development, adding state-of-the-art technology and ending with strict quality-controlled manufacturing are what make their products stand out from the rest. It is what has made them a brand you have been able to rely on for over 70 years. Over the years Eppendorf has improved upon and added to their flagship products pipettes and pipette tips, centrifuges and microcentrifuge tubes to now include the most ergonomic liquid handling devices and automated pipetting stations, quiet centrifuges, fast and fully flexible thermal cyclers, sample-protecting deepwell plates, cell manipulation systems and microcapillaries, ultra-low temperature freezers, shakers, incubators and bioprocessing equipment. Eppendorf's services Customer Support Representatives are available MF, 8:30 AM 8:00 PM (EST). Local Sales Representatives cover the entire US to give you the fastest best possible attention. They know their products and better yet, they know your applications. Feel confident in their abilities to assess your needs and determine the best products and systems to give you the best results. Field Specialists also cover the entire US to provide post-sales installation and training on their specialty systems and automation. The Applications Hotline is manned by degreed scientists working in their own fully functional life science laboratory. They are on call and email-accessible to help you troubleshoot your application or answer any technical question you may have. The Eppendorf Services group provides a wide variety of support services such as pipette calibration, instrument maintenance programs, and expedited repair. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. Introduction In order to compare various thermal cycler speeds, it is not enough to take into account only the heating ramp rate and cooling ramp rate available in the technical specifications, as these data do not give a picture of the actual run times. Estimating the actual run times as per these ramp rates may result in incorrect conclusions. The Mastercycler nexus GSX1 and the Mastercycler pro S, as predicted from their rapid ramp rates, realized the shortest PCR run times. However, for the thermal cyclers made by other manufacturers, slower run times were noted even though they had similar ramp rates. The common thermo cycler technical details include the thermoblock ramp rate, besides temperature homogeneity and control accuracy. Instead of following a uniform standard for the ramp rate, manufacturers specify various other parameters including: maximum heating rate and cooling rate average ramp rate maximum ramp rate maximum sample ramp rate Therefore, the user has to rely on these diverse parameters for the estimation of actual ramp rates. This article deals with the comparative analysis carried out for evaluating whether the ramp rate parameters given in the technical specifications are helpful for the estimation of total run times of the PCR applications on thermal cyclers. Materials and methods 25L water was filled in a 96-well plate (Eppendorf twin.tec PCR Plate 96, low profile) in 48 different positions (Figure 1). Figure 1. Positions indicated in black of the 96-well PCR plate were filled with 25L water each. Next, the plate was sealed by utilizing the Heat Sealing PCR Film (Eppendorf), and centrifuged for a period of 1 minute at 500-1000xg. Subsequently, the plate was kept in the thermal cycler, and a standard 3-step PCR program was run (Figure 2). Figure 2. 3-step PCR program for run time determination. A - Start of run time measurement; B - End of run time measurement. The run times were noted for the Mastercycler pro S, Mastercycler nexus gradient, Mastercycler nexus GSX1, and Mastercycler nexus, and eight other thermal cyclers made by competing manufacturers. The lowest volume setting and/or quickest ramping speed were selected for instances in which the relevant thermal cycler software permitted reaction volume settings or varying temperature control modes. The total run time was immediately measured, after starting the first temperature step, and was brought to an end as soon as the temperature of the last step was reached. The total run time after the completion of the run was noted, by referring to the records, for those thermal cyclers recording and saving a detailed run protocol. Detailed, exportable run protocols as pdf files after the run were obtained (Figure 3), for the purpose of documentation, for Mastercycler pro and Mastercycler nexus Models, and three other competing thermal cyclers. Figure 3. Screenshot from a Mastercycler pro run protocol, exported as pdf file, from the instrument software (additional information, e.g. user, program details and additional cycler settings, is not displayed in this section). Results and Discussion The ramp rate assessments specified by the manufacturers when compared with the empirically calculated run times revealed that taking into account only the ramp rates based on the technical data is not appropriate for a correct estimation of an actual PCR program run time (Table 1). Table 1. Total run time of a standard 3-step PCR protocol using the fastest settings possible in the instrument software. Due to diverse manufacturers statements of ramp rates, only the maximum ramp rate which could be found according to the technical data for an instrument is presented here. Thermal Cycler Run time [hh:mm:ss] Ramp rate accord. to techn. data [C/s] Mastercycler pro S 00:40:12 6 Mastercycler nexus GSX1 00:42:31 5 C 00:46:50 5 P 00:48:58 5 S 00:50:31 6 Mastercycler nexus Gradient 00:51:26 3 Mastercycler nexus 00:51:53 3 V 00:52:22 5 T 00:53:20 4 R 00:56:27 5 G 00:56:38 3.5 A 01:03:13 3 The Mastercycler nexus GSX1 and Mastercycler pro S thermal cyclers, having silver block, showed the least total PCR run times, as per the fast, cited ramp rates. The PCR run times of thermal cyclers made by certain competing manufacturers were significantly longer than the cited ramp rates. It is apparent that the V, T and R thermal cyclers were slower in their individual PCR run times as compared to the Mastercycler nexus and the Mastercycler nexus gradient, despite their fast, cited ramp rates. The observed discrepancies were assumed to be due to the parameters given below: The maximum ramp rates, cited in the technical specifications of the competing thermal cyclers, are reached in varying periods of time during ramping from one temperature to the next temperature, but only for a short time in each ramping phase. Reaction volume settings and temperature control modes also affect the ramping behavior. This can even result in re-optimization of a reaction, after the PCR system transfer between two thermal cyclers. Conclusion The aforesaid comparative analyses show that taking into account only the ramp rates does not have much meaning, and can even lead to incorrect conclusions on the determination of a thermal cyclers actual PCR run time. Precise ramping performance evaluation of a thermal cycler requires providing all relevant parameter information such as the description of chosen temperature control modes, to the user. For a comprehensive evaluation of thermal cycler performance, it is necessary for the instrument to be tested in a demo-environment by considering the technical data, as well as taking into account the software, hardware, and PCR applications. Acknowledgements Produced from material originally authored by Nils Gerke, Eppendorf AG, Hamburg, Germany. References Application Note 244. www.eppendorf.com/pcr Hughes S., Moody A. (eds.): PCR. Scion Publishing Limited; 2007. About Eppendorf NA Eppendorf NA, with headquarters in New York, are a subsidiary of Eppendorf AG (Hamburg, Germany) manufacturer of laboratory instruments and consumables for the life sciences. To make it easy for labs in the United States to benefit from Eppendorf quality, they provide total customer support and service: taking/tracking orders; product installation and training; application support; calibration services; general product maintenance and repair, and more! Eppendorf's products Eppendorf products are used in all types of life science research and testing settings from basic laboratory applications to highly specialized cell and molecular biology applications. They are highly regarded for their quality design and performance beginning with extensive research and development, adding state-of-the-art technology and ending with strict quality-controlled manufacturing are what make their products stand out from the rest. It is what has made them a brand you have been able to rely on for over 70 years. Over the years Eppendorf has improved upon and added to their flagship products pipettes and pipette tips, centrifuges and microcentrifuge tubes to now include the most ergonomic liquid handling devices and automated pipetting stations, quiet centrifuges, fast and fully flexible thermal cyclers, sample-protecting deepwell plates, cell manipulation systems and microcapillaries, ultra-low temperature freezers, shakers, incubators and bioprocessing equipment. Eppendorf's services Customer Support Representatives are available MF, 8:30 AM 8:00 PM (EST). Local Sales Representatives cover the entire US to give you the fastest best possible attention. They know their products and better yet, they know your applications. Feel confident in their abilities to assess your needs and determine the best products and systems to give you the best results. Field Specialists also cover the entire US to provide post-sales installation and training on their specialty systems and automation. The Applications Hotline is manned by degreed scientists working in their own fully functional life science laboratory. They are on call and email-accessible to help you troubleshoot your application or answer any technical question you may have. The Eppendorf Services group provides a wide variety of support services such as pipette calibration, instrument maintenance programs, and expedited repair. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. Lynchburg firm celebrates 125th anniversary N.B. Handy Company is marking its 125th anniversary this year. N.B. Handy is a wholesale distributor of commercial roofing products, HVAC equipment and supplies, sheet metal and sheet metal fabricating equipment, according to its website. It is based in Lynchburg and has locations elsewhere in Virginia as well as in Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company was founded in 1891 by Nathan Bryant Handy and still is run by his descendants, the Christian family. The company is celebrating with charitable fundraising events and an April 1 party at every N.B. Handy location, according to a news release from the company. Staff reports Electric co-op offering scholarships Southside Electric Cooperative is offering several $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors who live in homes that get electricity from the co-op. Applicants must be entering their first semester at a college or technical/trade school in the fall of 2016, according to a co-op news release. Students may apply by submitting completed applications via email to public.relations@sec.coop or by mail or hand delivery before 5 p.m. April 1 to SECs Headquarters Office at 2000 West Virginia Ave., Crewe, VA 23930. For complete instructions, visit www.sec.coop/scholarship, call (800) 552-2118, or visit an SEC district office. Crewe-based Southside Electric Cooperative is a nonprofit, member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 55,000 homes and businesses in parts of 18 counties in central and southern Virginia. It has district offices in Altavista, Crewe, Dinwiddie and Powhatan. Staff reports Maker space gets grant for space balloon project Vector Space, a downtown Lynchburg-based maker space that provides room and equipment for inventors and builders, has been awarded a $5,500 grant for its space balloon project. The grant came from New Jersey-based Cognizant, which bills itself as a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services. Forty organizations received the companys Making the Future grants. Vector Space was the only one in Virginia. The space balloon project is a coordinated effort to get people around the world to simultaneously fly high-altitude balloons, to prove reaching the edge of space is within a hobbyists reach. Staff reports ADP to set up Norfolk customer service center ADP, a comprehensive global provider of cloud-based human capital management solutions and business process outsourcing services, analytics and compliance expertise, will invest $32.25 million to establish a regional customer service center in Norfolk, Gov. Terry McAuliffe said. The project will create about 1,800 new jobs. While ADP will be located in downtown Norfolk, its arrival will benefit the entire region diversifying the economy, enhancing our reputation as a global competitor and, importantly, validating our citys long-time efforts to attract a talented younger population to our urban core to live and work, Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim said. Richmond Times-Dispatch ROSELAND -- Isaac Newton was referring to gravity when he said what goes up must come down, but the saying also applies to many of Luke Ramseys projects in Nelson County. Since March 7, Ramsey Restoration, Inc. has been working to dismantle an early 1800s log house in Roseland. The log cabin, which is no longer inhabitable, is just one of several buildings on the homestead in Roseland within a few miles of Virginia 151 that Ramsey is working on taking down. The main house originally was a log cabin and had been added onto many times, Ramsey said. The owner of the property told Ramsey he wanted all of the buildings removed from the property as they have become an insurance liability. Ramsey is salvaging everything he can from the building, including poplar clapboard siding, wide oak and pine plank flooring, chestnut and pine hand hewn logs, walnut siding and lots of cut stone. Though the cabin must come down, salvaged materials can be used for future restoration projects. The stone can be used to build new foundations as well as chimneys. This is a very interesting property because you can see how the house had been lived in by a multi-generation family who was living off of the mountain land raising their own food, he said. They added on to the house as the family grew. Supposedly built in 1818, the structure had been in disrepair and neglected for a long while as no one had lived in it for about 50 years. Other barns on the property included a chicken house, corn crib, tobacco barn and a smoke house where hogs were used for ham that would last throughout the winter. Ramsey said there also are some old stables. You can tell by the layout of the building that it was an old homestead and they were living off the land, he said. They were probably very self-sufficient. There was never any plumbing added to the building, he said. However, electricity was most likely installed in the 1930s but only for one light in each room. Soon, Ramsey will dismantle another building on the property that was built in the 1920s. Its in such poor condition, he said. Its sinking into to the ground. Earlier this month, Ramsey and his team began taking the floors out, taking metal off the roof in hopes of having the building taken down within a week and a half as the crew only had three weeks to get everything done. We are trying to get the most desirable things first, he said. Whats left over may go to waste, but well be able to get enough material here to last us throughout the summer. Several items were left in the barn, like overalls that looked as if they had been patched over 25 different times, canning jars and a boot scraper made by a blacksmith. Nothing of value yet, no gold coins, he said. Salvage work always has been interesting to Ramsey because he gets to see the unique ways people lived in earlier centuries. I think its very different from the way [the] majority of people live today, and they were so much closer to the land, he said. Some of the materials salvaged will be available for purchase by appointment at the Ramsey office in Wingina. 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 GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us. Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Looking Back Health Jewels Stitch in Time Boundary County Democratic caucuses set for tomorrow March 21, 2016 The race to the White House continues on here in Boundary County, as Democrats in the county and throughout Idaho gather tomorrow to discuss and select their preferred candidate in the Idaho Democratic caucuses. At stake are 27 delegates Idaho will send to the Democratic National Convention, to be held in Philadelphia in four months beginning July 25. At tomorrow's county caucuses, 384 delegates will be selected who will attend the state convention in Boise in June, representing Democrats in their counties. The candidates local Democrats will be discussing include Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, San Diego businessman Rocky De La Fuente, and "uncommitted." The caucus meetings will begin tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. sharp at the Boundary COunty Fairgrounds (though the doors will be open and entry will be permitted beginning at 4:30 p.m.). As the meeting begins at 6:00 p.m., the doors will be closed at that time, and no further admittance will be allowed. When the doors are closed, the discussions and voting will begin. Generally, anyone can attend the meeting, even just to watch, if space is available. Only those who meet the rules of Basic Qualifications may cast votes. To participate in the caucus and vote one must be signed up. Signing up can be done at the door at the meeting, but officials recommend signing up in advance, to avoid lines and making it faster and easier to enter the meeting. Those who voted in the March 8 Idaho Republican Presidential Primary are not allowed to actively participate and vote in the Democratic caucus. Those who are age 17, but who will be at the eligible voting age of 18 by the time of the November 8 general election, may participate. The business of the caucus will be to elect local delegates to represent Boundary County Democrat party members at the Idaho statewide convention. Those locally-selected delegates, who are selected based upon which national candidates they support, among other things, will vote to choose delegates for the National Convention that will reflect the choices made at the county level and statewide conventions. Questions or comments about this article? Click here to e-mail! Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Looking Back Health Jewels Stitch in Time Penguin Plunge 2016: Are they daring, or just crazy? March 21, 2016 What could be better to celebrate the last day of winter than Penguin Plunging into an icy Kootenai River? For the sixth year, local plunging teams, individuals, and law enforcement officers "Took the Plunge on Saturday by jumping into Kootenai River to raise funds for Idaho Special Olympics. The annual event is always fun and exciting with many participants in costume, others in their official uniforms of their professions, and others in regular summertime swimming gear. North Idaho Spas provided a giant hot tub for jumpers to plunge back into the world of warmth after their Kootenai River dive. Plungers and plunge teams collected pledges to help raise money and awareness for Special Olympics. Without those funds, Idaho Special Olympic Athletes would not have the opportunity for their special day. All donations raised go to benefit the Idaho Special Olympics cause. Participants were judged for best costume, most team spirit, most donations raised, and a special spectators choice award. Prizes were available in each category. Thanks to all who braved the icy waters of the Kootenai River to help make Idaho Special Olympics possible! Questions or comments about this article? Click here to e-mail! Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Looking Back Health Jewels Stitch in Time Idaho State Police requesting assistance in road rage investigation Mach 21, 2016 The Idaho State Police is requesting the public's assistance in a road rage incident investigation. ISP is investigating an incident which occurred on Sunday, March 20, at about 3:39 p.m. Westbound on Interstate 90 from US Highway 95 at Coeur d'Alene west to the Huetter Rest Area. The two vehicles involved were a red Chrysler minivan and a green Infiniti I-30 passenger car. A firearm was reported to be involved in the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the Idaho State Police at 208-209-8620 and speak to Trooper Richard Alderson. ISP staff would appreciate any and all assistance in this matter. Questions or comments about this article? Click here to e-mail! Cops under probe for selling stolen vehicle The Toyota Rav4 SUV which was recovered by officers of the Mayaro Police was recently being kept on the compound of the Rio Claro Station pending further inquiries. It is alleged that on Thursday night a police sergeant, an acting corporal and a constable allegedly secured a deal with a Tabaquite businessman, who owns a wrecker, to sell the high end vehicle for $12,000. It is also alleged that the businessman went to the Rio Claro Police Station on Thursday night and took possession of the vehicle under the instruction of the three officers. According to sources, a receipt was then made out, which was allegedly signed by the sergeant on having received the $12,000 for the SUV. After the deal was brokered, the officers were said to have split the money in three. Two of the officers returned to duty while the third one, who was not on duty, went about his way. Newsday understands that a senior officer who was paying a visit to the division was informed of the incident and he contacted the head of the Eastern Division, Senior Superintendent John Trim. Sen Supt Trim then contacted officers of the PSB led by Asst Commissoner of Police Harikrishsen Baldeo and including inspector Montrichard and Sergeant Daniel and an investigation was launched on Friday. The businessman who the stolen vehicle was sold to was interviewed and he confessed to having purchased the vehicle for $12,000. The man provided a copy of the receipt, bearing the signature of one of the officers. The owner of the stolen vehicle was also contacted and he also gave a statement that he never gave permission to sell the vehicle. He said he was astounded at the action of the three officers. The stolen vehicle was recovered from the businessman and was taken to a station in East Trinidad and was then photographed. Statements were then taken from several persons relating to the sale of the vehicle and Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard,SC, was expected to be consulted on the matter late last evening. One of the officers was on active duty yesterday at the station in East Trinidad and is said to be aware of the ongoing investigation. Newsday understands that if instructions are given by the DPP, the key officers will be arrested, questioned and put on ID parades. Ten police officers have since been charged by officers of the PSB for the year thus far. Newsday understands that acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams was briefed on the investigation as well as deputy police commissioner Glen Hackett. 'He Had the Chance to Go in and Save the Children' (Newser) The 14-year-old Houston-area girl whose body was found in a grassy field in west Houston died from gunshot wounds, medical examiners said in a report Saturday. The AP reports that Adriana Coronado, whose body was found Wednesday, was shot multiple times and her death has been ruled a homicide, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences says. She was last seen a week ago in the Houston suburb of Katy, where she lived. Investigators believe Adriana might have been with her father, Caesar Vladimir Coronado, when he was killed. He was found fatally shot Sunday about 80 miles north of Houston. His burned pickup truck was found near Conroe, 45 miles south of where his body was discovered. Authorities found the father first and initially considered Adriana's case an abduction. (Read more murder stories.) (Newser) More than two years after she was declared brain dead, Jahi McMath is as "healthy and beautiful as ever" and is "proving naysayers wrong," according to family members. In a March 15 Facebook post on the "Keep Jahi McMath on life support" page, family members shared a recent photo of the girl, who is now 15, NJ.com reports. The post continued, per NJ.com, "A fighter, A warrior, A blessed child, Gods got your back little girl, keep fighting. Your testimony will be a great one." The post is no longer publicly accessible (the Facebook link returns the line: "The link you followed may have expired, or the page may only be visible to an audience you're not in"), and a fresh post to the page made late Sunday night asks anyone "here to spew your negative thoughts" to "remove yourself." The former Oakland, Calif., resident, who went into cardiac arrest after routine tonsil surgery in late 2013, has been on life support at a facility in New Jersey since early 2014. McMath's familywho moved to New Jersey because the state accommodates people who object to brain death declarations on religious groundshas been seeking to have her death certificate revoked. Declaring her alive would allow them to move back to California, where she is considered legally dead, and would require insurance companies to cover the cost of her care. Fox 29 reports that in an earlier Facebook update, Jahi's mother, Nailah Winkfield, thanked those who shared their opinions about the case, even negative ones. "Hopefully my daughter can change some of the ways brain death is viewed in today's society," she wrote. "Honestly, I think she already has." (Read more Jahi McMath stories.) (Newser) Donald Trump's older sister, a widely respected federal appeals court judge, has become the latest Trump to receive a threatening letter. Sources tell CBS Philly and NBC News that Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, who sits on the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, received the letter in Philadelphia on Friday. The sources say that unlike the letter received by Trump's son Eric on Thursday, the letter sent to the 78-year-old judge did not contain white powder, though it apparently contained a similar demand for Trump to drop out of the GOP race. The FBI says it is "aware of the incident and is working closely with the United States Secret Service and US Marshals Service," the AP reports. Trump Barrywho was appointed by Ronald Reagan and promoted by Bill Clintonis a "moderate-conservative Republican centrist," legal blogger Matthew Stiegler told the Washington Post when it profiled her earlier this month. She has not played an active role in the Trump campaign, though Ted Cruz denounced her as a "radical pro-abortion extremist" last month when Trump joked that he would consider appointing her to the Supreme Court. (Read more Donald Trump stories.) (Newser) John Kasich, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump, the final three Republican candidates running for president, began this month with drastically different campaign fortunes, new fundraising reports show. In one month, Cruz raised what Kasich has collected over the entire course of his long-shot bid. Trump has raised relatively little money as he "self-funds" his effort. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders outraised Hillary Clinton for the second month in a row, but he still started March with about half as much cash on hand as Clinton. Some highlights from the latest campaign finance reports, per the AP: Kasich had about $1.3 million in available campaign cash as this month began. Cruz continued to lap him fundraising: His $12 million in February roughly equals Kasich's entire campaign haul, dating to last summer, which includes $3.4 million in February. Trump loaned himself another $6.9 million, bringing his total self-loans to $24.4 million. Trump's campaign manager has said the candidate has no intention of trying to recoup the money. And while Trump continues to boast about self-funding his campaign, he collected about $2 million in new contributions in February, bringing his total raised this cycle to $9.5 million. Wealthy donors handed over $25 million last month to a super PAC backing Marco Rubio. And his campaign had its best month yet, raising about $9.6 million, though it still wasn't enough to prevent an embarrassing loss to Trump in Florida and keep his campaign alive. Jeb Bush spent $3.6 million before dropping out on Feb. 20, but he raised just $1.18 million over the month, including around $400,000 that he loaned to his own campaign, the Washington Post reports. Bush-allied super PAC Right to Rise raised $119 million over the course of the race and finished February with $16 million of it. Chris Christie raised about $420,000 in February. The Republican suspended his campaign Feb. 9, after the New Hampshire primary. His campaign ended with roughly $200,000 more in debt than available cash. Ben Carson, who dropped out at the beginning of March, raised $5.7 million in February and had almost $5 million in cash when he exited. He was the top GOP fundraiser of the 2016 contest at the time he dropped out, but he also maintained above-average costs for raising that money. Sanders' campaign raised more than $43 million in February, outraising Clinton by about $14 million. He continued to draw substantial support from low-dollar donors. In February, more than 60% came from people who had given $200 or less to federal candidates in this election cycle. But Sanders also reported spending about $41 million last month. The Vermont senator started March with about $17 million in cash, about half as much as Clinton's $31 million in available cash. Clinton's super PAC, Priorities USA, raised a little less than $5 million in February, half its January haul. Still, the group began this month with $44 million to spend and plans to save much of it for the general election. (Read more Election 2016 stories.) (Newser) A Russian court on Monday found Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko guilty of complicity to murder two Russian journalists in war-torn eastern Ukraine, the AP reports. The judge who began reading the verdict said that Savchenko, who served in a volunteer Ukrainian battalion at the time, called in the coordinates for the shelling that killed the journalists and several civilians in July 2014, adding that she was driven by "political hatred" toward Ukraine's Luhansk region. Midway into the trial, the judge turned down her lawyers' plea to trace her cellphone calls on the day of the attack, which they said would prove she was a few miles away. The judge recounted the circumstances of the case, saying Savchenko was part of a "criminal group" and aimed to kill an "unlimited number of people." Prosecutors had sought a 23-year prison sentence. Sentencing is expected Tuesday. Although a military pilot, Savchenko was fighting in the Aydar volunteer battalion against the rebels when she was captured by separatists in July 2014 before she surfaced in Russia. Moscow insists she escaped from the rebels and was captured after crossing the border by herself. Savchenko has been openly contemptuous of the judge and prosecutors, denouncing them as "idiots" and raising her middle finger in defiance. She went on an 83-day hunger strike while in detention, then began another this month when the court delayed the verdict. The Ukrainian government has protested Savchenko's arrest, saying she should be treated as a POW and released under the current truce. The EU and President Obama have called for Savchenko's immediate release. Speculation persists that Moscow could agree to exchange her for two Russians captured in eastern Ukraine and alleged to be active-duty soldiers, despite Russia's persistent denial it has sent troops to bolster the rebels. (Read more Russia stories.) (Newser) A retired state trooper killed a turnpike toll collector and a security guard in a holdup attempt at a toll plaza and then was shot dead by troopers while trying to escape with the money, authorities say. Clarence Briggs, who retired four years ago, confronted two Pennsylvania Turnpike toll collectors with a handgun on Sunday morning at the Fort Littleton toll plaza in Dublin Township, 65 miles west of Harrisburg, police say. Briggs ordered both into an adjoining office and tried to tie them up but fled after a struggle, they said, adding that both employees left the building as a fare collection vehicle arrived and a security guard emerged. Cops say Briggs then shot and killed one of the toll collectors, Danny Crouse, 55, who had been on the job for less than three months, and Ronald Heist, a 71-year-old retired York police officer who was working as turnpike security. Briggs then reportedly fired at the fare collection vehicle. After the driver fled, he's said to have jumped into the vehicle and driven it to his car, parked a few hundred yards away, where he reportedly started unloading money from the collection vehicle. Troopers arrived within minutes and exchanged fire with Briggs, who was wounded and died at the scene, police say. Briggs, 55, retired in January 2012 with an honorable discharge after 26 years. He had been assigned to turnpike patrol and was believed to be familiar with collection procedures, the AP reports. (Read more Pennsylvania stories.) (Newser) "We have lost a Brazilian of extraordinary entrepreneurial vision," Dilma Rousseff, the country's president, said in a statement Sunday, per Reuters. Her mournful message announced the death of 56-year-old banker Roger Agnelli, who turned a Brazil mining company into the world's largest iron-ore producer and made it a major world player. The turboprop monoplane carrying Agnelliwho was traveling from Sao Paulo to a wedding in Rio with his wife, two grown kids, and their spousescrashed into two homes shortly after an afternoon takeoff in clear weather, killing all six plus the pilot. Deutsche Welle reports a woman on the ground was also injured. Vale SA, the company Agnelli helped propel to the top of its game, said in its own statement that it was filled with "immense sadness." Nicknamed "Iron Man," Agnelliwho took over Vale's helm in 2001 after spending most of his career in bankingwas renowned for his tough negotiations, what Deutsche Welle calls "cutthroat instincts," and for bringing Vale into Asian markets, particularly China, the New York Times reports. Under his watch, he propelled Vale to become the second largest mining company on Earth, and the largest iron-ore producerincreasing the company's value from $8 billion to a staggering $150 billion in just seven years, per a book on Latin America's "emerging multinationals." He had even catapulted onto a 2013 Harvard Business Review list of the best-performing CEOs in the world, appearing in the top five alongside the likes of Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos. But Agnelli clashed with then President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva over the number of workers Agnelli had fired during the Great Recession, and things didn't get better under Rousseff, who ultimately forced Agnelli out of Vale in 2011. (This in the midst of a crazy political crisis in Brazil.) (Newser) Just three days ago, North Korea defied a UN ban and fired a medium-range ballistic missile into the sea. Now South Korea officials say Pyongyang launched five short-range projectiles Monday into the waters off the latter's east coast, reportedly as a reaction to US-South Korea military drills each spring, the AP reports. It isn't yet clear whether the projectiles were missiles, artillery, or rockets; Pyongyang called them missiles, but South Korea says they were most likely conventional shells, Al Jazeera reports. Either way, more warnings have now been issued: "North Korea should refrain from all provocative actions, including missile launches, which are in clear violation of UN resolutions," the US special envoy for North Korea said Monday. North Korea has been ratcheting up the war rhetoric as of late, firing short-range missiles and artillery and noting both Seoul and Washington, DC, are squarely in its sights for preemptive nuclear strikes, per Reuters. CNN notes 15 projectiles have been launched on four separate occasions since early February. Meanwhile, even China is urging its ally to simmer down as the US and South Korea hold their largest drills ever, with 300,000 South Korean troops and at least 17,000 US soldiers. "We hope North Korea does not do anything to contravene UN Security Council resolutions," a Chinese Foreign Ministry rep said, per Reuters. "We also hope all sides can remain calm and exercise restraint and avoid doing anything to exacerbate confrontation." (North Korea sentenced a US student to 15 years of hard labor.) (Newser) Australia's plan to log "one of the last expanses of temperate rainforest in the world" has fizzled to the acclaim of conservationists the world over. Two years after requesting that logging be allowed in parts of the Tasmanian Wilderness to boost the local economy, the country received a recommendation from UN cultural agency UNESCO on Saturday. The agency says it "does not consider a World Heritage property recognized for its outstanding cultural and natural values the place to experiment with commercial logging" and the areawhich covers 1 million hectares, or about 20% of Tasmania, per the BBC and Reuters"should be off-limits to commercial logging in its entirety." UNESCO also calls for a "master plan" for tourism activities, noting Australia's hopes of allowing cruise ships, planes, and helicopters to land on the island "created room for interpretation and even suspicions," per the Guardian. "The decision of the United Nations to prohibit limited special species harvesting in the Tasmanian Wilderness world heritage area is very disappointing," says the Tasmanian minister for forestry. "However, it would be grossly irresponsible for any government to defy such a ruling, and we will abide by it." The BBC reports the World Heritage site is home to extinct and threatened animals, ancient trees, and "some of the tallest flowering plants in the world." (Read more Australia stories.) (Newser) When Bernice Dyck of Fresno, Calif., welcomed a new daughter in September, her friends showered her with "baby food" in the form of Red Lobster gift cards. It was just right for the 96-year-old and her adopted daughter, 30. Dyck's son, Rick, first met Chenda Kaub Chumb during a visit to Cambodia in 2003 and casually suggested she should attend school in the US. A visit to the Fresno City College's website soon "began a process which changed all of our lives," he tells the Fresno Bee. He agreed to finance Chenda's education from his home in Tokyo and his parents agreed to host her. Over the next decade, she "grew to love and appreciate both of my parents," says Dyck's son, Skip, who lives in Michigan. "We fell in love with her," adds Bernice. But with every visit home came the possibility that Chenda's visa would be denied. Adoption eventually came to mind. Chenda officially joined the family in Septemberwith the approval of her birth mommaking Bernice the world's oldest adoptive parent, per Guinness World Records. "I have always been grateful for her presence, since I am so far away," says Skip. "I have called her 'sis' regularly. I guess this sort of makes it legal now." Chenda and Bernice, now a widow, refer to their situation as the "immaculate conception." But "the full life she helps me live, as my child, is the miracle," Bernice says. "I was scared that I would be all alone, that I would have to give up my home." Now, "we travel when she isn't studying to complete a master's degree at Fresno State." Chenda, meanwhile, says she has "finally experienced true love." The Dyck family "brought out the best in me, and knew there was and is good in me. My hard work exists because of their love and encouragement." (Read more adoption stories.) (Newser) As Donald Trump talks about building a "big beautiful wall" on the southern US border, Mexico is apparently hatching plans to prevent a Trump presidency. While Mexico officially refuses to interfere in the election, Mexican diplomats in the US are helping Mexican permanent residents fast-track to US citizenship by hosting free workshops at consulates across the country, Bloomberg reports. These newly minted citizens have the right to vote but aren't pressed to do so, says Laura Espinosa, deputy consul in Mexicos consulate in Las Vegas. "Those who use this to vote, thats up to each individual," she says. "We dont have any opinion on that, because that would be totally interfering in internal affairs of the country." A consulate spokesman in Chicago stresses that while the consulate there hosted such an event, it's community organizations that actually dole out advice. More than 2.6 million legal Mexican permanent residents in the US are eligible to become citizens, and naturalization is especially high in Colorado, Nevada, and Virginia, per the New Americans Campaign. But the movement isn't limited to people of Mexican origin: Several Latino immigration and labor groups are also coming together under a "Stand Up to Hate" campaign to promote naturalization of immigrants and inspire voting, NBC News reports. "I've had my residency papers for 19 years, but one of the main reasons I'm becoming a citizen now is because I want to vote against Donald Trump," says a Cuban exile at a Miami workshop. "He offends me because he is insulting all Hispanics and what he is doing is wrong." (John Oliver offers an alternative to Trump's wall.) (Newser) Politico interviewed about a dozen Democratic lawmakers about the Bernie Sanders campaign and finds that a clear consensus is in the air: "The time has come, they say, for Sanders to start winding things down." The general view is that he can't possibly win and that if he wants to stay in the race, that's OKas long as he starts directing his fire more toward Donald Trump than at Hillary Clinton. Sen. Claire McCaskill is one of those quoted in the story, and her remarks sum things up: Whats important is not whether or not he gets out, but how he campaigns," she says. "If the contrast is now about what separates us from Donald Trump, then I think its fine." The story echoes the sentiment behind a recent New York Times story that said President Obama has been privately telling donors that it's time to get behind Clinton so she can focus on Trump. Blogger Ed Morrissey at Hot Air sums up the Democratic viewpoint toward Sanders as "keep campaigning ... but for Hillary." And he thinks that party leaders are probably on the mark with the strategy. "Perhaps Hillary will offer Sanders a Cabinet post, such as HHS, where he can indulge all of his single-payer healthcare fantasies if Hillary wins the election," he writes. "But it may take a couple of more major-state blowouts to get the message through to Bernie that its over and its been over for a while." Sanders, though, clearly disagrees. On Sunday, he began raising pressure on superdelegates in states he's won by big margins to respect the will of voters and back him at the convention instead of Clinton. The whole issue of unbound superdelegates is "problematic," he says, per the Hill. (The latest campaign finance reports had some surprise winners and losers.) (Newser) Looks like Elizabeth Warren and Donald Trump won't be getting cozy anytime soon. The Massachusetts senator today called Trump "a loser" on Facebook and Twitter, just days after he was quoted in an interview mocking her claim to Native American heritage. "Lets be honestDonald Trump is a loser," Warren posted on Facebook, per Politico. "Count all his failed businesses. See how he kept his fathers empire afloat by cheating people with scams like Trump University and by using strategic corporate bankruptcy (excuse me, bankruptcies) to skip out on debt." The Democrat goes on to accuse Trump of knowing "he's a loser" and putting "his embarrassing insecurities ... on parade: petty bullying, attacks on women, cheap racism, and flagrant narcissism." Warren's tweet parade was no kinder, accusing Trump of being "ready to tear apart an America that was built on values like decency, community, and concern for our neighbors," and arguing that "many of historys worst authoritarians started out as losers." Her barrage comes just two days after Trump criticized Warren in a New York Times interview for claiming to have Native American blood (to recap, Harvard Law School listed her as a Native American professor in the 1990s when the faculty was being called overly white; her claim to having Cherokee blood remains unproven, the Boston Herald reports). "Shes got about as much Indian blood as I have," Trump said. "Her whole life was based on a fraud. She got into Harvard and all that because she said she was a minority." (Read more Donald Trump 2016 stories.) (Newser) Marijuana is a political debate, not a legal onefor now. The US Supreme Court announced Monday that it won't consider a lawsuit filed by two other states challenging Colorado's pot law. But lawyers say that Nebraska and Oklahoma officials could pursue other legal challenges down the road, the AP reports. For now, the many states considering pot laws this year won't have immediate guidance from the nation's high court about whether they're free to flout federal drug law by regulating the drug. Instead, the 26 states and Washington, DC, that allow marijuana for medical or recreational purposes don't have any immediate roadblocks on their marijuana laws. "This is good news for legalization supporters," the chairman of Marijuana Majority tells the Los Angeles Times. "If ... the court ruled the wrong way, [the case] the potential to roll back many of the gains our movement has achieved to date." Marijuana legalization advocates immediately seized on the Supreme Court's announcement as a signal that states are free to legalize marijuana if they wish. "States have every right to regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana, just as Nebraska and Oklahoma have the right to maintain their failed prohibition policies," said Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project. But Colorado officials weren't so sure. Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, a Republican who opposes legal weed, said that while Nebraska and Oklahoma chose the wrong legal approach, pot is very much a question in need of federal guidance. "The legal questions surrounding (marijuana) still require stronger leadership from Washington," Coffman said in a statement Monday. Nebraska's attorney general said Monday that his state would consider trying again to challenge Colorado's pot law, just not directly to the nation's highest court. "What it basically tells us is to go forth in the federal district court to start off the lawsuit," he said. (Read more marijuana legalization stories.) (Newser) Texas police say they've arrested the estranged wife of an internationally renowned pianist on capital murder charges in the deaths of the couple's two young children. Benbrook Police Cmdr. David Babcock said Monday that police have served an arrest warrant on Sofya Tsygankova, the wife of the Ukranian pianist Vadym Kholodenko, the AP reports. Police found the couple's two children, 5-year-old Nika Kholodenko and 1-year-old Michela Kholodenko, slain in their beds Thursday in Benbrook, a suburb of Fort Worth. Authorities said Tsygankova was in an "extreme state of distress." She remains in a Fort Worth hospital for a mental health evaluation. Authorities say she suffered knife wounds. (Read more child murder stories.) Microsoft says 'Go-Go dancers at X-box Party were a Wrong Decision'! A party was hosted with scantily dressed female dancers for a video game developers' conference. This act was not appreciated and was considered unequivocally wrong by Microsoft. There have been longstanding complaints in an industry that's been struggling to overcome the same regarding objectifying women and making them feel unwelcome as players and game-builders. Responding to this the head of Microsoft's Xbox stated that the party represented Xbox and Microsoft in a way that was absolutely not consistent or aligned to their values. However an Xbox spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the dancers. The dancers were seen with school-girl outfits and greeted party-goers and danced on platforms as the reports say. The party was hosted in San Francisco during the annual Game Developers Conference. In order to promote diversity in the industry Microsoft had sponsored a "Women in Gaming" just a few hours earlier. Despite this due to the dancers hired for the party, complains were received from the people who attended the party and found it offensive and unappreciable act to witness the performance of the go-go dancers. The Xbox chief Phil Spencer reacted to this and acknowledged that the event has definitely disappointed the crowd who attended the party and also pledged to ensure betterment in the future. A mail sent by the Xbox chief to his employees was also released which said that the criticism was deserved. He added that he was personally committed to ensuring that diversity and inclusion is central to their everyday business. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is about to find out whether he can get a vote from Utah where Mormon faith is deeply rooted. The billionaire lost to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in Mormon-heavy Idaho this month already showing that he may be have trouble in Utah. In Utah, around 3 million resides and around two third of them are Mormons. In the most recent primary poll has Trump in third place in Utah - more than 40 points behind Cruz and 18 points behind Kasich . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with headquarters in Salt Lake City, doesn't endorse political candidates. But, after Trump suggested a total ban on Muslims entering the United States, the church issued a statement in support of religious freedom. According to a new Deseret News/KSL poll, if Donald Trump are selected as the GOP nominee, the voters of Utah would opt for a Democratic candidate for the first time in 50 years. While Donald Trump continues to be the Republican primary front-runner, he has small support among the younger generation. Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not answer to discuss the campaign's strategy but addressed that they have invested very few resources to Utah. "I wouldn't say this a place where we are expected to perform exceptionally well," Hicks said. BuzzFeed's McKay Coppins notes that "while Mormons make up the most reliably Republican religious group in the country, they differ from the party's base in key ways that work against Trump": "On immigration, for example, the hard-line proposals that have rallied Trump's fans - like building a massive wall along the country's southern border to keep immigrants out - are considerably less likely to fire up conservative Latter-day Saints. The LDS church has spent years lobbying for "compassionate"immigration reform. [...] These pro-immigrant attitudes are common among rank-and-file believers, many of whom have served missions in Latin American countries. Mormons are more than twice as likely as evangelicals to say they support "more immigration" to the United States, according to Notre Dame political scientist David Campbell. And a 2012 Pew survey found Mormons were more likely to say immigrants "strengthen" the country than they were to call immigrants an overall "burden." Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who had supported Sen. Marco Rubio, slammed Trump for making a selfish decision to not attend the debate and urged Utah residents to remember when they vote. "We care a lot about decorum. We care about our neighbors. We are a good, kind people," Cox said. "He does not represent neither goodness nor kindness." Donald Trump says he was just joking when he questioned Mitt Romney's Mormon faith during a campaign stop in Salt Lake City on Friday, however in an interview on ABC News' "This Week," he stood by his underlying criticism of the 2012 Republican nominee. Andrea Quenette, an assistant professor at the University of Kansas, was asked to be fired by students, as she had used the "n-word" in class on November 15. When grad student Abigail Kingsford asked her "In light of last night's university-wide town hall meeting about race and discrimination on campus, what is the best approach to talk about that event and these issues with our students?" Quenette had replied that "as a white woman" she had never "seen the racism" and added: "it's not like I see 'n****r' spray painted on walls..." There had been a protest at the University of Kansas over what was seen to be "a perceived lack of support for minority students" as well as "institutional tolerance for racism." The infuriated students wrote an open letter on Medium that she had made remarks that seemed to be "even more disparaging" and that "they articulated not only her lack of awareness of racial discrimination and violence on this campus and elsewhere but an active denial of institutional, structural, and individual racism." They also coloured their account by pointing out that she had a "history of discriminatory behaviour." By quoting the school's policies, they added that she "should be terminated." The university's Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access placed her on administrative leave, forbidding her from entering the school, even as an investigation was undertaken. But she has got exonerated recently, as the probe committee felt that she did not violate the school's "nondiscrimination policy" or racial and ethnic harassment policies. She will thus be retaining her job. Quennette said that the investigation was fair. "I believe they did due diligence in taking the students' concerns seriously, and I do appreciate that. I didn't believe I had violated policies ... so I'm glad that the outcome reflected that." "This word is offensive, but it was used in the context of retelling a factual event that occurred at another campus. It was not used in racial animus." The students, though, are unhappy. Gabrielle Byrd, a black student, said: "I was incredibly shocked that the word was spoken, regardless of the context. I turned to the classmate sitting next to me and asked if this was really happening. Before I left the classroom, I was in tears." More can be read here. Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman, who is the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, has spent a fortune to fund his election campaign. Having given the drive an additional $6.85 million in the previous month, Trump brought up the complete Trump-to-Trump loan amount to a total of $24.38 million. All the investments have supported his preparation for the primary battles of March, and will also add bricks to the staff needed for his campaign, compared to his rivals in the Presidential contest, according to wltx. Hence, his staff consisted of 100 by February end. This was more than the 88 listed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, pointed out a review of Federal Election Commission reports that were filed late Sunday. A survey last month showed that his drive spent a lot of money on yard signs, stickers, and hats. His caps roared with his slogan, "Make America Great Again." Even though he is not actively asking for funds, he received more than $2 million last month. About three-quarters of that money dribbled in at the rate of $200 or less, say his filings. In February, Trump's receipts, which were a blend of loans, donations and his $32,000 given for his campaign, added to slightly more than $9.2 million, which is slightly less than about $12 million raised by his rival Cruz in the previous month. However, Trump has an edge over his rivals due to his prominence in political TV news, which makes him pay little for advertising. While he spent only $3.5 million on "media", Cruz had to spend about $9 million, according to the filings. However, it is not clear how much will roll into the party in the form of donations. "It's a real dilemma he's created," said Vin Weber, a former member of Congress who advised the presidential campaigns of Bob Dole, George W. Bush, and Mitt Romney. "A lot of the people who would raise money for the party are not big Trump fans," Weber said. The latest to receive a threat mail in the Donald Trump family is his elder sister, Maryanne Trump Barry. She got a threatening letter on Friday, which put the entire family on tenterhooks, said law-enforcement sources. The 78-year-old judge got a hostile mail at her Manhattan, Philadelphia house. The note was similar to the mail received by Trump's 32-year-old son, Eric. There was a "suspicious white powder" enclosed in a letter, and a threat that if the front-runner did not back out, his family would get harmed. Maryanne Trump Barry, a judge with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, had come in the hit list earlier this year. Trump mentioned her as a joke, when he was asked who he would appoint to the U.S. Supreme Court. GOP rival Ted Cruz called her a "radical pro-abortion extremist" as she ruled against banning abortions in New Jersey. When Eric's wife, Lara, opened his letter at his Trump Parc East home, the cops called the white substance "non-hazardous". "Multiple Trump relatives have been told to be mindful of the mail threats and what they are opening," another federal law-enforcement source said. "Anything suspicious, they immediately call authorities." He is the sole GOP candidate who has Secret Service protection. While Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have security details, the Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Ted Cruz do not have those details, according to a spokesman for the Secret Service. Both the FBI and Secret Service are investigating the mysterious incident. "The FBI is aware of the incident and is working closely with the United States Secret Service and U.S. Marshals Service," the FBI Philadelphia said. It did not come out with more facts or details. There was no immediate response from Donald Trump's representatives. Ever since Beijing enforced a forest conservation program in 1998, scientists analyzed the country's forests with satellite images, to check where and how much tree cover had changed. In the last decade, about 1.6 percent of China's territory seemed to have improved. Even though about 0.38 of the forests remained under threat, the improvement has been heartening. "Before there was widespread deforestation," said Andres Vin, first author of the study. "Now that has stopped and there is a net gain in forest cover." "It is encouraging that China's forests have been recovering in the midst of its daunting environmental challenges," added Jianguo Liu, co-author of the study. The Chinese forests, a great natural resource, are an important link with biodiversity and a buffer against erosion, as well as a great carbon sink. Most of the carbon dioxide levels are acting as hot sheets that lead to more erosion and global warming However, there is a flip side to this. China is improving its environment at the expense of other nations. For instance, it imports a lot of timber from countries such as Vietnam, Madagascar and Russia. "We think that success in reducing deforestation in China is basically being transferred into deforestation in other regions," Vina said. "Over the long-term, sustainable forest management in China is important for forests in the rest of the world," said Robert Tansey, senior adviser for external affairs and policy in Northeast Asia and Greater China at The Nature Conservancy, who was not involved with the study. "The exporting countries are suffering from deforestation," Liu added. "A large proportion of the wood products imported to China have been used to make furniture for developed countries such as the USA and those in Europe." The findings were published in the March 18, 2016 issue of the journal Science Advances. A new study by Michigan State University has revealed profound results on China's decreasing deforestation and habitat destruction efforts since 1998. The results praise the deforestation progress that organizations in the country are utilizing. Through these findings, it can be revealed that there is hope in mitigating global climate change. China has been known for its high air pollution and widespread deforestation. However, according to Christian Science Monitor, from 2000 to 2010, the nation saw a great improvement on blocking efforts to eliminate forests and habitats, about 1.6 percent of recovery of China's territory. "Before there was widespread deforestation," study author Andres Vina of Michigan State University's Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability told The Christian Science Monitor. "Now that has stopped and there is a net gain in forest cover." These efforts now make it possible to save forests and make cleaner air. Forests place an essential impact on decreasing the atmosphere's carbon dioxide, especially through its biodiversity and prevention of soil erosions. China's successful conversation efforts have been brought about by Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP). After the country received significant deforestation in the past decades, the conservation program helped detect sensitive areas that had been destroyed significantly and put deforestation bans in these regions while moving the focus to other timber sources. China is not the only country that has received a decrease on deforestation, but in all over the world according to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. "It is encouraging to see that net deforestation is decreasing and that some countries in all regions are showing impressive progress. Among others, they include Brazil, Chile, China, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Turkey, Uruguay, and Viet Nam," said FAO Director, General Jose Graziano da Silva in 2015. Through these findings, now more efforts can be made to improve China's environment. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Mumbai: A massive fire which broke out at Deonar dumping ground in the eastern suburbs of the Mumbai has been finally after two days. Toxic smoke was feared after the fire at Deonar dumping ground enetred the third day. A report on leading website claimed that toxic smoke engulfed the area and residents complained of discomfort and breathing problem. Smoke was visible from as far as Vashi bridge till the end of the Ghatkopar-Man-khurd Link Road. The blaze started at around 1.40 PM on Saturday and since then the fire brigade has been struggling to douse it off completely, said officials of the disaster control unit of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Eight fire engines and 10 water tankers are stationed at the spot. The fire became strong at around 8.30 PM tonight. Meanwhile, the blaze which erupted yesterday at Mulund (E) dumping ground, was put out at around 12.30 PM today, fire brigade officials said. Also read. 'Toxic cocktail' makes Delhi world's most polluted city For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Brussels: Suspected Paris bombing plotter Salah Abdeslam has told investigators that he was planning new operations from Brussels and possibly had access to several weapons, Belgiums foreign minister said today. Minister Didier Reynders said Abdeslam had claimed that he was ready to restart something from Brussels, and its maybe the reality. Reynders gave credence to the suspects claim because we found a lot of weapons, heavy weapons in the first investigations, and we have seen a new network of people around him in Brussels. Abdeslam, captured Friday in a police raid in Brussels, was charged yesterday with terrorist murder by Belgian authorities. He is a top suspect in the November 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead. Speaking to security experts at a German Marshall Fund conference in Brussels, Reynders said we have found more than 30 people involved in the terrorist attacks in Paris, but we are sure that there are others. He urged European intelligence, law enforcement, and border authorities to exchange more information to help track the suspects down. Interpol also has called on European countries to be vigilant at their borders, saying Abdeslams accomplices may try to flee after his capture. The international police agency recommended closer checks at borders, especially for stolen passports. Many of the November 13 attackers and accomplices travelled on falsified or stolen documents. Abdeslams Belgian lawyer, meanwhile, threatened to launch legal action tomorrow against a French prosecutor, accusing him of breaching the confidentiality of the investigation into the deadly rampage in Paris. Sven Mary told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF that part of the press conference given yesterday by Paris prosecutor Francois Molins is a violation. Its a fault, and I cannot let it go unchallenged. Molins said Abdeslam, 26, told Belgian officials he had wanted to blow himself up at the Stade de France as a suicide bomber, but that he backed out at the last minute. France is seeking Abdeslams extradition for trial there, but Mary said he would fight any attempt to hand over his client and that investigators have much to learn from the suspect, who was born in Belgium but has French and Moroccan nationality. Salah is of great importance to this investigation. I would even say that he is worth gold. He is cooperating, he is communicating, he is not insisting on his right to silence. I think it would be worthwhile now to give things a bit of time ... for investigators to be able to talk to him, Mary said. In response, an official in the Paris prosecutors office said French law allows prosecutors to speak about elements of an investigation. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat has demanded a special assembly session from Governor K K Paul in wake of political crisis in the state. Harak Singh Rawat, who is leading the group of rebel MLAs, has said that Government may indulge in horse trading if the session is not called immediately. On the other hand, the rebel MLAs are likely to meet President Pranab Mukherjee later this evening. Several MLAs have already flown to Delhi, while others are likely to arrive here by 4 PM. Harak Singh Rawat was expelled from Uttarakhand cabinet on Sunday for what the party termed was his unparliamentary conduct in the state assembly. The state cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Rawat approved a proposal seeking Haraks expulsion from the cabinet. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: An Indian sailor, who was taken hostage by pirates nearly a month-and-a-half ago, has been rescued, External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said today. I happy to inform the rescue of the 11th sailor Rohan Ruparalia, Swaraj tweeted. Rohan was taken hostage after his ship with 10 other Indians on board was seized by pirates off the Ivory Coast on February 11. While 10 Indian crew members were rescued by Nigerian Navy from the vessel Maximus on February 19, Rohan was taken hostage by the pirates. Later, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said with this, all 11 Indian crew members are safe and secure and are returning to India in batches. Rohan has been rescued and is flying back to India tonight, Swarup added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : In a huge relief to pharmaceutical companies, the Delhi High Court on Monday decided to lift the ban temporarily on the sale of medicines including Corex cough syrup, Piriton expectorant, Vicks Action 500 extra, D'Cold, Saridon, Ascoril and Alex cough syrups, Phensedyl cough syrup and Alembic's Glycodin cough syrup. The High court will hear the case on next Monday. Few days back, the Central government had banned 344 drug combinations over the weekend, including Abbott's codeine-based cough syrup, after a government panel found they had 'no therapeutic justification'. The Health Ministry has banned 344 'Fixed Dose Combination' (FDC) drugs, leading to an immediate suspension of the manufacturing and sale of some popular medicines in India. Following the government ban, pharmaceutical major Pfizer has discontinued manufacture and sale of Corex with immediate effect. Fixed dose combination drugs are combinations of two or more active drugs in a single dose form. The 22 healthcare companies have sought quashing of the government's March 10 notification banning over 300 FDC drugs, including cough syrup compositions on the ground that they involve "risk" to humans and safer alternatives were available. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Naypyidaw: Myanmars new president-elect told lawmakers today that plans to create a new ethnic affairs ministry were vital as he put efforts to heal relations with minorities at the heart of policy in a nation torn by civil wars and sectarian conflict. Htin Kyaw, a close confidante of Aung San Suu Kyi who will rule as her proxy, indicated that tackling the legacy of half a century of civil wars in ethnic minority borderlands will be a major priority for his government, which officially takes power next week. A ministry of ethnic affairs is of vital importance for the future of the union (Myanmar), which needs peace, development and sustainability, he told lawmakers in his first address since being elected the first civilian leader in decades. His comments came as part of a wider speech explaining his governments plan to streamline the countrys bloated bureaucracy, trimming the number of ministries from 36 to 21. Htin Kyaw takes the mantle of leadership as Myanmar is in the midst of a dramatic transformation after years shackled by military rule. Greater openness, a surging economy and the landslide victory in Novembers historic elections for Suu Kyi and her party have all buoyed optimism in the future. But conflicts continue to rage in several areas between ethnic minority armed groups and the still-powerful national army, which operates beyond the reaches of civilian government, after a ceasefire pact signed last year failed to include all of the countrys fighters. Some 240,000 people are displaced due to unrest and communal conflict in Myanmar, mostly in northern Kachin state where fighting between the army and rebels is ongoing, and in western Rakhine, where tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims remain trapped in camps following outbreaks of communal violence in 2012. The situation in Rakhine state is a key concern of the international community, which has urged the new government to prioritise the plight of the Rohingya, who flee the country in their thousands every year on rickety boats. A web of citizenship rules have left many effectively stateless, while they also claim to endure worsening persecution by Rakhines Buddhist community who largely sees them as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh. Last year saw a regional crisis emerge after a Thai crackdown on people smuggling led gang bosses to abandon many Rohingya on land and at sea. In a sign of the challenges that await the incoming government, an MP from the main Rakhine party told AFP that he opposes the idea that the new ethnic affairs ministry could tackle his states deep communal fractures. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today his country was suffering one of the biggest waves of terrorism in its history, vowing to crush the Islamic State (IS) jihadists and Kurdish rebels behind a string of attacks. We will hit these terrorist organisations as hard as possible, Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul, two days after a suspected IS suicide attack in Istanbul that killed four foreigners. Faced with the terrorists new strategies we will develop new modes of combat and quickly overcome them, Erdogan said, promising democratic values would not be sacrificed in the fight. Of the six bombings that have rocked Turkey in the past eight months, killing over 200 people, four have been blamed on IS, with Kurdish rebels claiming the other two. Turkeys strongman leader focused his attacks on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which resumed its three-decade-long insurgency against the state last summer following the collapse of a shaky two-year truce. He also took aim at his European counterparts, whom he has repeatedly accused of taking an indulgent approach towards PKK sympathisers. Referring to the tent set up outside EU buildings by pro-PKK activists in Brussels during last weeks EU-Turkey summit on migration, he demanded: How can the EU, which considers this (PKK) a terrorist organisation, tolerate such a situation? Wheres the sincerity, he demanded to know, accusing the EU of hypocrisy. Yesterday, Turkey summoned Belgiums ambassador to Ankara to protest over the tent. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Brussels: Police have found the DNA of a newly-identified suspect on explosives used in last years Paris attacks, a French source said today, as Belgian and French prosecutors met in Brussels to discuss the probe into the November carnage. The suspected accomplice was named as Najim Laachraoui, who was previously known by the false name Soufiane Kayal which he used to travel to Hungary in September with Salah Abdeslam, the key suspect who was arrested in a dramatic raid on Friday. Traces of the genetic material of 24-year-old Laachraoui, who left for Syria in 2013 and is still on the run, were found on the bombs used in the November 13 gun and suicide bomb attacks in Paris, a source close to the French investigation said. French President Francois Hollande, who has said he wants Abdeslam extradited as quickly as possible, was due to hold his first formal meeting with relatives of the 130 Paris victims this afternoon. The president, in light of recent events, will update them on what is happening, the presidential palace said. Investigators hope Abdeslams arrest in Brussels on Friday, in which he was wounded in the leg, will give new leads on the attacks claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Abdeslam, the last known survivor of the group that carried out the attacks, was found just around the corner from his family home in the gritty Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek, where several of the Paris attackers hailed from. Belgium has faced heavy criticism for failing to keep tabs on Islamic radicals there. The investigation is now widening, and Hollande has said that the network involved in the Paris attacks was much bigger than previously thought. French prosecutor Francois Molins will meet his Belgian counterpart Frederic Van Leeuw and hold a press conference, Belgiums federal prosecutors office said. Molins said at the weekend that Abdeslam played a central role in the attacks and originally planned to blow himself up at the Stade de France stadium but changed his mind. These first statements, which should be taken cautiously, leave a whole series of issues that Salah Abdeslam must explain, he added. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said yesterday that Abdeslamwho has been charged with terrorist murder and belonging to a terrorist grouphad already told investigators he was planning some sort of new attack in Brussels. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Sandy Hook families have a message for Bernie Sanders: "You're wrong." During a CNN debate on March 6, Sanders was asked whether Remington, the maker of the Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle used to kill 20 first-graders and six educators in Newtown, should be held liable for one of the worst school shootings in the nation's history. Sanders responded in favor of a 2005 law called the Protection of the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which protects gun makers in cases like this. This did not sit well with the Sandy Hook families, and on March 20, they took to the Washington Post to voice their opinion. Read more on the March 6 comments An op-ed titled "Sanders is wrong about the lawsuit we filed after our son's murder in Newtown" is written by Mark and Jackie Barden, plaintiffs in the case Soto et. al v. Bushmaster, and parents of Sandy Hook victim Daniel Barden. The Bardens wrote: "We write in response to Sen. Bernie Sanders's comments about our lawsuit at the recent Democratic presidential debate in Michigan. Sanders suggested that the 'point' of our case is to hold Remington Arms Co. liable simply because one of its guns was used to commit mass murder. With all due respect, this is simplistic and wrong." Read the full op-ed on the Washington Post In their piece, the Bardens emphasize that the suit is specifically targeting Remington's Bushmaster AR-15 and its sale to civilians. "The last thing our sweet little Daniel would have seen in his short, beautiful life was the long barrel of a ferocious rifle designed to kill the enemy in war," they write. Joshua Koskoff, the lead lawyer in the case, maintains the AR-15 was never designed for use by the public but in fact to kill as many members of an enemy force it could in the least amount of time. Remington and other defendants are using the Protection of the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act as their defense. Read more on the case "Sanders has spent decades tirelessly advocating for greater corporate responsibility, which is why we cannot fathom his support of companies that recklessly market and profit from the sale of combat weapons to civilians and then shrug their shoulders when the next tragedy occurs, leaving ordinary families and communities to pick up the pieces," the Bardens write in their op-ed. They go on to write: "This is not a theoretical dispute." This is a sentiment that echos Mark Barden's comments on the February day the families brought their case before a Bridgeport judge. "We want to have our day in court. I feel we have a legitimate case." NEW MILFORD Harold Mayer, an award-winning documentarian and the longest-serving member of the Candlewood Lake Authority, died March 15 at the age of 96. Mayer and his late wife, Lynne Rhodes Mayer, worked together to create numerous programs for national public television, including several documentaries. The couple won more than 30 national and international awards, including a Peabody Award, eight CINE Golden Eagle Awards, and many other awards from various film festivals. The calendar says spring, but theres a winter storm churning offshore that is bound to make a slushy slog out of the Monday morning commute. Like every storm so far this winter, the farther east and south that you are, the more snow youll see, said meteorologist Bill Jacquemin, who directs the Connecticut Weather Center in Danbury. Southeastern Connecticut will be looking at about a foot, while Bridgeport will be seeing one to three inches. And as Jacquemin was quick to point out, when it comes to snow, timing is everything. Unfortunately, what snow we will get will be winding down just as the Monday morning commute gets going, he said. And, to make matters worse, itll be falling overnight for the most part, so we wont benefit from any radiation from the sun. As for its consistency, he said we can expect the precipitation to be of the slushy, soggy variety. Dont expect anything of the powder variety, Jacquemin said. Mostly wet, heavy snow. More Information Snowfall in Recent Winters: 2009-10: 34.09 inches 2010-2011: 60.71 2011-2012: 13.58 2012-13: 63.25 2013-14: 48.01 2014-15: 59.13 2015-16: 24.92 (as of March 20) See More Collapse Meanwhile, city and town officials in southwestern Connecticut say this Palm Sunday storm notwithstanding, the mild winter weve been having has been kinder to municipal budgets than the last two winters. We expect to get a bit of a surplus out of this, Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau said. So at some point well be sitting down and discussing whether there are any urgent priorities where we might redirect those funds. The story is similar in Stratford, where Mayor John Harkins said the warmer temperatures have made easy sledding down at the Public Works Department. We prepare for every winter, so we had to go out and buy salt last summer about $200,000 worth, Harkins said. But weve spent $175,000 so far this year in plowing and salting which is down significantly than what it was in the last to years. So its been a good winter for us. As to how much money cities and town are saving, municipal leaders said theyre not ready to do the math just yet after all, the Great Blizzard of 1888 occurred in March, lest we forget. For Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst, the mild winter will make it that much easier for the town to reach its goal of having 10 percent of its total budget as cash reserves. This makes it possible to borrow for big bonding projects at far less cost. Thats what it all comes down to, he said. You have to have that triple-A bond rating if you want to move forward, he said. Ten percent of Trumbulls annual budget is about $16 million. Ill take this last spring storm its still been a lot better than the last two, Herbst said. In Bridgeport, an AAA bond rating might seem like a distant dream, but the mild winter was still a welcome relief. Now last winter, the temperature hardly made it above freezing from January through February, so not only did we not have much melting, but the ice on the streets is a lot harder on our plows, said Av Harris, spokesman for Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim. In Milford, Mayor Benjamin Blake ordered a parking ban from Sunday night into Monday he was asking people to park only on the even side of the street and to park off the street if possible. A similar parking ban was imposed in Stratford for Sunday night into Monday. The mild winter means that we were able to get to a number of other maintenance projects in the city, Blake said. And the Naugatuck Avenue storm sewer project is moving along well, too. As of 8 p.m., no public school districts in the region posted cancellations or delayed openings. As for the cause of the mild winter, Jacquemin said there are a number of factors in play, including the warming of the planet. El Nino was certainly a part of it because all oceans interact with the atmosphere, but we have a climate change going on as well, he said. Actually, the snowfall wasnt that much below normal, but looking at the temperatures, it was anything but a normal winter. He said with the storms tracking farther south both this winter and last, it has been tough times for ski areas. And this winter, we really didnt get much in the way of prolonged cold to make it possible for them to even make snow, Jacquemin said. That made for a horrible ski season in southern New England. jburgeson@ctpost.com Theres a new employee benefit making waves in business: student loan contributions. More and more employers, including Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Nataxis and Chegg, are giving their employees a specified amount of money each month to put toward paying off their loans. Related: Employee Demand Makes Voluntary Benefits Mandatory for Employers Its a new concept, and just 3 percent of employers offered the perk in 2015, according to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Managers. But student loan help is an attractive new benefit employers should familiarize themselves with. What exactly happens when employers help pay student loans? And what are the pros and cons? Let's consider: 1. (Pro). Hiring and retention are improved. The student debt crisis has reached an all-time high: Research from the Institute of College Access and Success found that 69 percent of graduates at public and nonprofit colleges in 2014 finished school with student loan debt. It's no surprise, of course, that student loan assistance will likely influence a young professionals career path. Its a perk employees actually want, and they want it more than some traditional benefits. In fact, 55 percent of student loan holders surveyed by Iontuituion in July 2015 said they would choose to divert health benefit contributions from their employer toward paying off their debt. In addition, 49 percent said they would rather have student loan payment contributions than a 401k plan. When talented professionals have more opportunities and have their pick of employers, student loan contributions may be the differentiating factor an employer needs to beat out the competition. Offering this perk can also help current employees feel satisfied and valued at work, boosting retention. 2. (Pro). Stress is reduced. Employees are stressed by work, their home lives and their everyday finances. Add in a whopping amount of student loan debt, and professionals are even more overwhelmed by financial stress -- which can take a serious toll on their workplace performance. A study published by Rand in 2015 found that financial concerns, along with lack of sleep and the care of family members, all put a dent in productivity. In addition, a 2015 PwC survey of working adults in the United States. showed that 37 percent spent three or more hours at work each week thinking about personal finances. Offering student loan assistance can reduce some of that stress, helping employees to focus on work and improve productivity. Contributing to loan debt also shows employees that their company cares about their well-being -- something employees look for. In a survey of U.S. and Canadian employees by Virgin Pulse this year, 40 percent said they wished their employers cared more about their financial well-being. Satisfying employee needs and showing that they are valued, then, helps to inspire loyalty, improve engagement and reduce stress -- improving productivity overall. Related: Is Student Debt the Reason Millennials Aren't Starting Companies? 3. (Pro). Employees save money. Some perks look great on paper but, in reality, do little for employees. But student loan assistance isnt just some buzzword employers use to draw in fresh talent; it has a real impact on employees' livelihoods and can dramatically improve their financial standing. A recent report by NerdWallet looked at the effect of a company contribution benefit in reducing payments for student-loan holders with an average debt of $29,400. The researchers found that when employees make minimum monthly payments and apply the benefit, the time required to pay back the loan is cut down by three years, on average. And paying off the loan three years faster means employees save about $4,100 in interest payments. Offering student loan contributions, then, gives employees a benefit that is truly valuable, improving their finances and helping them become happier and more productive professionals. 4. (Con) But employees pay more taxes. Student-loan contributions arent necessarily a slam dunk, though: There are tax implications employers should consider before offering the benefit. As the law stands now, student loan assistance from employers is treated as taxable income. So, employees could be saving money and shaving off time from their loan repayment plan, yet paying more money in taxes. That doesnt mean loan contributions arent helpful -- but they could be more helpful if the benefit were exempt from taxes. It turns out this might happen: If Congress passes the Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act, the law will extend the tax exclusion that applies to employer-provided tuition assistance, to include contributions to student loans. So, think about it: Despite the (current) added tax burden, student loan contributions are a hot new employee benefit your organization may want to consider. And your employees, especially the younger ones, will love you for it. Related: 4 Reasons Why Borrowing Money Is Usually Better Than Giving Up Equity Do you think student loan contributions are the right benefit for your employees? Why or why not? Related: Help With Student Loans Is the 'Hot' New Employee Benefit Why It's Vital For Startups To Adopt A Smarter Communication Model From The Start Why a Basic Benefits Package Is No Longer Enough Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved New arrivals from Syria get coordinated help to gain an economic foothold in GTA TORONTO, March 21, 2016 /CNW/ - A unique networking summit to familiarize Syrian refugees with the GTA job market and connect them with interested employers is being hosted by Ryerson University, the Consortium of Agencies Serving Internationally-trained Persons (CASIP), Lifeline Syria and the Refugee Career Jumpstart Program (RCJP). The one-day event will be held at Ryerson University on March 21. The summit's goal is to help job-ready refugees displaced by the Syrian conflict find meaningful employment as quickly as possible. Approximately 50 refugees who have at least an intermediate English language proficiency are expected to attend. The refugees will participate in a workshop offering a range of practical skills for finding meaningful employment in the Canadian workplace. The day-long event also features a keynote address on finding success in the workplace by Ellen Austin, Human Resources Business Partner at The Business Development Bank of Canada and an advocate for the inclusion and employment of internationally trained professionals. The summit also involves working with attendees to create and register a skills profile with Magnet, a cross-sectoral employment technology platform, to support their job search. Once registered with Magnet, candidates attending the seminar can be matched to employers who have expressed interest in hiring refugees based upon their skills, preferences and talent requirements. Also attending the seminar will be a range of support agencies engaged in helping Syrian refugees find jobs and enhance their skills and language proficiency. Magnet's data-rich network, developed at Ryerson University and founded in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, creates a platform that allows potential employers and support agencies to more easily identify and provide professional development support for job candidates within the refugee talent pool. "Organizations like the Ryerson University Lifeline Syria Challenge have forged creative partnership with employers, like Paramount Fine Foods, to address the support and employment needs of Syrian refugees," says Mark Patterson, Executive Director, Magnet. "However, in many cases, finding the right candidates and helping them properly prepare for these opportunities is a major challenge. Magnet provides the technology infrastructure that interconnects the community and employment support agencies and provides one point of contact for employers. We are excited to be working with CASIP and other agencies in the Greater Toronto Area. Magnet offers a platform for scaling this effort efficiently and effectively matching people with needs and people with capacity." More than 70,000 job seekers and 6,000 employers are currently registered with Magnet. Membership also includes more than 25 universities and colleges, along with an array of community-based employment stakeholders. "CASIP is a network of 11 employment service providers; together we have decades of experience and expertise in helping new Canadians find employment across the GTA," says Allison Pond, CEO at ACCES Employment. "We are working closely with our many employer partners to ensure Syrian newcomers find good and meaningful employment." Registering and building a profile on Magnet is free. Refugees can learn more about how Magnet can help them with their job search and professional development by visiting http://www.magnet.today/. The site features a page specifically for the Syrian refugee community. Magnet is a technology platform that can support communication between refugees and employers in all communities across Canada. Other communities wanting to learn how Magnet can help can contact Magnet by visiting www.magnet.today/contact/ Social media: #employSyrians Web: magnet.today Twitter: @MagnetToday LinkedIn: Magnet.Today Facebook: Magnet.Today About Magnet Magnet is a new network powered by data-rich, job-matching technology that connects job seekers with employers based upon skills, preferences and talent needs. The network is also a unique source of real-time labour market information for decision makers and community planners. Magnet's goal is to address unemployment and under-employment specifically as it relates to youth, new immigrants, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and other individuals facing barriers to employment. About CASIP CASIP is a consortium of independent, community-based agencies and colleges who deliver employment and training services to skilled immigrant job seekers and to employers. We have been collaborating since 1998 to drive innovation, advocacy and excellence in employment services for skilled immigrants and employers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). SOURCE Ryerson University For further information: Dave Bennett, Xposure PR, 905 339 6668, [email protected] Catelli uncovering pasta's place in our nation's modern mosaic For more downloadable multimedia assets, please visit: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7761751-catelli-canadian-pasta/ TORONTO, Feb. 15, 2016 /CNW/ - Canadians embrace food we value family traditions, recipes passed down through generations, global trends and show a lot of heart for our local producers. For almost 150 years, Catelli pasta has grown up with Canadian families through a shared passion for food not to mention a shared birthday, a proud heritage and strong ideals. And like our country, Canadian families have evolved. Blended, single-parent and multi-ethnic families are part of our modern mosaic and match our evolving tastes and preferences from locally sourced yet globally influenced, to simple, healthy and trusted ingredients. But what has stayed the same is our love of pasta. That's why leading up to this special anniversary year, Catelli along with three celebrated Canadian chefs Cory Vitiello, Martin Juneau and Michael Allemeier are taking a journey with Canadians to explore this universal food and its relationship with families across Canada today. And there's no doubt we love our pasta. Case in point, almost 9 in 10 households have it in their cupboard. What's more, it's a 'real' food in an industry striving to meet the demands of today's health-minded Canadian families. So what do Canadians love about it? Quite simply, pasta makes us feel good. In fact, three-quarters of Canadians said they feel relaxed cooking pasta because it's easy meal making or like that it offers so many options, most strongly felt by Ontarians at 82 per cent.* Other feelings cooking pasta evokes? Nearly a third of Canadians say experimenting with new pasta recipes makes them feel excited and half of Canadian parents in particular, feel confident they can create a good meal when cooking pasta.* "It's not surprising that cooking pasta makes us feel good, and we get excited to experiment with it," says Montreal chef and Dad to two, Martin Juneau. "Families today really value the 3 E's of a pasta meal easy, efficient and enjoyable. It's why I'm excited to start talking with Canadians about its place in their homes. Food has never been a more talked about subject and pasta offers us a range of meal options and nutritional benefits not to mention that its simplicity gives us back the gift of quality family time, one of the biggest challenges we struggle with today." In fact, when it comes to the role pasta plays in Canadians' lives, the majority say it means less kitchen time because of its easy prep or that it provides a lot of options for their family.* Health is important too. Almost half say pasta is a healthy meal option due to its simple ingredients and the fact that it can be further paired with 'good for me' ingredients.* And with healthier pasta options such as Catelli Smart, with its very high source of fibre, Catelli Gluten Free and 100% whole grain Catelli Healthy Harvest, serving this quality, delicious meal to the family is adding to the good feeling too. Six in 10 parents with kids in the household shared that pasta makes their kids happy or their family feel fueled.* "There isn't a typical Canadian family anymore and few of us would say our lifestyles are typical," says Doyle Brown, Senior Brand Manager, Catelli. "Just like Canadian families, pasta has become such a versatile food with so many ways to experience it we're moving away from the traditional view of it as just an Italian meal. Canadians also have a lot to do with the many ways we enjoy pasta today whether it's a fresh spin on an old favorite or something completely new and inventive." Look no further than our quest for recipes. In 2015, Spaghetti Bolognese was the 7th most searched recipe by Canadians according to Google Trends, with lasagna in close pursuit in 9th. And breakout recipe searches have recently included everything from 'one pot pasta' and 'pasta bake' to 'pesto pasta' and 'basil pasta'.** Additionally, our love of local means we're cooking more with real, simple ingredients grown or raised close to home and available in local grocers or farmer's markets. "The popularity in using fewer and fresher, local ingredients is helping build pasta's quality reputation," says Toronto Chef Cory Vitiello. "Canadians are learning they don't have to be trained chefs to get creative with their pasta dishes, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they've been up to in their kitchens!" Yet, Canadians don't shy away from practicality either. The top two reasons Canadians add pasta to their shopping lists include: how easy it is to make a pasta meal (59%) and how affordable pasta is (48%).* Whether a bustling family household or a single individual, pasta remains one of the most reasonable meals on the market. And, the taste factor is never far behind 4 out of 10 say they just can't live without it!* "Pasta has a special place in Canadian households and what makes it special is different for every family," says Chef Michael Allemeier. "It's a comfort food, an easy meal time win, a quick dinner fix and a crowd-pleasing entertaining option and the recipe options are really endless. Look how butternut squash provides a delicious twist to meat lasagna or how fresh goat cheese and pesto puts a new spin on spaghetti." The Catelli Pasta Journey The Catelli team is hitting the road in 2016 to learn more about how today's Canadian families are enjoying pasta and inviting them to share their stories, their recipes and even their pictures at #CatelliFamilies. This spring, a video series documenting some of these stories will be introduced and a new collection of recipes inspired by our modern taste preferences and featuring favourites from chefs Cory Vitiello, Martin Juneau and Michael Allemeier, will be available at www.catelli.ca. The majority of Catelli pastas including 100% whole grain Catelli Healthy Harvest and fibre rich Catelli Smart are not produced with ingredients that have been genetically modified. About Catelli Foods Corporation Catelli is a Canadian pasta company founded in Montreal, QC in 1867. It holds the ranking of #1 Canadian pasta brand and is the leader in the health and wellness pasta segment. With more than 75 products available in its line-up today, including Catelli Smart, Catelli GlutenFree and Catelli Healthy Harvest, Catelli offers pasta made from simple, wholesome ingredients for every kind of family taste and preference. About the Research Study: A study of 300 Canadians was completed online between December 3 December 8, 2015 by Environics Research. *Environics Research Study (in partnership with Catelli), 2015 **Google Trends, 2015 SOURCE Catelli Foods Corporation Image with caption: "Penne Rigate with Rapini and Chorizo Sausage: Chef Cory Vitiello blends fresh rapini with chorizo sausage in this delicious penne rigate. (CNW Group/Catelli Foods Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160215_C6849_PHOTO_EN_620259.jpg Image with caption: "Sisis Macaroni N Cheese au Gratin: A favourite of his daughter, Sisi, Chef Martin Juneau puts a unique twist on this simple macaroni n cheese dish. (CNW Group/Catelli Foods Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160215_C6849_PHOTO_EN_620261.jpg Image with caption: "Easy Alfredo with Peas: Chef Michael Allemeier shows how easy it is to make a delicious Alfredo sauce from scratch for a simple, delicious pasta dish the whole family will love. (CNW Group/Catelli Foods Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160215_C6849_PHOTO_EN_620257.jpg For further information: For further information or images, please contact Brooke Soto at [email protected] or 416-969-2755. The Drama League has announced two recipients of the 2017 Special Recognition Awards. Three-time Tony nominee Michael Greif will receive the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, whilst animal trainer Bill Berloni will be honored with the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award. The recipient for the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award will be announced shortly. The 83d Annual Drama League Awards ceremony will take place on May 19, 2017, at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The nominations for the five other Drama League Awards categories - Outstanding Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical and the Distinguished Performance Award - will be announced at Sardi's restaurant on April 19, 2017, at 11am. First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theatergoer awards chosen by audience members specifically, by the thousands of Drama League members nationwide who attend Broadway and off-Broadway productions. The first Drama League Award was presented to Katharine Cornell in 1935. Since then, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald, Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Liev Schreiber, Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Plummer. Michael Greif is currently represented on Broadway by Dear Evan Hansen and War Paint. He earned Tony nominations for his directorial work on 'Next To Normal' (2009), 'Grey Gardens' (2007) and 'Rent' (1996). His other Broadway credits include 'If/Then,' 'Never Gonna Dance,' and 'Sleight of Hand.' Bill Berloni was honored with a special Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre in 2011. He is an Animal Director and Trainer and is the head of William Berloni Theatrical Animals, Inc. His many Broadway credits include 'The Audience,' 'Lady Day at The Emerson Bar and Grill,' 'Bullets Over Broadway,' 'Annie,' 'A Christmas Story The Musical,' 'Legally Blonde,''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,' 'Camelot,' 'Frankenstein,' 'Gypsy,' and 'Oliver!' By GMM 20 March 2016 - 04:16 F1 will revert to the qualifying system of 2015 at the next race in Bahrain, after the farcical debut of the new musical chairs format on Saturday. Team bosses got together in the Melbourne paddock before Sundays Australian grand prix and voted unanimously to simply scrap the new concept in its entirety. The next step is to get the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council to rubber-stamp the change. "If we want, we can have the old system back overnight," Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene told Bild newspaper. "There are ways to communicate digitally. Then we go ping, ping, ping and we have the old format," he explained. However, it is believed that some voices argued in the meeting that the new system should be modified rather than scrapped altogether, as it was Q3 rather than Q1 and Q2 that proved the most unsuccessful. Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz said: "Q1 and Q2 were good but the ending (Q3) should be the same as last year, because it was very exciting, no?" But the team bosses agreed unanimously that musical chairs had been so bad on Saturday that leaving it in place was not an option. "I believe it is easier to just return to what we had," said Haas Gunther Steiner. "That is better than trying to come up with something new and miscalculating again." Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg agrees: "The most sensible option is to return to last years format, which has totally proved itself." ALL Progressive Congress, APC has called for cancellation of last Saturday rerun election in the 23 local government areas of the state, ... State Chairman of the party, Dr Davies Ikanya who spoke Monday evening at the state secretariat of the party in Port Harcourt alleged that the Police connived with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to manipulate the exercise, The Chairman, Dr Ikanya who was flanked by the running mate of Dr Dakuku Peterside in the last governorship election, Mr Honourable Asita and other state executives of the party said the election was a sham. Continuing, he denied allegation by governor Nyesom Wike that notable members of the APC had stormed Mile 1 Police station on Sunday to influence the result of PHALGA, stressing that it was thw PDP that allegedly made effort to tinker with the result.The party Chairman, Dr Ikanya again traded words with governor Wike over the incident at UTC junction on Azikiwe road in Port Harcourt, saying it was clear attempt to assasinate the governorship candidate of his party, Dr Peterside.He confirmed that he was in the vehicle, stressing that the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Emeka Woke and his team allegedly opened fire on their vehicle with alleged intention to assasinate them.According to him, the Chief of Staff, Mr Woke and his team trailed their vehicle to UTC , opening fire on them.Meantime, govermor Wike yesterday maintained in a statement by his media aide, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu that Dakuku and his team shot at his Chief of Staff, Mr Woke. The governor explained that the APC leadership attempted to hijack the spread sheet of ghe rerun electio results in Ikwerre local area. Two persons have died in an early morning fire incident which razed over 100 shanties in Kuramo, near Lekki in Lagos. Two persons have died in an early morning fire incident which razed over 100 shanties in Kuramo, near Lekki in Lagos.The Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasak Fadipe said that the burnt bodies of a man and a woman were recovered at the scene.The shanties spread to about four plots of land. We got information that the fire started at about 3.15 a.m.Information we got was that a young lady was cooking in one of the shanties and there was a fuel container nearby, which ignited the fire and spread to other parts.It took us about four hours to put out the fire. My men did not know there was anybody inside while they were fighting the fire.We met the man and woman in two different locations roasted after we finally put out the fire, Fadipe said.The director said that the corpses were handed over to police officers from Ilasan Division, who later took them to the mortuary. Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose said President Muhammadu Buhari has a lot of explanations to do over the violence and loss of... Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose said President Muhammadu Buhari has a lot of explanations to do over the violence and loss of lives being witnessed in Rivers State.According to Fayose, members of the APC were emboldened to unleash violence on the people of Rivers State and other parts of the country because they know that President Buhari wont lift a finger against any of his party members perpetrating evil.His words: Those who called the Ekiti State governorship election in which soldiers and other security agents made sure that there was no violence, no loss of lives during and after the election and no ballot was snatched Ekiti Gate should be asked what the Rivers election in which eight people were killed and several others injured, will be called.Fayose, who made the statement through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, accused President Buhari of culpability in the killings in Rivers State, adding that the INEC has destroyed the legacy of free, fair and transparent elections bequeathed to Nigeria by the PDP government of former President Goodluck Jonathan.He said: Can President Buhari fold his arms if the people being killed are from Daura in Katsina State? Is it that any soul that is not a Fulani is not important to the President?While calling for the immediate sack of INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the governor said Nigerians must ask questions as to how INEC produced results sheets for over 230 polling units with PDP omitted. The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday ordered beggars to leave the metropolis in their own interest. Commissioner of Youth and Social Development, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, while reechoing the words of the governor, said the government would take drastic action against those who did not leave on their own.The commissioner said there was an ongoing campaign against the menace of street begging on radio stations to sensitise people on the need to stop it.Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf urged residents to stop giving alms to beggars in order to discourage them, saying: We have been campaigning against street begging on radio since January. The National Universities Commission, today denied saying that any student who wants to study medicine will henceforth spend a minimum o... recalls that the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie disclosed last week during a lecture he delivered at the maiden matriculation and inauguration of the University of Medical Science, Ondo, Ondo State that the 2015 document for the training of medical students made provision for students to spend the first four years in studying basic sciences in university after which they would proceed to the medical school to spend another seven years.The National Universities Commission (NUC), made the clarification during interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday where it was stated that medical students in Nigerians are required to do seven years in the universities and not eleven.The Director, Quality Assurance of the commission, Professor Chiedu Mafiana, told NAN on telephone that every student in Medical science must have a first degree in anatomy, physiology and medical biochemistry.Another basic requisite is that there must be clinical skill laboratory, whereby in teaching, students would use mannequins, dolls, to simulate diseases.The students will then use the mannequins to practice, rather than using human beings. Businessman and opposition candidate, Patrice Talon won the second round of Benins presidential election on Sunday, his adversary and in... Businessman and opposition candidate, Patrice Talon won the second round of Benins presidential election on Sunday, his adversary and incumbent Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou told AFP before the release of official results.The provisional results point to a decisive victory for Patrice Talon, Zinsou told AFP by telephone. The difference is significant, (Talons) electorial victory is certain.I have called Patrice Talon this evening to congratulate him on his victory, wish him good luck and put myself at his disposal to prepare for the handover.Some 4.7 million people were eligible to cast their ballots in the vote to elect a successor to Benins outgoing President Thomas Boni Yayi. He is bowing out after serving a maximum two five-year terms, marking him out from many African leaders who have tried to change their countrys constitution to stay in power.Benins electoral commission is expected to announce provisional results at some time on Monday, Zinsou said.The 61-year-old came out top in the first round of elections held on March 6 with 27.1 percent of the vote, compared to 23.5 percent for Talon.The prime minister, who was a candidate for Boni Yayis Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), was seen as the frontrunner with the support of most lawmakers in parliament.But Talon, a 57-year-old entrepreneur who made his money in cotton and running Cotonous port, billed himself as the authentic Beninese candidate and repeatedly attacked his opponents dual French nationality.Zinsou, who attended an elite French university and was a speechwriter for the former prime minister Laurent Fabius, has been called a yovo or the white man during the campaign.He also took a knock when 24 of the 32 other candidates who stood in the first round came out in support of the businessman, including third-placed Sebastien Ajavon, who won 22 percent of votes. The senator representing Bayelsa-East senatorial district, Ben Murray-Bruce, says the huge salary of politicians is responsible for elect... The senator representing Bayelsa-East senatorial district, Ben Murray-Bruce, says the huge salary of politicians is responsible for electoral violence.Murray-Bruce asked Nigerians to advocate for a reduction in salaries for political office holders.Reacting to a statement credited to a former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, in which the former governor reportedly said he was happy to have lost in the last election because of the dwindling allocation to states, Murray-Bruce said it was apparent that money was the major reason why politicians contest elections.In a series of tweets on his official Twitter handle on Saturday, the senator said, This (Alao-Akalas statement) vindicates my argument that money drives do-or-die politics. Close the treasury and do-or-die politics would end.If you really want to bid farewell to do-or-die politics, Nigerians must vehemently push for a demonetization of politics at all levels. Money drives do-or-die elections. Those states with dwindling federal allocations will soon experience a decline in do-or-die politics.Do-or-die politics thrive because the president and governors have too much power over the treasury of their states. Remove that and it will end.Meanwhile, a political counsellor with the British High Commission in Abuja, Ben Llewellyn Jones, has asked the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress to investigate their members involvement in the violence that marred Saturdays rerun election in Rivers State.Jones, who described the violence as unacceptable, said the Edo State governorship election should be better than that of Rivers.Both major parties should investigate the disruption in the Rivers rerun and discipline their supporters as involved. Either way, what can be done now to make conduct of EdoSeptember governorship election better?If legislators salaries were cut, would the desire for violence at Rivers rerun collapsed like the tent of the Independent National Electoral Commission yesterday (Saturday)? The violence yesterday was unacceptable. In places, I saw only 10 percent of people willing to risk voting during the election, hestated on his official Twitter page on Sunday. A corps member serving in Rivers state and took part in the Saturday's rerun election has narrated a shocking ordeal about his experi... A corps member serving in Rivers state and took part in the Saturday's rerun election has narrated a shocking ordeal about his experience in the last parliamentary pool.READ:MY EXPERIENCE AS APO 1 IN UNIT 6, WARD 4, OF EMOHUA LGA, IN RIVERS STATE SENATORIAL, STATE HOUSE OF REP AND NATIONAL HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY RE-RUN ELECTION ON 19/03/2016I have been hearing that hoodlums do snatch election materials from INEC officials during voting process until 19th March, 2016 when election materials were snatched in my polling unit where am acting as the Assistant Presiding Officer 1(APO 1).When we first arrived our RAC(Registration Area Center) on 18/03/2016, many people who are not INEC ad hoc staffs were seen hovering around the RAC. After collecting election material from our SPOs (Supervising Presiding Officers) at around 6:00AM, we set out to our various polling units after much delay. The buses that were conveying us to our various polling units were just crawling. Peole that are to work at different polling units were to move together accompanied by soldiers, SARS and police officers.The crawling way of movement made us(my team-PO, APO 1, APO 11 and three police officers) to arrive our polling unit at around 3:20PM. We were the last people to reach their polling unit in our ward. The card reader failed after trying all the 10 fingers of the first person that came to vote. As the second person showed up for accreditation, a group of hoodlums entered our polling unit from unknown where and made away with some of our election materials except our card reader(with me), ballot paper and election result(with the APO 11) . We all ran away including the 3 police men that were working with us. There was a pandemonium in the unit.After the noises subsided, we re-converged at one place to discuss on how to move back to the LGA, since all the people that we called to come for our rescue who actually picked the call did not give us quick attention and there is only one road leading to the place except through water. One of the party agents among the two main party in Nigeria, who told us that the election materials were snatched by the other party member, offered to help us move out of the village. After much contemplation on whether we are save to move out of the village at that time or not, we agreed to move since we believed that the hoodlums might come back to harm us or carry the remaining election materials. One of the villagers offered his car too. So, the police men entered the bus that conveyed us to the place and the rest of us with 2 of the villagers(the party agent and one other village boy) and the owner of the car left for the LGA.On our way to the LGA, the party agent that were with us said that we have to pass through his party senatorial candidate to confess that it is other party member that snatched the materials from us. That was when we began to fill uncomfortable with them. Then, the APO 11 insisted to board a car to Choba against the wish of the party agent and ours too. By then, we have lost the police men on the way from the community. The driver called me separately and asked me whether we and the party agent did not discuss anything? Which I sincerely replied that we did not discuss anything. On my own, I have decided not to meet or talk with the politician because some of them are heartless. After seeing how the guy was serious about taking us especially the woman(APO 11 who was with the result sheets and ballot paper) to the politician, the PO knelt down and begged the woman to give them the ballot paper and the election result sheets that she was carrying.I left the scene with my phone on my ear as if i was making call. After I have given them about 300m gap to the LGA, I saw my PO running towards my direction. I asked him " what happened?" And he told me that the APO 11 has been tied and thrown into a Honda accord. Then, we ran together to the LGA. We saw many other corpers too who were complaining of the same snatch experience in their polling unit too. This is just the summary of what happened.Please, thank God with me for this is my true life story. I am a serving corps member in Emohua LGA of Rivers stateSource: VivanGist Without a doubt Davido is one of the most talked about artistes in 2016. From his fight with the Momodus to signing a major deal with S... Without a doubt Davido is one of the most talked about artistes in 2016. From his fight with the Momodus to signing a major deal with Sony, the HKN boss has remained consistent in the news. Baddest like he is popularly called is back in the news following the publication by Rolling Stone. The artiste who recently featured on an issue of FADER magazine as well as performed in their concert has caught the eye of the bi-weekly magazine . Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed angst against those asking him to account for recovered Abacha loot, describing them as ... He also said there was nothing wrong in President Muhammadu Buharis frequent trips as, according to him, Nigeria needs to be in touch with important centres of the world. Obasanjo, who stated this in an interview, weekend, said the role of his office was to facilitate the recovery process and not how it was put to use. He said: They said the money recovered from Abacha, I should account for it.What stupidity! The man who asked for it, the man who gave the judgement or who answered them are all stupid, with due respect. I dont keep account, all Abacha loots were sent to Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and every bit of it was reported to Minister of Finance.My job was to write where we can get help to recover the money.Every penny that comes out of it went to CBN, so if they want to know what happened to the money, they should call CBN governor or call the Minister of Finance.But again, it shows ignorance, total ignorance, which is lacking and you wonder, are these people educated? They can also approach the man who helped us in recovering process to give the list of money recovered and where he took it.On fluctuating oil price On fluctuating oil price, Obasanjo said President Buhari was lucky than he was, saying: When I assumed office in 1999, I inherited $3.7 billion in reserve, while Buhari met $30 billion, almost 10 times of what I met then, and the price of oil then was $9. When it got to $20, I was dancing.I know the price is down now and with time, it will jump up again. What Buhari is doing currently is preparing ground for Nigeria to take advantage when it goes up again.Obasanjo, who justified Buharis frequent foreign trips, said President Buhari needed to get involved in the world.He said: He needs to be known and to know people. How do you make friends and influence people except you know them and this cannot happen if he sits in Aso Villa, especially in a situation that we found ourselves, a situation where we have bad image in the world, a situation where we need to play leadership role, especially in Africa, because during Jonathans administration, Nigeria was not on the table.Obasanjo, who described the Biafra agitation as a platform for people of the South East to make their voices heard, insisted that Biafra was dead.He said: I sympathise with people agitating in the country, but what Nigeria needs to do now is to get our economy back on track. When you have a bad economic situation, such is expected. So I did not see their cause as a threat but I see it as a platform to get their voices heard.Like I said on January 15, the important, authentic leaders of the South-East are concerned about economic situation of Nigeria and I believe when the situation changes tomorrow, these young people will sing a new song.While expressing no regrets in facilitating the emergence of former President Goodluck Jonathan as President, Obasanjo said his objective had been achieved by making a minority group to produce the president of Nigeria.He said: I believe that Nigeria politics will be strengthened even more if we have the opportunity to allow the minority in its own right to emerge as President, and I do not have any apology for anybody because the purpose I wanted Nigeria to achieve had been achieved.That any Nigerian can become president, it is not a regret for Nigeria and for me because Nigeria gave him that opportunity, he used, abused, misused as he wished and at the appropriate time, Nigerians said thank you for what you have done and what you have not done and Nigeria said bye bye, which is the beauty of democracy. NEWARK -- A Bergen County businessman allegedly tried to sell fraudulent accounts to a competitor and then lied to FBI agents about it, federal prosecutors say. William Kirchgessner, 45, of Bloomingdale, was charged Monday with wire fraud and making a false statement in an FBI investigation, according to prosecutors. He was scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Newark before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III. According to court records, Kirchgessner is the owner of a factoring business, which purchases accounts receivable from transportation companies in return for short-term financing. The company, based in Bergen County, was not identified by name in the criminal complaint. Kirchgessner last month told FBI agents he knew from a previous investigation that he suspected his firm was being defrauded by a trucking company. The agents investigated and confirmed Kirchgessner's suspicions, the complaint says. But rather than follow the agents' instructions for follow-up, Kirchgessner contacted a broker to transfer the trucking company's business to another factoring company, saying the trucking firm was dependable, it said. "At no point did ... Kirchgessner mention any issues with the trucking company, much less fraud," it said. The broker arranged for another factoring company to take over the trucking company's account, and it paid $1.6 million to Kirchgessner's company as part of the buyout. On Feb. 23, the complaint says, Kirchgessner admitted to agents that he lied about the deal after earlier conversations during which he claimed no knowledge of the arrangement he orchestrated. The $1.6 million was returned to the second factoring company, the complaint says. Kirchgessner still faces the wire fraud charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The false statement charge carries a maximum of five years in prison. Both can carry fines as well. Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Michael Sampson, 42 (Bergen County Sheriff's Office) HACKENSACK -- The trial of a Garfield man charged in the death of 33-year-old Hector Zabala began Monday. Miles Feinstein, the attorney for defendant Michael Sampson, and Acting Bergen County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Danielle Grootenboer held pre-trial discussions with Judge Margaret Foti for about an hour Monday. Sampson was arrested in July 2012 in Cliffside Park in connection with Zabala's death. He was shot following an alleged argument outside a bar on Anderson Avenue in Cliffside Park. Zabala was shot multiple times, authorities said at the time. Sampsons then-girlfriend, Jacquelin Pierro, was also arrested and charged with child endangerment and hindering law enforcement for putting their four-month-old child in Sampson's care while they allegedly fled law enforcement. Sampson has been held in Bergen County Jail on $3 million bail since his arrest. Neither Sampson nor Pierro appeared in court Monday. The attorneys are set to discuss motions Tuesday. Foti expects to begin jury selection next week. Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. black lives matter banner cherry hill In this Jan. 2016 photo provided by the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, the stolen "Black Lives Matter" banner is pictured. (photo provided) CHERRY HILL TWP. -- The Unitarian Universalist Church's stance on the "Black Lives Matter" movement has apparently drawn the ire of vandals yet again. Church members on Sunday morning discovered one of two large orange banners that hang outside the house of the worship had been slashed, Cherry Hill police Chief William Monaghan said Monday. Church officials are asking authorities to investigate this latest incident as a hate crime, as the others were deemed thefts by police. "We investigate everything and let the investigation take its course," Monaghan said when asked about the possibility of the repeated incidents being a type of hate crime. The chief added that detectives hoped to speak with church officials Monday and that the Camden County Prosecutor's Office had been consulted in connection with the other incidents. "They have the right to free speech," Monaghan said when asked about any measures taken regarding taking the sign down or moving it to a different location. This most recent incident mirrors what has previously happened to other "Black Lives Matter" banners the church had hung ahead of a February community discussion addressing the issue. "Your hate crime is not going to stop us from addressing the current climate of race in America today at a public forum Thursday evening. Instead of cowardly vandalizing a church, you should attend the forum and learn something," Camden County Freeholder Jonathan Young said in a statement last month. After reports of continued vandalism -- not to mention the church continuing to replace the stolen or damaged banners -- South Jersey officials later joined the discussion as panel members. The first incident of vandalism reported by the church involved one of the signs being stolen. Not long after, someone stole both signs as well as smashed the wooden frame the signs hung from and two outdoor lights. The damage done during the latter incident cost the church between $300 and $400, church officials estimated at the time. "We're very much committed to racial justice in the long haul," Rev. Christian Schmidt previously told NJ Advance Media. "It's certainly not going to stop us from talking. If they want to return that banner too, that'd be great." Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. CAMDEN -- The Camden County Police Department is seeking the public's help in identifying a serial burglar who broke into businesses along Haddon Avenue in Camden. Authorities have been investigating a string of burglaries that have occurred since Feb. 25 between the 1100 and 1400 block. The most recent burglary occurred Thursday at roughly 12:30 a.m. at Sicilian Pizza and then 4:30 a.m. at the New City Food Market. Police describe the man as having a thin build, full beard and mustache. Surveillance footage shows the man breaking into the businesses. Anyone with information about the man or burglaries is asked to contact the Camden County Police Department at 856-757-7042. Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. See inside the new Ace Hotel in downtown New Orleans Hospital escapee broke out of New Orleans jail in 2012, authorities say The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts. 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. 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. If you didn't catch the Sudbury-shot film Born to be Blue at Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival last September, y ou can now watch it at SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas . The film opened at theatres across Canada last Friday. If you didn't catch the Sudbury-shot film Born to be Blue at Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival last September, y ou can now watch it at SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas The film opened at theatres across Canada last Friday. It's being rolled out in the United States this week.Born to be Blue is about famed jazz trumpet player Chet Baker's life, and stars A-lister Ethan Hawke in the main role.I'm really excited, said the film's creator, Robert Budreau. We played a bunch of film festivals, starting in Toronto, and it's just great to get it out officially to the public.The film centres on a low point in Baker's life, when he was savagely beaten in Sausalito, California in 1968, allegedly while trying to buy drugs.His lips were severely cut and front teeth broken, ruining his embouchure and his ability to play his horn. He took odd jobs, among them pumping gas, until he was able to play again with the aid of dentures.Although a biopic, the film does deviate from cold, hard facts. While Baker was approached to appear in a movie about his life, he turned down this offer. "Born to be Blue" re-imagines that the movie was made.Budreau said Hawke's performance has received great reviews. For the most part everyone seems to really dig the movie and really love Ethan's performance, he said.The filmmaker encourages everyone to come out to see their hometown in a starring role although it's disguised as California of the 1960s.Plenty of Sudbury talent went into the film as well, including that of Sudbury native Kevin Turcotte, who played the trumpet in the movie, and made it sound so authentic. He's been getting rave reviews, Budreau said. March 21 MASTERPIECE: PIECED LANDSCAPES OF THE NORTH Intricate fabric designs, quilts and wall hangings by Fran Holland are on display at Artists on Elgin from March 1 to 30. Artists on Elgin is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Intricate fabric designs, quilts and wall hangings by Fran Holland are on display at Artists on Elgin from March 1 to 30. Artists on Elgin is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Emergence is composed of works of art from secondary school students of the Rainbow District School Board, the Sudbury District Catholic School Board, le conseil scolaire du Grand Nord de l'Ontario and le consiel scoliare du Nouvel-Ontario. The exhibition represents a cross-section of artistic development from grades 9 through 12 in painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography and mixed media. Runs March 3 to April 3. The Art Gallery of Sudbury located at 251 John St.Brandon Fisher, the president and CEO of American mining supply company Center Rock, will be at Cambrian College March 23 to talk about how his company's drills famously helped rescue 33 Chileans in October 2010. The talk will take place at Cambrian's eDome, and will start at 7 p.m. Admission is free with a donation to the Cambrian Student Food Bank. Seating is limited, and spots can be reserved online Viewers are invited to enter a mirrored tunnel where they are confronted with flashing lights and a plethora of special effects. As a comment on the dizzying self-voyeurism of our era, LA FUGUE amicably teases each of us for our narcissistic tendencies. In fact, Genevieve Thauvettes interactive installation casts the viewer in a leading role, as their reaction to the work becomes an essential part of the project. As they approach the exit, the size of the tunnel shrinks and the viewer must get down on all fours to find the way out. As our culture becomes increasingly obsessed with the present moment, each of us has a turn, in spite of ourselves, at stardom. La Fague exhibit runs from March 11 to April 16 at the Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario located at 174 ELgin St.It's Good Friday!Enjoy a night of laughs with comedians Sandra Battaglini, Phil Luzi and Shawn McLaren at Theatre Cambrian. Tickets are $10 in advance or o$15 at the door. , Theatre Cambrian is located at 40 Eyre St.. SHow begins at 9 p.m.An Easter egg hike on the Laurentian Nordic Ski Trails. Families have two distances to chose from, a shorter hike for younger children toddler and preschool age (about 1km) and a longer hike for older children 5+ (2-3km). As you hike the trails you will look for the Easter items hiding in the bush, as well as complete activity stations for Easter treats. The hike cotsts $5 per child and runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Laurentian Nordic Ski Trails is located at 935 Ramsey Lake Rd.In just two hours, while youre sipping on a glass of wine, beer, or cocktail, a performing artist will guide you through a painting step-by-step. At the end of the night you will take home your own unique masterpiece. This is a 19+ event. $45 per adult (drinks and food are extra). Event begins at 7 p.m. at Salute, 2195 Armstrong St.No, this is not an exhibit about bodily functions it's a series of animal studies by artist Daniel Vallieres. What began as an exercise in rendering the subtleties of realism accurately depicting texture, composition, values resulted in an exhibition dedicated to illustrating the personality of animals and encouraging viewers to reflect on the beauty of the animal kingdom. "When Nature Calls" is part of the Emerging Artist Program by Artists on Elgin in association with Science North. Runs Feb. 1 to May 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Science North, 100 Ramsey Lake Rd. Water water everywhere, let's all keep it safe The Sudbury chapter of the Council of Canadians held a water rally on March 20, in advance of World Water Day on March 22. Council of Canadians member Glenn Murray spoke at a water rally about the harm caused by bottled water. Photo: Matt Durnan The Sudbury chapter of the Council of Canadians held a water rally on March 20, in advance of World Water Day on March 22. Members of the Council of Canadians and a group of concerned citizens gathered to discuss the need to protect not only Sudbury's waters, but the waters of the entire country and planet. Highlighted among the group's concers were bottled water, and keeping water treatment in the public domain. Event organizer and Council of Canadians member Glenn Murray spoke at length about the environmental hazards posed by bottled water. We need to consider that three to five litres of water is wasted in filling a one litre bottle of water, said Murray. You may think that drinking bottled water is a healthy choice but we're victims of a billion dollar ad campaign to convince us that bottled water is a healthy alternative to tap water or that tap water is substandard, but in actual fact the opposite is true. The bottles are made from toxic chemicals that leech into the water. Murray also touched on the notion that the bottles are all recycled and thus good for the environment, while noting that roughly 30 to 50 per cent of bottles are recycled and the rest go into landfills. These bottles take up space at landfill sites that could be used for something else or even worse, they end up back in the environment, said Murray. You'll see them on the ground or in our lakes and streams. Sudbury Green Party nominee in the 2015 federal election David Robinson was on hand, and spoke as a concerned citizen about the lakes in and around Sudbury and the imporance of recognizing and preserving them. The city has been calling itself the city of lakes, but right now that name is just an ad for tourists, said Robinson. You can imagine seeing it on a sign as you enter the city, but you don't see it on the mayor's desk, or the engineers' desks, or over the door at City Hall. It's kind of like the lakes are this somewhat abused elephant that someone's leading around to get credit for but no one wants to take care of. I'm surprised that the city's roads people don't have that right over their doors or on their desk because they're so keen to put this Maley Drive extension right across all the headwaters of Junction Creek, that's clearly in contradiction to any notion that this is the city of lakes. Murray got a rousing response from the dozen or so people on hand when he proposed that there be no bottled water at any city-owned property. We can start at Tom Davies Square, you see it when you go there, they have bottled water there for you when a jug of water with ice would do just fine, said Murray. Here's a project that I think all Canadians can get behind, municipal waters must remain the sole property of the community, there should be no trade agreement signed that would allow any corporation or foreign nation to partake in any activity that is harmful to our water systems anywhere in Canada. Environment Canada has issued a statement for a significant snowstorm threat for the Greater Sudbury area this week. Environment Canada has issued a statement for a significant snowstorm threat for the Greater Sudbury area this week. Despite the calendar showing that it's officially spring, and despite the fact that spring-like weather has been with us for most of the past two weeks, Mother Nature has decided to remind us that winter weather is a totally normal part of early spring around the Great Lakes. This week will be no exception to that rule. A weak disturbance moving along the line of an arctic front draped across the region will bring a coating to a few centimetres of snow the region Tuesday. However a stronger low pressure system is expected to emerge from Colorado on Tuesday and then track towards Southern Ontario. As a result, Central and Northeastern Ontario will be well into the cold air, with accumulating snow being the primary issue to deal with. Latest indications suggest a significant snowfall is possible by Thursday as the Colorado low tracks by to the south. Considerable uncertainty remains with the exact track of this Colorado low. Even a slight northward or southward shift in the track of this storm will affect how much snow falls at any particular location, and how far the accumulating snow works its way into Northeastern Ontario. Motorists should be prepared for a return to hazardous winter driving conditions this week due to accumulating snow and low visibility in heavier snow. Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to storm.ontario@ec.gc.ca or tweet reports to #ONStorm Sudbury Secondary School will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Arts Education Program with an Alumni Reunion the long weekend in May. Sudbury Secondary School will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Arts Education Program with an Alumni Reunion the long weekend in May.Current and former students and staff will come together on May 21 and May 22 to relive the history and evolution of the program, the first of its kind in Northern Ontario.Community members and patrons of the arts who have participated in and contributed to the advancement of Arts Education at Sudbury Secondary School are invited to join the celebration.In addition to traditional subjects, Sudbury Secondary School offers area students an opportunity to nurture their talents in dance, drama, music, media arts and visual arts. Students share those talents with the community through presentations in the Sheridan Auditorium, including the recent production of "Cats."The 30th Anniversary Planning Committee is working closely with Rainbow District School Board officials, community leaders and other stakeholders to organize an exciting weekend of events and activities.One of the highlights will be a formal acknowledgment of the important contributions of former principal Joe Drago who launched the Performing Arts Program at Sudbury Secondary School in 1985.Everyone who attends will have an opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues, reflect on their high school years, and celebrate the development and growth of the program and the school over the last 30 years, says Judi Straughan in a news release.Straughan, the programs first drama teacher, is co-chairing the reunion with former music teacher Ralph McIntosh.Graduates from all over Canada and points beyond will be here for this exciting reunion, Straughan said. We invite everyone to mark their calendars and plan to attend. We look forward to seeing you the long weekend in May.The celebration will begin May 21 with a variety of activities at the school from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including displays of school memorabilia, a Monster Choir Practice and Colossal Concert Band Rehearsal, Dynamic Drama Games and a Jumbo Jazz Dance Class, and an Alumni Art Exhibit.There will also be a Scavenger Hunt where participants will learn the history of the original schools that stood on the current site, tour the new facility to see the recent renovations, and discover how the school has changed over the years.The festivities will move to the Radisson Hotel in downtown Sudbury for the Reunion Dance at 7 p.m. Alumni will meet friends from their formative years, catch up on what they have been doing since graduation, and dance the night away to music from the past three decades.The celebration will continue May 22 at the school, starting at noon. A Variety Show at 2 p.m will feature alumni, followed by a ceremony to honour the contributions of founding principal Joe Drago. The weekend will culminate with a social in the school gym, starting at 5:30 p.m.To register for the event, visit the reunion website here . All-inclusive weekend passes are now available for $80. Saturday-only passes ($60) and Sunday-only passes ($40) are also available.Registration remains open until April 15 or until events are sold out. The Saturday Night Dance and Sunday Variety Show are limited to the first 500 registrants. Single-event tickets will be available after April 15, subject to availability.For more information, please contact sssartsed30@gmail.com FRIENDS and family came from as far away as Canada to celebrate the golden wedding of happy couple Peter and Mary Glenister. Peter Glenister, 71, and his wife Mary, 69, of Stag Lane ,Great Kingshill, were joined by 57 guests at their anniversary lunch at the Compleat Angler Hotel, Marlow, last Thursday. Among the guests were family who had witnessed their wedding in 1951 as well as the couple's four children and 11 grandchildren. "It was a wonderful day especially being able to share it with relatives and friends who came from all over Yorkshire, Devon and our nephew, another Peter Glenister, who travelled from Canada," said Mr Glenister. "We are proud to say both the youngest and the oldest living Glenisters were in attendance our 18-month-old grandson Thomas and my 92-year-old aunt Olive." Mr Glenister was born and bred in High Wycombe but met wife Mary, who is originally from Hazlemere, when she moved to Wooburn Green. "A mutual friend introduced us when I was 19 and Mary was 17. Our first date was at the Old Parish Cinema in Frogmoor," said Mr Glenister. "Two years later we married at Wycombe Parish Church." Mr Glenister worked in the insurance business and although he officially retired in 1989, continues to work at the family newsagents in Great Kingshill. Mr Glenister's grandparents, Charles and Ann Glenister, of Flackwell Heath, were featured in the Free Press at their golden wedding in1939 and their diamond wedding in 1949. Twelve months ago the Titans had to perform an act of charity in order to have an organisation's logo appear on their jersey; now there is no more space to rent. Trip a Deal were the latest corporate partner to join the Titans' growing stable last week, their logo emblazoned across the back of the jersey in their 30-18 win over the Wests Tigers at Cbus Super Stadium. On the back of Aquis coming on board midway through 2015 as the club's principle partner the Titans have reportedly signed $10 million in new sponsorship in less than 12 months with betting agency Ladbrokes signing a one-year deal three weeks ago. It's not only given the corporate arm of the club reason to celebrate but reassured senior players that the Gold Coast community is once again fully supportive of their endeavours. With sponsors jumping ship in the wake of a horror off-season prior to the 2015 season, the Titans donated the front of their jersey to Ronald McDonald House and raised $439,000 and Ryan James said the change has been significant. "It was a little bit hurtful [not having any sponsors] but we had Ronald McDonald House and that's a great cause and then halfway through the year Aquis came on board and that was a big relief," James told NRL.com. "We've come a long way since then and I think everyone can see that. "We're really taking good steps forward and we've managed to fill our jersey with sponsors. Last year we were running out nameless pretty much so we've got this new image and all the boys are playing excellent footy. "People behind the scenes are working extremely hard and they're doing their job to make our lives a lot easier. No stress behind the scenes is less stress for us. "Last year we had sponsors jumping out and then we were fortunate enough to have Aquis come on board which took a bit of the weight off our shoulders. We've got all these sponsors now which is great for us because they're doing their best to make our jobs easier. "Hopefully we can do the best for sponsors and our fans because the Gold Coast really needs it." David Mead was a member of the Titans' inaugural under-20s team in 2008 and played 132 NRL games for the club and said recent contact with new sponsors has given the new-look team a positive vibe. "It's something that we don't really think about too much, what's written on the jersey, but we've met a couple of the sponsors and they tell us they want to be part of the club which is pretty big for the players," said Mead, who with 60 tries is the club's leading try-scorer. "Obviously there were not many sponsors on the jersey last year but we did have Ronald McDonald House and Jupiter's Casino sponsoring that charity which was pretty nice but this year a couple of new sponsors have jumped on board and it does send a good message to us boys. "The club's being well looked after by people who want to be involved with it." HAVANA Laying bare a half-century of tensions, President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro prodded each other Monday over human rights and the longstanding U.S. economic embargo during an unprecedented joint news conference that stunned Cubans unaccustomed to their leaders being aggressively questioned. The exchanges underscored deep divisions that still exist between the two countries despite rapidly improved relations in the 15 months since Obama and Castro surprised the world with an announcement to end their Cold War-era diplomatic freeze. Obama, standing in Havana's Palace of the Revolution on the second day of his historic visit to Cuba, repeatedly pushed Castro to take steps to address his country's human rights record. "We continue, as President Castro indicated, to have some very serious differences, including on democracy and human rights," said Obama, who planned to meet with Cuban dissidents Tuesday. Still, Obama heralded a "new day" in the U.S.-Cuba relationship and said "part of normalizing relations means we discuss these differences directly." Castro was blistering in his criticism of the American embargo, which he called "the most important obstacle" to his country's economic development. He also pressed Obama to return the Guantanamo detention center, which is on the island of Cuba, to his government. "There are profound differences between our countries that will not go away," Castro said plainly. White House officials spent weeks pushing their Cuban counterparts to agree for the leaders to take questions from reporters after their private meeting, reaching agreement just hours before Obama and Castro appeared before cameras. It's extremely rare for Castro to give a news conference, though he has sometimes taken questions from reporters spontaneously when the mood strikes. While the issue of political prisoners is hugely important to Cuban-Americans and the international community, most people on the island are more concerned about the shortage of goods and their struggles with local bureaucracy. Castro appeared agitated at times during the questioning, professing to not understand whether inquiries were directed to him. But when an American reporter asked about political prisoners in Cuba, he pushed back aggressively, saying if the journalist could offer names of anyone improperly imprisoned, "they will be released before tonight ends." "What political prisoners? Give me a name or names," Castro said. Cuba has been criticized for briefly detaining demonstrators thousands of times a year but has drastically reduced its practice of handing down long prison sentences for crimes human rights groups consider to be political. Cuba released dozens of prisoners as part of its deal to normalize relations with the U.S., and in a recent report, Amnesty International did not name any current prisoners of conscience in Cuba. Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, said the U.S. regularly raises specific cases and some are resolved, but added Cuba typically insists they're being held for other crimes. Rhodes said, "I've shared many lists with the Cuban government." Obama's and Castro's comments were broadcast live on state television, which is tightly controlled by the government and the Communist Party. At an outdoor cafe in Havana, about a dozen Cubans and tourists watched in awed silence. One woman held her hand to her mouth in shock. "It's very significant to hear this from our president, for him to recognize that not all human rights are respected in Cuba," said Raul Rios, a 47-year-old driver. Ricardo Herrera, a 45-year-old street food vendor said, "It's like a movie but based on real life." After responding to a handful of questions, Castro ended the news conference abruptly, declaring, "I think this is enough." Obama then appeared to lean in to pat Castro on the back. In an awkward moment, the Cuban leader instead grabbed Obama's arm and lifted it up as the U.S. president's wrist dangled, an image that immediately grabbed attention on social media. White House officials said Obama did not plan to meet with Fidel Castro, the older brother of the Cuban president and his predecessor in office, hoping to keep the visit focused on the future of the island. Rhodes, the White House adviser, said there were also other considerations, including Castro's "health issues." Obama, in an interview with ABC News, said he has no problem with such a meeting "just as a symbol of the end of this Cold War chapter." Obama's visit to Cuba is a crowning moment in his and Raul Castro's bid to normalize ties between two countries that sit just 90 miles apart. The U.S. leader traveled with his family and was taking in the sights in Old Havana and attending a baseball game between the beloved Cuban national team and the Tampa Bay Rays of America's American League. Several American business leaders joined Obama on the trip, many eager to gain a foothold on the island nation. Technology giant Google announced plans to open a cutting-edge online technology center offering free Internet at speeds nearly 70 times faster than those now available to the Cuban public. Obama said Google's efforts in Cuba are part of a wider plan to improve access to the Internet across the island. While Castro has welcomed increased economic ties, he insisted his country would still suffer as long as the American economic embargo was in place. Obama has called on Congress to lift the blockade, but lawmakers have not held a vote on the repeal. Obama's visit is being closely watched in the United States, where public opinion has shifted in support of normalized relations with Cuba. Still, many Republicans including some hoping to succeed Obama as president have vowed to roll back the diplomatic opening if elected. Castro was asked by an American reporter whether he favored the election of Republican front-runner Donald Trump or likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Castro smiled and said simply, "I cannot vote in the United States." ___ AP writers Josh Lederman, Peter Orsi and Andrea Rodriguez contributed to this report. ___ Sources say a woman who was hit and killed by a taxi in Manhattan over the weekend laid down in the road on purpose. The NYPD says Kenya Flores, 44, died Saturday after she was hit by a yellow cab on First Avenue near East 16th Street. According to sources, Flores had checked into Beth Israel hospital as suicidal, but was released after fighting with the staff. Shortly after her release, sources say she laid down in the street and was struck by the cab, which fled the scene. Cab driver John Bangura, 68, was later arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The annual "Somos El Futuro" spring conference was held in Albany this weekend. The meetings focus on issues affecting the Latino community. This year, there is great concern about proposed state cuts to the city university system. State House Reporter Zack Fink has this report. At a lunch reception Saturday afternoon hosted by city university, the focus was on the $485 million in state cuts for CUNY that Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed in this year's state budget. At the luncheon, which sounded at times like a pep rally, lawmakers vowed to fight the proposed cost shifts from the state to the city for CUNY. "That's just not going to happen," State Senator Jose Peralta of Queens said. Cuomo first called for the cuts in January, but has since promised to restore the money. As recently as this past Thursday, however, he was still explaining why the CUNY system must learn how to do more with less. "We run two systems. We run the SUNY system, we run the CUNY system," Cuomo said. "In my opinion there is a lot of duplication in the back office costs because you run two of everything." Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was in Albany for the Somos Conference and spoke at the CUNY luncheon, says he remains confused about how the governor determined that finding efficiencies equaled $485 million. "I've never known where that came from, and what I cared about is making sure it did not affect the people of New York City," de Blaio said. "We've been given that guarantee; we are going to hold the governor to it." Wednesday the governor's office announced it would appoint a "management organization expert" to find efficiencies at CUNY. "We don't have the details on how that would be organized, and it would depend on those details. We want to work with the state, for sure. We want to work with the legislature on finding reforms and efficiencies that's in everyone's interest," de Blaio said. "But until we see the details I can't tell you that it's something we will be directly a part of, or something we think will be effective." State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie met with the mayor for roughly an hour Saturday. De Blasio did not meet with Cuomo, who was also in Albany. "For us in the Assembly to do a budget, the city needs to come out in good shape," Heastie said. "And that is where I am and that is what I have been communicating to the governor." State leaders need to have a final budget agreement in the next ten days in order to get the bills printed in time to vote on an on-time budget, which is due April 1. Complicating matters is that the Easter holiday falls in the middle of that. WASHINGTON President Obama on Wednesday ordered the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Cuba and the opening of an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than a half-century as he vowed to cut loose the shackles of the past and sweep aside one of the last vestiges of the Cold War. The surprise announcement came at the end of 18 months of secret talks that produced a prisoner swap negotiated with the help of Pope Francis and concluded by a telephone call between Mr. Obama and President Raul Castro. The historic deal broke an enduring stalemate between two countries divided by just 90 miles of water but oceans of mistrust and hostility dating from the days of Theodore Roosevelts charge up San Juan Hill and the nuclear brinkmanship of the Cuban missile crisis. We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries, Mr. Obama said in a nationally televised statement from the White House. The deal, he added, will begin a new chapter among the nations of the Americas and move beyond a rigid policy that is rooted in events that took place before most of us were born. Season 6, Episode 14, Twice as Far If you dont wake up and face your what? The suspense is killing me! Sorry, bad joke. Poor Denise didnt get to finish the thought on Sundays Walking Dead an arrow skewered her melon, mid-monologue, turning what seemed like an easy breather of an episode into something else. A fierce battle ensued, with Daryl and friends spared only by the Saviors lousy marksmanship and some on-target biting from Eugene. (Whatever works.) It almost made up for the strategic gaffe that led to his capture in the first place. No, not driving off Abraham Im talking about Eugene tying back the Tennessee waterfall. He said that The hair doesnt make the man, but he was wrong. We now know for certain what weve always suspected: As with Samson, Eugenes majestic billowing curtain is the true source of his power. The good news on Sunday was that Daryl got his crossbow back, fully loaded as ever. (So weve all agreed to just go along with the magically replenishing arrow thing, right?) We also saw some romantic rebounding from the couple formerly known as Rositaham (by me, at least). Rosita paired off with Spencer, beef jerky stroganoff chef extraordinaire. (Called it.) Abraham formally courted Sasha and was invited in, and the Sasha-Rosita guard shift got a whole lot chillier. The bad news was, well, the rest of it. Denise wasnt a core character but she had become a valuable member of the team, plus Merritt Wever is an appealing actress and Im sorry to see her go. Back in Alexandria we had Carol chain-smoking and finally deciding to leave her friends for good. I cant love anyone because I cant kill for anyone, she wrote in her Dear Tobin letter, which went on to say, Dont come after me, please. Season 1, Episode 6: Cyclone This weeks Vinyl is an hour of Richie and Devon revisiting their pasts. For Devon, that means staying with her friend Ingrid at the Chelsea Hotel, talking about how lonely she is in Connecticut and posing nude for Ingrids artist boyfriend. For Richie, that means snorting cocaine and then snorting more cocaine. Richie is sweaty and erratic for most of this episode, not showing up at the office and arriving six hours late at the bat mitzvah for Zaks daughter. He tries to have sex with the American Century receptionist in his private bathroom, but cant perform. He steals a car. He confronts Andy Warhol outside the nightclub Maxs Kansas City and pushes Warhol onto the sidewalk. The artist wails to his entourage, I told you this was a bad idea! (Valerie Solanas is nowhere to be seen.) Richie is accompanied through most of this bad behavior by his buddy Ernst (Carrington Vilmont), previously seen in a flashback earlier this season. Ernst eggs Richie on to greater depths of depravity, but also informs him that hes acting out to distract himself from his guilt over killing a man. You try too hard, Ernst dryly comments. You care too much. Disengage. Anybody whos ever seen The Sixth Sense (or The Ghost Whisperer, or Battlestar Galactica) will cotton to Ernsts true nature pretty quickly, but the clues are steadily doled out anyway: Ernst doesnt talk to anybody except Richie, he mysteriously disappears and reappears, he has a ketchup stain on his pants. At the end of the episode, Richie and Devon both stagger home to Connecticut, but when Richie tells her that hes been partying with Ernst, she reacts in horror. They have another fight, but this time Devon flees with the children in her station wagon. Financing for the Origin bid, according to the shell companys executives, would come from debt provided by SummitView Capital, a Chinese private equity firm. The intention of the interlopers is to eventually merge Affymetrix and Centrillion. By declaring that the Origin bid was not likely to lead to a superior proposal, Affymetrixs board has laid out its argument for sticking with the Thermo Fisher deal. But Affymetrixs shareholders are scheduled to vote on that transaction this week, and shares in the target company jumped on Friday to $15.99 suggesting that its shareholders believe that a bidding war may be brewing. Affymetrixs chief executive, Frank Witney, said in the statement that his company held preliminary conversations with the Origin executives last fall and invited them to submit a written proposal. We heard nothing further from them for over four months until they announced their unsolicited proposal on March 18, Mr. Witney said. The board of directors of Affymetrix is firmly committed to carrying out its fiduciary duties and maximizing value for our stockholders, while at the same time complying with the customary provisions of our merger agreement with Thermo Fisher. Thermo Fisher put out its own response, raising questions about Origins financing and playing up concerns about whether the federal government would approve the new offer. In particular, Thermo Fisher noted the possibility that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a government panel that weighs in on foreign takeovers with potential national security implications, could take action. Sherwin-Williamss famous logo shows a can of red paint pouring over a globe with the slogan Cover the Earth. On Sunday, the paint maker took a step toward that goal by buying a big rival, Valspar, for $9.3 billion. If completed, the deal would create a new paint giant whose lines of paints are sold in North America, Europe and Asia. But the structure of the transaction also showed some unusual concessions that the companies would make if their proposed union ran into regulatory hurdles. Under the terms of the deal, Sherwin-Williams would pay $113 a share in cash, up nearly 35 percent from Valspars closing price on Friday. Roger Agnelli, a former banking executive who helped turn the Brazilian company Vale into a global mining giant, died on Saturday when his private plane crashed in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was 56. Mr. Agnelli, his wife Andrea and their children, Ana Carolina and Joao, were en route to a wedding in Rio de Janeiro when the Comp Air 9 turboprop monoplane slammed into two homes just minutes after taking off, killing all seven people aboard, according to Reuters and a statement released by Vale. The others on the plane were the pilot and the spouses of the Agnellis children. The company statement did not indicate the cause of the crash. Mr. Agnelli took over as president and chief executive of Vale in 2001 after nearly 19 years at one of the countrys largest banks, Banco Bradesco, which is a major shareholder in Vale. The company was at the end of a process of privatization that had begun in 1997, though the government retained a stake in the company. This was absolutely brilliant of them to change it and not say anything, said Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation and insight at the market research firm Mintel. Now Kraft is getting a little more vocal. A new ad campaign plays up the element of surprise involved with the companys new mac and cheese formula, with 15- and 30-second broadcast and online video spots featuring the former late-night television host Craig Kilborn and the tag line, Its changed. But it hasnt. Kraft was concerned that people would perceive a change in flavor that wasnt really there if it made too big a deal about the different formula as soon as it started using it. In fact, when the company made the announcement last spring that it would be tweaking the ingredients, Mr. Guidotti said, people began posting on social media their concerns that the mac and cheese would taste different. We knew we wanted to address that tension, he said. Some on social media even said, shortly after the April announcement, that they thought the mac and cheese tasted different when, in reality, they were still eating the previous version. This is a psychological quirk, well known to food manufacturers, that can stymie well-meaning attempts to make processed foods healthier. Anytime theres a suggestion of what something should taste like, some aspect of taste, when we try that food, were looking for it, said David Just, a professor of behavioral economics at Cornell University who is affiliated with the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. Whenever you have labels like healthier or reformulated, people are looking for the absence of a taste they really like. The trial involving Gawker and Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, over the publication of a sex video raised timeless legal questions about privacy and freedom of the press. The result, with the jury awarding Mr. Bollea $115 million in compensatory damages, could threaten Gawkers existence. But in many ways, the Gawker that posted the video an aggressive and unpredictable news and gossip site has already passed into memory. So, too, has an era of the web in which Gawker thrived. In the last few years, digital news sites with ambition even the ones, like Gawker, that had originally hailed themselves as being anti-establishment have undergone something of a self-correction. Vivid videos of random bedroom romps are out; a little bit of privacy is in. Readers, empowered by social media, have reshaped publications directly, by collective will. And they seem to realize that the photos and videos captured on their smartphones or elsewhere could just as easily be used against them as anyone else, including a celebrity. Mr. Trump riled up his fans against a recurring villain in his running campaign narrative and ensured the news was once again all about him. Fox News, the cable news ratings leader that is so often impugned as an arm of the Republican Party, got to ring a bell for journalistic independence. Ms. Kelly got the sort of support from the network that she has described as lacking from her colleague Bill OReilly; guaranteed big ratings to come; and got more fodder for the book she sold for many millions of dollars after the Trump feud began. Newspapers and online news organizations got a click-worthy story line tailor-made for a fast read on the iPhone. And, finally, there were the viewers and the readers, who are benefiting from a transitioning media industrys desire to give them what they want, where they want it, as fast as possible. As the people have made clear, they want Trump. It was the perfect boil-down of the disturbing symbiosis between Mr. Trump and the news media. There is always a mutually beneficial relationship between candidates and news organizations during presidential years. But in my lifetime its never seemed so singularly focused on a single candidacy. And the financial stakes have never been so intertwined with the journalistic and political stakes. Of course, the situation is unique because Mr. Trump is unique. His pedigree, his demagoguery and his inscrutable platform including the proposed mass deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants make him a giant story. But he is also taking advantage of a momentous and insecure time in American media. News organizations old and new are jockeying for survival in a changing order, awash in information and content but absent the pillars they could always rely upon, like reliable advertising models, secure places on the cable dial or old-fashioned newsstand sales. Ive been struck by just how much uncertainty there is as Ive talked to people across the mediasphere in preparation for lacing up the size 12s that are so closely associated with this space, last worn so smartly by our departed colleague David Carr (P.S., they feel O.K., will take a little getting used to). Things are changing so fast that no news organization knows whether the assumptions its making to secure its future will prove correct. Rukmini Callimachi, a correspondent for The Times, joined ABC Radio Australias RN Breakfast to discuss her recent piece on the horrors of the Islamic State and sex slavery: What experts on Islamic law have explained to me is that slavery is mentioned in the Quran but its not something that is glorified. Its not something where the scripture says this is something good to practice. And this is where I think ISIS shows their true colors ... they are gong to the extra dimension of claiming that because it existed during the time of the prophet, therefore it is something good. Dionne Searcey, The Timess West Africa bureau chief, discussed the recent terrorist attack that occurred in Ivory Coast, on PRI Radios The World: It looks like everyone is taking security very seriously. The next place people think could be hit is Senegal. I live in Dakar right now, the capital of Senegal, and there are checkpoints all over the place. I was just at a little tiny coffeehouse where there was a metal detector, one of those little wands that they wave over you. And thats new. You cant go into a hotel without popping your trunk and opening your glove box. Steven Lee Myers, a correspondent for The Times, joined PBSs Charlie Rose for a panel discussion about Vladimir V. Putin and the withdrawal of Russian forces in Syria: By no means is this war over, and even if there were to be a peace process that emerges you still have war against the Islamic state, which from the beginning was one of [Putins] stated goals. Alexander Burns, a political correspondent for The Times, joined WAMU Radios The Diane Rehm Show for an analysis of Tuesdays Republican and Democratic primary results: I think what we saw certainly on the Republican side [on Tuesday] was Donald Trump maintaining his clear upper hand in the race, but maybe a wider opportunity for the Republican establishment to try to force this thing to an open convention ... As commanding as Trumps victory margin looked in the majority of these states, historically this is pretty weak for a presidential frontrunner. Joe Nocera, a columnist for The Times and co-author of the book Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the N.C.A.A., appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Perhaps just as important, conservatives particularly in the G.O.P. commentariat do not see Kasich as one of them. No one questioned his fiscal austerity back in 1995, when Newt Gingrich, the speaker of the House, named him chairman of the House Budget Committee. But that was a generation ago. As Ben Domenech, publisher of the conservative web publication The Federalist, observes: Kasich had the benefit of being in Congress at a unique moment, when the economic boom during the Clinton years allowed him to do what he did. Its not at all relatable to where we are now. As governor, Kasich expanded Medicaid benefits in his state, against the wishes of a Republican-controlled Legislature. He also embraced Common Core educational standards and today favors a guest-worker program for illegal immigrants. All of these constitute apostasies to movement conservatives. But theres a third layer of resistance to Kasich, one with which Cruz can identify: Many Beltway Republicans dont like him. I asked the candidate about this a few months ago. Look, when you balance budgets, you aggravate a lot of people, he told me. When you take on tough issues, youre going to make enemies. And they just wait in the shadows to take a whack at you. But over time, I find when I go back to Washington, theres respect for what I did as a leader. No doubt Chairman Kasichs strict budgets made life unpleasant for a few lobbyists. But so did his demeanor which, D.C. veterans say, was often sanctimonious and rude. John had a reputation, says Jim Dyer, the former Republican staff director of the Appropriations Committee who counts himself as an admirer, even though the two often tussled on budgetary matters. When he got upset, hed really blow up. Former Representative Dave Hobson, one of Kasichs closest friends in the Capitol, recalls: Hed get really upset with you. Then, two or three days later, hed say, Goddamn it, Dave, you were right about that. That Kasich is widely regarded as an accomplished legislator distinguishes him from his two remaining rivals. And several of his former congressional colleagues like Trent Lott, Vin Weber, Ray LaHood and Pete Hoekstra have endorsed his candidacy. Still, his past behavior has made the pursuit for allies at the Republican convention in July a more arduous one. Its unclear whether Kasich has mellowed much since those days. Shortly after being elected governor in 2010, he warned lobbyists that if youre not on the bus, we will run over you with the bus. He was forced to apologize for publicly describing a policeman who had given him a traffic citation as an idiot. State Republicans have not forgotten how, in 2013, he lectured the Ohio House speaker Bill Batchelder a Republican legislator who had served over three decades in the House about his moral duty to support Kasichs Medicaid expansion plan: When you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter, hes probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small. But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor. Better have a good answer. Kasichs continual moralizing on the subject lost him the support of a key donor, Thomas Patrick, the chief executive of New Vernon Capital, in 2014. Last June, Kasich was touting his record during a speech at a Republican event in Chicago when he happened to see Patrick in the audience. In typically pugnacious fashion, the governor spoke to Patrick from the lectern: And so, Tom, what do you think about all of this? Are you still not supporting me? (Patrick later sent Kasich a donation of $2,700 though he has donated far more, $258,100, to Cruz.) Eli Berry cannot go to stores or restaurants without being asked if he is a man or a woman. A mall security guard once demanded that he show identification to use a public mens room. But soon Mr. Berry will have a space of his own: a center for transgender people. The Bronx Trans Collective, the new drop-in center near Yankee Stadium, will aim to bring together people who are often overlooked or disconnected even in New York City, which is considered to be the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. The center will help transgender people get surgeries, hormone treatments, mental health counseling and assistance with legal name changes and job searches, among other services. It will also host regular support groups, youth counseling, meditation and yoga classes and cookouts on its back terrace. The center is important for me because it is going to give me convenience, safety and a sense of community, said Mr. Berry, 28, a Consolidated Edison worker who plans to stop by the center every week. The Bronx Trans Collective will be the citys first major multiservice center dedicated specifically to transgender people, offering programs and services that were previously scattered across different sites. It is the result of a partnership between Councilman Ritchie Torres, a Bronx Democrat, and a coalition of six community organizations to address what many see as scant attention to the needs of transgender people, especially in poor and minority neighborhoods outside Manhattan. WHITE PLAINS On its face, the job of Westchester County district attorney seems like a fairly staid one. An affluent bedroom community of New York City, with pockets of poverty, the county is rife with neither violent crime nor corporate malfeasance. But in recent years, the office has assumed an outsize role even a touch of glamour as a potent springboard for its occupants. In January, the most recent district attorney, Janet DiFiore, a Democrat, was confirmed to the states highest judicial post, while her predecessor, Jeanine F. Pirro, a Republican, now hosts a television talk show, Justice With Judge Jeanine, on Fox News. Now, the vacancy left by Ms. DiFiore, the chief judge of the states Court of Appeals, is churning the political waters, with four candidates so far announcing their intention to seek the office. A special election will be held in November, and voter turnout is expected to be especially heavy given the presidential election. It is a high-profile position and gets a lot of media attention, Douglas A. Colety, chairman of the Westchester County Republican Committee, said. The D.A.s often go on to higher office. Having the D.A. office in the Republican column is, I think, very important for many reasons. (Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.) Good morning. Heres what you need to know: Diplomatic opening in Cuba. President Obama and his family arrived in Havana on Sunday, and Cubans packed the streets to catch a glimpse. His schedule today includes meetings with President Raul Castro and a state dinner at the Revolutionary Palace. The president is accompanied by dozens of members of Congress and by business leaders. Despite Mr. Obamas loosening of travel and trade restrictions, Congress has not yet repealed the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba. We have live coverage. The Saudis have become so afraid that Shiite Iran will dominate the region that they tried to kill the Iranian nuclear deal, even though it sharply curbed Tehrans nuclear activities. The Saudi-Iranian competition has fanned proxy wars in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. The Saudis intervention in Yemen has further fueled a disastrous war there between a Saudi-supported government and the Iranian-backed Houthis. And they have supported some of the more radical rebel groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who is backed by Iran. Given all this, its little wonder that Prince Turki scoffed at Mr. Obamas share the neighborhood idea. As far back as 2002, Mr. Obama, in a speech, referred to Saudi Arabia and Egypt as Americas so called allies and said they needed to stop suppressing dissent and tolerating corruption and inequality. More recently, according to Mr. Goldbergs article, Mr. Obama has also asserted that there can be no comprehensive solution to Islamist terrorism until Islam comes to terms with the modern world. Unfortunately, the Saudi royal family, now in the hands of a shaky new leadership team, and with the Saudi economy stressed by falling oil prices, shows no serious interest in enlightened renewal. Mr. Obama has now forced a behind-the-scenes conversation about the Saudi-American relationship into the open. Is there anything Washington can do to encourage transformative reforms? Apart from expressing critical views, even Mr. Obama, who will visit Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Gulf leaders next month, has felt a need to maintain the alliance largely along traditional lines. We have seen that divisive, dangerous leaders dont necessarily rise because of stirring oration or a clear and compelling vision. They can be quirky, disarming and idiosyncratic, with a vague, hollow message that says little even as it promises much. We have learned the dangers of doubting the depravity and desperation of some who would follow such a man despite, or possibly even because of, his offensive rhetoric and outrageous policies. We have learned just how much ugliness exists in this country, and what it looks like when it finds a voice, a leader and a reason to gather and unite. We have learned that the Republican establishment has no clue who the Republican base is anymore, or if they do, they thought wrongly that they could control them by feeding them crumbs of obstruction and vague aspirationalism from their table of excess. In fact, that base has been gorging itself on fear and anger, vileness and the possibility of violence. As Rolling Stone reported last week in the following exchange with the Republican pollster Frank Luntz: Republicans didnt listen, says Luntz. They didnt hear the anger because they spent too much time in Washington and not enough in the rest of America. The Republican finance people, the donor class, they didnt see it and didnt hear it, and by the time they did, it was too late. Luntz compared it to a horror film: You know somethings out there, but you dont see it until youre getting stabbed. The case arose out of a dispute over the Affordable Care Acts requirement that employers health plans provide free contraceptive coverage to their employees. The Obama administration exempted churches, mosques, synagogues and other houses of worship from the requirement. When nonprofit organizations with religious affiliations, like universities, hospitals and social-service groups, argued that they, too, should be exempt, the administration offered them an easy way to opt out: Notify their insurer or the government, in writing, of their refusal to provide coverage. At that point, those organizations have no further role in the process; the government takes over and ensures that employees are given free access to contraceptives. This accommodation struck a reasonable balance between the governments respect for religious freedom and its strong interest in carrying out the laws mandate. But it was still not enough for many religious-affiliated employers, who said that the very act of notification makes them complicit in the provision of contraceptives and violates their religious freedom. They sued the government under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a 1993 law barring any regulation that substantially burdens religious practice, unless it furthers a compelling governmental interest that cannot be achieved by less restrictive means. The law was intended to protect religious minorities whose practices may run afoul of certain laws, but it has been invoked increasingly by those who reject reproductive rights or same-sex marriage. In the 2014 Hobby Lobby decision, the Supreme Court ruled 5-to-4 that the law allowed closely held for-profit corporations to deny contraceptive coverage to employees on religious grounds. Even after that misguided opinion, the first seven federal appeals courts to consider the plaintiffs argument in the current case rightly rejected it out of hand. As Judge Cornelia Pillard wrote in a remarkably thorough opinion for the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, the administrations accommodation requires as little as it can from the objectors while still serving the governments compelling interests. This is clearly correct. Notifying the government of a refusal to provide birth-control coverage is not a substantial burden on religion, nor does that notification trigger the coverage, which is already guaranteed under the law. Merely to add funds to an account, the family or friends of inmates must pay a service fee. I have an account myself with the prison phone giant Securus so that inmates I want to keep in touch with can call me. In February, Id loaded my phone account without any fee. Then, a few weeks ago, I was charged $6.95 to add $5 of call time. So, the $11.95 that used to buy 49 minutes then purchased only 20. It is hard to determine exactly how the fees are being applied: The commissions system is opaque, with the prison itself collecting a portion of the companies revenues, leading the companies to charge more service fees to an inmates phone account to make up the difference. These fees are an additional money grab by the phone companies and the prison commissions system. Theres a fee to create an account, a fee to fund an account, even a fee to get a refund. The companies are also taking advantage of a loophole in the F.C.C. order that allows them to add special fees for single calls by a user who doesnt want to set up an account with them. For the PayNow option from Securus, for example, the call cost is $1.80, but the transaction fee is $13.19. Before the F.C.C.s order was implemented, ancillary fees added nearly 40 percent to phone call costs for prison customers. Earlier this year, while researching for the Prison Policy Initiative, a Massachusetts-based think tank, I discovered that, partly to offset lost revenue from the F.C.C.s rate-capping, inmate call providers were making agreements with financial service companies like Western Union and MoneyGram to share the money-sending service fees for purchasing phone time. The phone companies strategy was clear before the F.C.C.s rate cap kicked in. Last year, Securus acquired JPay, one of the nations largest prison financial services providers. JPay handles financial transactions for 70 percent of prison inmates; its fees are as high as 35 to 45 percent of the money being sent. JPay could potentially charge a fee to create a JPay account to pay the service fee to load a Securus phone account. MEXICO CITY IN 2011, when the Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain proposed building an electric fence on the Mexican border, it predictably caused shock waves south of the Rio Grande. Priests, the press and a former president expressed outrage. Mr. Cain quickly pulled back, saying he was just kidding. That is not a serious plan, he said. America needs to get a sense of humor. That is a joke, O.K.? Mr. Cains retreat reflected a back and forth that had defined the Mexican-American relationship for decades. It was understood that, from time to time, a politician might take a potshot at Mexico. But there was a line: If the punch was too hard, the right voices here would call foul, and the politician would back down. Until Donald J. Trump. He infamously kicked off his campaign with the taunting phrase Theyre rapists. Mexicos foreign relations department called him out for prejudice, racism and total ignorance, while major Mexican companies boycotted him. But Mr. Trump only doubled down. His signature line We are going to build a wall. And who is going to pay for it? draws cheers from his supporters. Normally, Mexican TV networks only sparsely report on American primaries, but this years have garnered almost daily coverage. Viewers here watch with horror Mr. Trumps leering, reddened face decrying them from Michigan to Mississippi and the big crowds egging him on. Some here have recommended calm, arguing that the best way to deal with bullies is to ignore them. Others say that it is dangerous to be silent in the face of bigotry and incitement, especially when the fiery language translates into violence, like when Trump supporters beat a Hispanic man in Boston in August. So when love strikes Connie and Tristan, as it inevitably does, they have to wonder if this is indeed, to borrow from Tom Stoppard, the real thing. After all, the physiological effects of this still-unnamed drug, which kicks up the dopamine levels in the brain, would seem to replicate what we usually identify as the symptoms of love, the kind itemized in Rodgers and Hart ballads: giddiness, loss of appetite, enhanced perception, increased pulse, etc. When one of them asks the other if you really love me, the question is even trickier and more weighted than usual. Especially since its entirely possible that only one of them is on the drug, while the other has been given a placebo. In the meantime, Dr. Lorna James (Kati Brazda), who is overseeing the experiment, finds herself pondering the same ambiguities with Dr. Toby Sealey (Steve Key), her mentor and it turns out her former lover. In the decades since Prozac has emerged as a common conversational reference point, a favorite parlor game has been to imagine how antidepressants might have changed the course of cultural history. You know how it works: If mood elevators had been available to Dostoyevsky, would he have written The Brothers Karamazov? Might Ingmar Bergman have made only comedies? Would the Beach Boys have stayed together? You might well worry that The Effect is going to be a more earnest variation on such playful speculation. (I didnt, but then, I took Prozac before the show. Just kidding.) Ms. Prebbles Enron, an account of the fall of that Texas energy company (seen briefly on Broadway in 2010), was an economics pageant that imploded under a surfeit of ardent exposition and flashy gimmickry. Image Susannah Flood and Carter Hudson in The Effect at the Barrow Street Theater. Credit... Sara Krulwich/The New York Times The Effect shares the principal virtue of Enron, in that it makes complicated and arcane material utterly accessible. (Ms. Prebble would probably be a splendid schoolteacher.) And both works chronicle the casualties of putting abstract theory into human practice. RETRACING SHACKLETONS ROUTE In May 1916, the British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton crossed the South Georgia ice field seeking help for the stranded sailors of his ship, the Endurance, which had been crushed by ice in Antarctica. Marking the centennial of the event, Ice Tracks Expeditions is offering a south polar cruise this fall with the opportunity for 12 passengers to make a four-day overland crossing of the ice field for the ultimate Antarctic shore excursion. The 22-day expedition cruise, Oct. 30 to Nov. 20, departs from Buenos Aires on the 114-passenger Hebridean Sky, visiting the Falkland Islands, Elephant Island and the South Shetland Islands en route to the Antarctic peninsula. Those participating in the ice field expedition will cover roughly 30 miles picking their way around crevasses retracing Shackletons route. Rates for the cruises start at $13,885 a person, and the mountaineering expedition is an additional $5,250. DELTA EXPANDS ITS NETWORK Aiming to offer easier connections from North America to India, Delta Air Lines has joined a codeshare agreement with Amsterdam-based KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Jet Airways of India. Beginning March 27, Jet Airways will offer daily nonstop flights from its hubs in Mumbai and New Delhi to Amsterdam, and a flight from Amsterdam to Toronto. The codeshare allows the partners to sell tickets on the reciprocal carriers and align their schedules to suit them. Delta said it has more than 11,000 fliers traveling daily between the United States and India, and that the new agreement would allow its fliers to earn miles and gain perks, such as lounge access for premium fliers, abroad. NEW THEME CRUISES FROM SILVERSEA (OPERA INCLUDED) From Russian ballet to upscale dining, Silversea has announced new theme cruises designed to bring insider access onto the ship. The new Exclusively Yours Enriched Voyages include opera performances from the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan, ballets by members of Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia and meals made by chefs from the Relais & Chateaux group of luxury hotels. Soloists from the opera will perform aboard Mediterranean and Adriatic cruises in August, September and October. The Bolshoi dancers Daria Khokhlova and Artemy Belyakov will join the Silver Spirits Aug. 31 Mediterreanean cruise from Athens to Monte Carlo, offering three performances over the nine-day trip. Two trips, one from Istanbul to Athens Oct. 1 and the other from New York to Barbados Oct. 24, will feature award-winning chefs including David Chauvac of Le Candille in Provence, France, and Jason Joseph of Camelot Restaurant at Cobblers Cove in Barbados, respectively. These and other chefs will offer cooking demonstrations and gourmet dinners. AMTRAK EXPANDS PET PROGRAM Allowing up to five animals per train, Amtrak has expanded its pet tolerance from a pilot program to a permanent policy on most trains along the Eastern corridor. It has also made its long-distance trains and its Amtrak Cascades trains in the West pet friendly, and through mid-June it is testing a weekend-only pet program on the Acela Express between New York and Washington, D.C. Both the pet and the carrier must weigh no more than 20 pounds, and the fee is $25 with a limit of one pet per passenger. Since October, when the trial period began, more than 4,600 pets have taken an Amtrak train. But that was hardly the end of the story. The holy grail of a working mechanical heart never disappeared, though the word permanent faded away. New devices have come along, each presented not as an abiding solution but, rather, as a temporary bridge to sustain patients until they can receive the transplant of a real heart. (Not that transplantation, first performed in 1967, is guaranteed to work. There is always a risk of a recipients body rejecting the new organ.) In line with its mission to look both back and ahead, Retro Report explores the extent to which artificial hearts remain very much a part of modern life. Among the designs that have emerged, none is more embraced than a Jarvik-7 descendant, the Temporary Total Artificial Heart made by SynCardia Systems of Tucson, Ariz. (A mechanism designed by a French company, Carmat, has also received attention.) Nearly all the devices in use today in the United States are the SynCardia model, with the number of those who have carried it approaching 1,600. Unlike the unwieldy compressor of the Jarvik-7, the power system is portable, stored in a pouch weighing 13 pounds. Even so, full freedom of movement is elusive. The battery pack has a limited life. Users cannot stray far from a power source. Thousands of other Americans have years added to their lives with the aid of a smaller artificial apparatus, a partial heart known as a ventricular assist device, or VAD. The VAD is attached to one or both of the ventricles, the hearts pumping chambers. Most commonly, the left ventricle is the target because it does most of the pumping. By bolstering the ventricle, the device buys ailing people time to recover. Intriguingly, these patients have no pulse: With most VADs, blood flows in a continuous stream, as opposed to being pumped in the pulsating rhythm of a healthy heart. The wait for a real heart that can be transplanted requires patience worthy of Job. There are not nearly enough potential donors in this country, where heart disease continues to be the No. 1 killer, with more than 600,000 annual deaths. The number of available hearts in a given year has long hovered around 2,000, not enough to meet the need. In a sense, developments that amount to good news for most Americans are not necessarily glad tidings for critical heart patients. Victims in fatal car crashes, for instance, can be a prime source of hearts. But with improvements in auto and highway safety, motor vehicle deaths in the United States have declined to fewer than 33,000 a year from a high of more than 54,000 in the early 1970s. The math speaks for itself. KAPOLEI, Hawaii From the start when Honolulu officials began talking about building a 20-mile elevated train line near the southern coast of Oahu there were concerns. How much would it cost? What would it do to the character of a state that has long celebrated its natural beauty and isolation? Can an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean handle the kind of ambitious public works project one would associate with urban centers like Boston and New York? Eight years after voters in Hawaii approved a referendum clearing the way for construction of the rail line, many of the concerns that have been voiced during a 40-year debate over the project have turned out to have merit. The project was initially projected to cost $4.6 billion, but that number now is $6.7 billion, forcing the city in January to approve a five-year extension of a general excise tax surcharge to help cover the overrun. City officials are awaiting the opening of two sets of bids, covering the final 10 miles of the project, to see if even that is enough. At this rate, city officials said, it could have the distinction of being, on a per-capita basis, the most expensive transit project in the countrys history in a state that also has the highest per capita cost of living in the nation. JACKSON, Miss. When Amy Tuck, a former lieutenant governor of Mississippi, shut down her campaign committee in the final days of 2013, she took a parting gift: the $158,342 remaining in the account. Ms. Tuck had already withdrawn more than $103,000 from the account in late 2007 and early 2008, when she was going to work at Mississippi State University as special assistant to the president, initially making $160,000 a year. She is hardly the only Mississippi official to cash out at the end of her career. An Associated Press review shows that of 99 elected officials who have left office in recent years, as many as 25 may have pocketed more than $1,000 when they closed their campaign accounts. At least four other former officeholders besides Ms. Tuck who is now vice president for campus services at Mississippi State took more than $50,000. WASHINGTON Donald J. Trumps transformation from reality TV star to presidential candidate threatening to tear apart the Republican Party is eliciting a mixture of disbelief, outrage and laughter among Democrats, and none more so than President Obama. Mr. Trump has long been a punch line for Mr. Obama the president skewered him in humorous speeches at three White House Correspondents Association dinners. But in recent months, Mr. Obama has made so many direct or indirect references to Mr. Trump that the real estate tycoon has become something of a stump-speech standard for the president. And instead of simply being a source of mirth, Mr. Trump has become Mr. Obamas favored symbol for the countrys growing political dysfunction. On Tuesday, Mr. Obama used the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to launch his latest attack on Mr. Trump, although this time not by name. 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, Mr. Obama said. A few days earlier at a fund-raiser in Austin, Tex., Mr. Obama was even more pointed. Weve got a debate inside the other party that is fantasy and schoolyard taunts and selling stuff like its the Home Shopping Network, he said. He then went after Republican leaders like Mitt Romney who have in recent weeks expressed shock and outrage at Mr. Trumps language. How can you be shocked? Mr. Obama asked of Mr. Romney, the former presidential candidate who accepted Mr. Trumps endorsement in 2012. This is the guy, remember, who was sure that I was born in Kenya. Who just wouldnt let it go. The prospect of a Donald J. Trump nomination is accomplishing what a diverse and talented field of Republican presidential contenders could not: uniting the partys big-money donor establishment. Some of the wealthiest conservative givers in the country are helping pay for a series of last-ditch attacks to wound Mr. Trump, disclosures filed on Sunday night revealed, even after previously backing rival Republican candidates. And officials involved with the political groups have made clear that they are aggressively raising more money to fight Mr. Trump, hoping to deprive him of enough delegates to win the Republican nomination outright. That would set the stage for a contested convention in July. Our Principles PAC, a group set up to highlight Mr. Trumps past liberal positions, took in $4.8 million last month, with a roster of donors that shows it has significantly expanded beyond the Ricketts family, which provided the groups early funding. Beyond the Rickettses, who collectively provided another $2 million to the group, Our Principles raised $500,000 from William E. Oberndorf, a California investor who had previously backed Jeb Bush, and $100,000 from Harlan Crow, a Texas real estate developer, who had supported Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Our Principles also raised $1 million from Warren Stephens, an Arkansas investment banker who gave large checks to super PACs backing four candidates who have since quit the race. And Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, posted a video on Twitter backing up Mr. McConnell. Mr. Ryan said that any decision regarding the court vacancy is going to have to go to the American people. While many conservative groups are making the same argument, others are still trying to paint Judge Garland as a reflexive liberal unworthy of a seat on the court. One group, the Judicial Crisis Network, has cited past decisions that it says show his support of legalizing partial-birth abortion, and unleashing unaccountable bureaucratic agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as imposing limits on gun rights. The president is presenting him as a wonderful moderate who is a cross between Chief Justice Marshall and Mr. Rogers, said Carrie Severino, chief counsel at the Judicial Crisis Network, referring to the celebrated Supreme Court justice from the 1800s and the former host of a childrens television show. We need to have someone out there combating the spin about Judge Garland. Attacks on Judge Garland risk provoking a backlash from within the party. In recent days, Republican luminaries such as Kenneth W. Starr, the former federal judge and special prosecutor who led investigations of President Bill Clinton over the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals, and Michael Chertoff, a former federal judge who served as the Homeland Security secretary under President George W. Bush, have praised Judge Garland. In an interview on Friday, Mr. Chertoff called him a model judge and someone who has great respect and reverence for the Constitution. I can hardly imagine how one could mount a personal attack against Judge Garland, he added. FreedomWorks allowed a reporter rare access to the organization as Mr. Levey and his staff put their plan to stop Mr. Obamas nominee into action from the organizations bowling alley-shaped war room, a few blocks from Capitol Hill. DARWIN, Australia The port in this remote northern Australian outpost is little more than a graying old wharf jutting into crocodile-infested waters. On a recent day, there was stifling heat but not a ship in sight. Our pissy little port, as John Robinson, a flamboyant local tycoon, calls it. The financially hurting government of the Northern Territory was happy to lease it to a Chinese company in October for the bargain price of $361 million, raising money for local infrastructure projects. We are the last frontier; you take what you can get, said Mr. Robinson, who is known as Foxy. The Northern Territory doesnt have the money for development. Australia doesnt have it. We need the major players like China. But the decision has catapulted the port of Darwin into a geopolitical tussle pulling in the United States, China and Australia. The movies main character, a car mechanic called Kolya, has his life crushed by the mayor, a fictional and horrendously venal version of Ms. Trubilina. His wife, Lilya, kills herself. In between invariably hopeless clashes with officialdom and the Russian Orthodox Church, everyone swigs vodka and gets depressed. I cannot get my head around how anybody could make such a dishonest film, complained Ms. Trubilina, facing a portrait of President Vladimir V. Putin hanging on her office wall. It is an invented version of reality that does not exist. Like many of the films critics in Russia, she views the director, Andrey Zvyagintsev, as a traitor intent on smearing Russias gains under Mr. Putin. But Ms. Trubilinas defensive fury at what she sees as unfair distortion is far out of step with the way many other residents feel. Nobody likes his or her home being portrayed as a sinkhole of misery, but many take comfort in the view that Teriberka, whatever its problems, is no worse than countless other places in Russias glubinka, as Russians call their vast hinterland or, for that matter, Americas. It is a territory scorned by urbanites but also often celebrated, by the same urbanites, as the locus of authentic national identity. Even as waves of refugees fleeing the war in Syria have created an urgent world crisis, many immigrants who have already made it to Europe have been grappling with prejudice, poverty and unemployment. No recent novel does a more powerful job of capturing the day-to-day lives of such immigrants than Sunjeev Sahotas second book, The Year of the Runaways, which was shortlisted for the 2015 Man Booker prize. Mr. Sahota whose grandfather came to Britain in 1962, and who grew up in Derby, England writes with intimacy and feeling about his four main characters, three of whom have arrived illegally from India to try to make new lives for themselves in Britain or make enough money to support their families back home. By cutting back and forth between their intertwining stories, and between their current lives in the English city of Sheffield and their left-behind lives in India, Mr. Sahota creates an ensemble portrait of young immigrants struggling to find work, to sort out their love lives, to come to terms with duty and tradition and their own confused ambitions. The world they inhabit of grubby house shares, meager meals, backbreaking jobs (when a job can even be found) is light years removed from that of the aristos and bohemians in Anthony Powells A Dance to the Music of Time. But, weirdly, there are echoes of Mr. Powells 20th-century classic here. Not just in structure (this novel takes place over the course of a years four seasons, whereas Dance was divided into four movements, based around the four seasons of life), but also in its focus on how characters hopes and dreams are reshaped by time and (mis)fortune. K.B.W. believes that the primary motivation for splitting up would be the faster return of excess capital to shareholders, the report said. In a statement, a Citigroup spokeswoman said, Citis board of directors, as part of its fiduciary obligation to shareholders, annually conducts a formal review of Citis strategy and progress. The board remains confident that the current strategy being executed by the existing management team will yield the best long-term results for shareholders. Calls to break up one of the nations largest banks have been common in the Democratic presidential campaign. Analysts at Goldman Sachs have looked at what would happen if JPMorgan Chase broke up. But such calls have been relatively rare on Wall Street, given the financial realities of finding buyers for many of the assets and a firm belief held by many top executives that their banks can still flourish at their current sizes. Citigroup has also sold billions of dollars in assets since the financial crisis to simplify. Most recently, the bank said it planned to sell its operations in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. The Senate chose to use its authority to seek a civil contempt against Mr. Ferrer because that gives it greater control over the case, and an increased likelihood of actually securing the documents and testimony the subcommittee seeks. If the Senate wanted to pursue a criminal contempt, it would have to refer the case to the Justice Department to decide whether to prosecute, something that has not happened in recent cases. Federal prosecutors did not act in response to referrals regarding Lois Lerner, a former I.R.S. official involved in claims of scrutinizing the tax-exempt status of conservative political organizations, and former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., for refusing to disclose internal documents related to the botched gun-smuggling investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious. Backpage.com asserts that the First Amendment protects it from having to submit all the documents subpoenaed by the subcommittee because it engages in advertising, which is a category of commercial speech. Mr. Ferrer may be willing to defy a court order to vindicate the principle of free speech, as other journalists have done. That could mean a trip to jail for contempt, however, because federal courts generally do not recognize the First Amendment as a basis to resist a subpoena. The length of any incarceration could be considerable, as happened in one case when an investment manager spent more than seven years in jail for refusing to comply with a court order in a civil securities fraud case. Apple is scheduled to be in court on Tuesday to challenge an order that it help unlock the iPhone. If it loses the fight, the question is whether the company will decide to be held in contempt to uphold its position that cooperating would create a dangerous precedent. In its most recent brief filed last week in the Federal District Court for the Central District of California, the company argued that the government seeks to commandeer Apple to design, create, test and validate a new operating system that does not exist, and that Apple believes with overwhelming support from the technology community and security experts is too dangerous to create. That does not indicate any willingness to do the governments bidding, even if the judge tells Apple to do so. Whether the companys engineers, responsible for creating the high level of encryption in its devices, would be willing to design the workaround that would unlock the phone could present an additional hurdle to compliance. If they will not, then the company may have no choice but to defy an order. Then the court would have to decide whether Apple can be held responsible for the conduct of its employees. The data and analytics providers IHS and Markit have agreed to combine in an all-stock transaction that will take IHS, which is based in Colorado, to London. IHSs shareholders will own 57 percent of the combined company to be known as IHS Markit and Markits shareholders will own the remaining 43 percent, according to a news release on Monday. IHS Markit would have more than 50,000 customers. This transformational merger brings together two information-rich companies to create a powerful provider of unique business intelligence, data and analytics to a broad and complementary customer base, Jerre Stead, the IHS chairman and chief executive, said in the statement. IHS Markit and its shareholders will benefit from enhanced product innovation to deliver strong returns across economic cycles. Technically, the deal is a tax inversion, where an American company merges with a foreign one to lower its tax bill. However, IHSs tax rate may not change much; it was about 20.5 percent for the year through November, and the combined company is expecting a tax rate in the low- to mid-20 percent range, according to the statement. Marriott International sweetened its bid for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide with more cash, greater synergies and a higher breakup fee. That still may not be enough to deter the Anbang Insurance Group of China and its co-investors from making a counteroffer yet again. Anbang, with the New York private equity firm J. C. Flowers and the China-based Primavera Capital, swooped in with a bid for Starwood last week, as the hotel operator was finishing the deal it signed with Marriott in November. That set Marriott in motion, with a new offer disclosed on Monday. The proposal we signed last night is not as good for us as the deal we signed and announced in November, said Arne Sorenson, president and chief executive of Marriott, in an interview with CNBC on Monday. The deal we got in November, in retrospect, maybe was just too good a deal. Starwood deemed Marriotts new proposal as superior to the one brought last week by a consortium led by Anbang. Shareholders would receive $21 a share in cash and 0.80 share of Marriott for each share of Starwood, valuing Starwood at $79.53 a share, or $13.6 billion, as of the market close on Friday. Asked during a January debate why he trailed Hillary Clinton so badly among minority voters, Senator Bernie Sanders said he would gain ground once those voters became familiar with his track record and agenda on the economy and criminal justice. Two months later and on the eve of another important primary voting day, Mr. Sanders remains on the wrong side of a yawning gap among African-Americans even as his performance among whites has been impressive. One important reason for this may be that African-Americans have experienced somewhat more favorable economic trends in recent years. While still worse off than whites, African-Americans have seen their jobless rate fall a little further than whites have, relative to a prerecession average. Furthermore, the decline has been faster for African-Americans in the last year. The economist Robert J. Shapiro recently measured the income growth that people experience as they age. He found that, on average in 2013 and 2014 (the most recent data available), incomes for blacks in their 30s, 40s and 50s grew more rapidly than for whites in the same age group. Older people, who strongly support Mrs. Clinton, have also seen income gains relative to other groups since the recession. BP and the Norwegian oil company Statoil announced on Monday that they were withdrawing their employees from two of Algerias largest natural gas fields after Islamic terrorists staged the second attack in three years on their installations. In the assault, on Friday, a rocket-propelled grenade attack hit the In Salah natural gas field and processing plant in Krechba, 750 miles south of Algiers. BP, a British company, and Statoil operate the installation jointly with the Algerian national oil company Sonatrach. The attack on the plant did not result in damage or casualties, according to the companies, and production was interrupted only briefly. The Algerian Army rushed to secure the area, but the episode highlighted the difficulty it has in defending the countrys oil and gas fields, which stretch across a wide swath of the Sahara. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Al Qaedas North Africa affiliate, claimed responsibility soon after the attack on In Salah, Algerias third-largest gas field. In an online statement, the group said the assault was part of its war on the interests of the crusaders. The group also suggested that it aimed to protect the environment and discourage shale gas exploration. As recently as last summer, J. Michael Pearson styled himself as a brash and bold executive with a new way of thriving in pharmaceuticals: buying other companies, slashing costs and sharply raising prices on undervalued drugs. The strategy had worked for years, as Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the company he ran, became an investor favorite. But by the end of 2015, Mr. Pearson and his companys strategy were emblematic, on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, of high drug prices and the pharmaceutical industrys worst impulses. On Monday, Mr. Pearson as a symbol of innovation hit a dead end, as Valeant said that he would step down as chief executive, a stunning fall from grace that could reverberate throughout the industry. The announcement was one in a series of changes made by the company, which faces a growing list of questions from both investors and regulators. The free app, PPD ACT, will be offered in the United States, Australia and Britain, and is likely to be extended to other countries, said Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, director of the University of North Carolinas perinatal psychiatry program and the projects leader. To make sure this is not just a study of iPhone-using people, Dr. Meltzer-Brody said, iPad versions of the app will be available in some urban and rural clinics, and patients who want to provide their DNA will right then and there be offered a spit kit. The app, to be promoted by Apple as an expansion of its ResearchKit software for medical data collection, poses questions about sadness, anxiety or panic after childbirth in an effort to assess whether women have experienced serious postpartum depression. Women with high scores are asked if they want to submit DNA; if so, they will be mailed a kit to donate their saliva. Names and email addresses will be required, Dr. Meltzer-Brody said, but the project will encrypt personal data. Once enough samples are collected, each will be individually genotyped for something like 600,000 genetic markers scattered throughout the genome, Dr. Sullivan said. The comparison group will be demographically similar women who have been pregnant at least twice but never experienced depression. Are there regions of the genome where women with postpartum depression differ systematically from women without? Dr. Sullivan asked. Anjene Addington, chief of the genomics research branch at the National Institute of Mental Health, which is providing the kits to collect saliva, said the project aimed to collect thousands of DNA samples from a diverse group of women. The appointment was approved on Monday by the City University of New Yorks board of trustees. Were having a moment in police and criminal justice reform in the United States, and the beating heart of police reform begins in New York, Dr. Goff said in an interview. New York is in the vanguard, and when you have the entire of New York City agreeing on the need for some kind of a change, thats a powerful thing. He will direct the center and also teach at John Jay. Mr. Travis said, John Jay is the most diverse of CUNYs senior colleges, so these issues involving interactions with the police are not far removed from the lives of our students. This research fits with the DNA of John Jay, he added. It also coincides with the Ford Foundations focus on inequality. Darren Walker, the foundations president, said one of its priorities was improving relations between communities of color and law enforcement. He described New York as a laboratory for policing practices and innovation in law enforcement. In 2014, John Jay, in partnership with Yale Law School and U.C.L.A., among others, received a $4.75 million grant from the Justice Department to establish the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice. Directed by David Kennedy, it has a goal of improving relationships between communities and the criminal justice system. Dr. Goff was one of the principal partners in the initiative. Dr. Goff, 38, an associate professor at U.C.L.A., is currently on leave as a visiting scholar at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. To the Editor: Owning Up to Torture, by Eric Fair, a former private contractor in Iraq (Sunday Review, March 20), is a chilling reminder of how easy it is to become a torturer yet how difficult it is to live as a former torturer. Combine a superiors order with vilifying the other in the midst of real or perceived danger, and almost anyone will torture. Americas core values and security demand that we choose leaders who have the wisdom and courage not to torture. Recent remarks by Donald Trump about torture demonstrate neither. We must reject such fear-mongering and hatred. ALLEN S. KELLER New York The writer, an associate professor at the N.Y.U. School of Medicine, is director of the Bellevue-N.Y.U. Program for Survivors of Torture. To the Editor: I was one in a relatively small cadre of Army interrogators for the first year of the Iraq war. Unlike the private-contract professionals who replaced us, we were bound by doctrine, the Geneva and Hague Conventions, the Law of Land Warfare, and, above all, a strong sense of American decency. Some political scientists say that empathy is not a crucial factor in presidential races, noting that personality traits dont correlate well with the results on Election Day. A candidate often wins despite an opponent who receives higher marks in polls asking how much each cares about the needs and problems of people like you. The voters indifference could reflect another problem with conventional wisdom: Empathy may not be such a great quality in a leader. Although the capacity to sympathize with others suffering is widely hailed as an essential virtue Mr. Obama has said the world is suffering from an empathy deficit theres a downside that has inspired a lively debate among social psychologists. The most prominent critic is Paul Bloom, a professor of psychology at Yale, who gave a talk at this years meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology titled Does Empathy Make Us Immoral? He readily acknowledges that empathy can inspire altruism that once you broaden your ambit of concern and empathize with the plight of others, in Mr. Obamas words, it becomes harder not to act, harder not to help. But whom do you end up helping? Often the wrong people, Dr. Bloom says, because empathy is biased and parochial. It favors vulnerable children and animals, and discriminates against unattractive people. Youre more likely to sympathize with someone in your social group rather than an outsider, especially one who looks different. Empathy is also innumerate, Dr. Bloom notes, which is why you may care more about one girl stuck in a well than thousands of war refugees or millions of people who will be affected by climate change. But some say the shortened timetables are unrealistic, given safety and other concerns and the need to test new designs before seeking approval from the commission. Its a 25-year process, no matter what, said Michael McGough, the chief commercial officer of NuScale Power, which is the furthest along among companies working on less conventional reactors. NuScales design, called a small modular reactor, uses water as a coolant, but the units are far smaller than current reactors and have advanced safety features. They could be built largely in a factory, saving money, and up to 12 of them could be installed at one site. Mr. McGough knows all about long timetables; NuScales design has been under development since 2000. It has lined up a potential first customer, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, or Uamps, which operates in the Intermountain West, and hopes to have 12 of the small reactors operating at a site in Idaho by the mid-2020s. Its improbable to me that you will see any new design developed or licensed in a much shorter time frame than the kind were on, Mr. McGough said. NuScale has been testing its design for 13 years, using a nonnuclear prototype. Later this year, it plans to submit an 11,000-page application to the N.R.C. to have its design certified. The commission then has up to 40 months to review the application. The certification process, and a later application by Uamps for a construction and operating license, could be delayed if the N.R.C. asks for more information. But even if all goes smoothly, the plant will produce only about half the electricity of many existing reactors. About 50 of these 12-reactor plants would be needed to replace the generating capacity that could be lost by 2035. Many in the industry hope that extending the licenses of existing reactors will forestall at least some closings. Nuclear plants were originally licensed for 40 years, but almost all have sought and received 20-year extensions. When it comes to the behavior of the federal government, Apple may want to revive its old slogan, Think Different. On Tuesday, lawyers for both the California computer company and the Justice Department will face off in a courtroom in Riverside, Calif. The issue: Whether Apple must break the encryption in a phone belonging to the gunman in last years mass shooting near San Bernardino. The F.B.I. wants to read his communications. As Katie Benner and Matt Apuzzo discuss, Apple is telling the government that computer code, even code written to scramble digital conversations, is a kind of free speech. Telling people what to write amounts to telling them what to say. The F.B.I., for its part, wants Apple to realize that new technology does not make obsolete powerful laws like the right to pursue a court-approved criminal investigation. Both sides expect the case will end up in the Supreme Court. RIVERSIDE, Calif. The Justice Department said on Monday that it might no longer need Apples assistance in opening an iPhone used by a gunman in the San Bernardino, Calif., rampage last year. The disclosure led a judge to postpone a court hearing over the issue and temporarily sidesteps what has become a bitter clash with the worlds most valuable publicly traded company. In a new court filing, the government said an outside party had demonstrated a way for the F.B.I. to possibly unlock the phone used by the gunman, Syed Rizwan Farook. The hearing in the contentious case Apple has loudly opposed opening the iPhone, citing privacy concerns and igniting a heated debate was originally set for Tuesday. While the Justice Department must test this method, if it works it should eliminate the need for the assistance from Apple, it said in its filing. The Justice Department added that it would file a status report by April 5 on its progress. RIVERSIDE, Calif. Just before Christmas in 2003, a twin-engine Cessna plane crashed into the Claremont, Calif., home of Sheri N. Pym. The house was destroyed and the pilot was killed. Judge Pym, then a lawyer in the United States attorneys office in Riverside, Calif., was unharmed, as were her husband and children. She was later matter-of-fact in recounting the tale. A plane crashed into my house. Not good, she told Stephen G. Larson, who was then a judge in the Federal District Court for the Central District of California. Someone else might get overly excited, but Sheri was incredibly steady, said Mr. Larson, now a local lawyer. She stays calm under pressure. Were preparing for the worst, said Scott Scholes, the associate vice president for enrollment management. As colleges across the country, including prestigious universities like the University of California, Berkeley, second-tier state universities and little-known private institutions, look to make up for budget cuts and declining enrollment by accepting more foreign students, the situation at Idaho State is a cautionary tale, an example of the complexities of integrating foreign students into a campus and a community. By some estimates, the one million international students in the United States generate a $30.5 billion boost to the economy. The largest group comes from China, but Saudi Arabia, the fourth-largest country of origin, supplies more than 70,000 students to schools like Arizona State, Western Kentucky, Cleveland State and Southern Illinois. Some of these institutions are particularly concerned about the impact of a recent announcement by the King Abdullah Scholarship Program, which supports most of the students from Saudi Arabia. The program is facing deep funding cuts, according to Moodys Investors Service, which said the scholarships would be limited to the top 100 American schools, an Academic Ranking of World Universities list that does not include Idaho State. The Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission to the United States, which administers the scholarship program, did not respond to requests for comment. Mr. Scholes said new limits established by the Saudi and Kuwaiti governments might mean that no Middle Eastern freshmen will be arriving at Idaho State for the next academic year, cutting enrollment by more than 250, on top of the 100 Saudi students who have already departed. The latest New York Times/CBS News Poll is based on telephone interviews conducted from March 17 to 20 with 1,252 adults throughout the United States. Of those, 1,058 said they were registered to vote. SSRS of Media, Pa., conducted sampling, interviewing and tabulation for the survey. Interviews were in English or Spanish. The sample of landline telephone exchanges called was randomly selected by a computer from a complete list of more than 82,000 active residential exchanges across the country, maintained by MSG of Horsham, Pa. The exchanges were chosen so as to ensure that each region of the country was represented in its proper proportion. Within each exchange, random digits were added to form a complete telephone number, thus permitting access to listed and unlisted numbers alike. Within each landline household, one adult was designated by a random procedure to be the respondent for the survey. SENATE TV - AP CLIENTS ONLY Washington - 17 March 2016 SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader: When it comes to filling the current Supreme Court vacancy, which could fundamentally alter the direction of the courts for a generation, Republicans and Democrats just simply disagree. Republicans think the people deserve a voice in this critical decision, the President does not. So we disagree in this instance and as a result we logically act as a check and balance. Theres no reason one area of disagreement should stop us from other areas of agreement. Well continue our work in the Senate as the American people make their voices heard in this important national conversation. // AP TELEVISION 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Harry Reid, Minority Leader: Merrick Garland is a fine man in every way, his character is impeccable, his record of public service is unsurpassed and his time on the bench has been really very exemplary. All were asking is for the Republicans to do their jobs, now Mitch McConnell set out and he did it publicly, his number one goal was to make sure Obama was not re-elected, he failed at that miserably, just like hes going to fail miserably here. We are going to have a Supreme Court justice, its the right thing to do and McConnell leading his troops, hes leading them over the cliff, and theyre going to rue the day they fall in over the cliff. // SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D) New York: Judge Garland is a widely respected legal mind who puts the law above ideology, exactly the type of nominee that Republicans profess to love when it comes to the Supreme Court. You simply cant lay a glove on him. So Republicans continue to stand in the way and refuse to do their job, it will only be because they want Donald Trump to pick the next nominee. Occasionally, Republicans may try to distance themselves from him with their words, but their failure to do their job and give Judge Garland the consideration he deserves, ties them to Trump in a way they cannot untangle. If the Republicans in the Senate want to continue to tie themselves to Donald Trump, so be it. Donald Trump wont make America great again, but he will make Republicans the minority again. Alarmed by the harsh attacks and negative tone of their presidential contest, broad majorities of Republican primary voters view their party as divided and a source of embarrassment and think that the campaign is more negative than in the past, according to a New York Times/CBS News national poll released on Monday. The dismay has not set back their leading candidate, however. While about four in 10 Republican voters disapprove of how Donald J. Trump has handled the violence at some of his rallies, Mr. Trump has also picked up the most support recently as several rivals have left the race. Forty-six percent of primary voters said they would like to see Mr. Trump as the partys nominee, more than at any point since he declared his candidacy in June. Twenty-six percent favored Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and 20 percent backed Gov. John Kasich of Ohio. Fully three-quarters of Republican primary voters expect Mr. Trump to be their partys nominee. Compared with Republicans, far more Democratic primary voters see their side as unified and say the campaign has made them feel mostly proud of their party. Yet Democrats are more sharply divided over their candidates. Hillary Clinton has only a slight edge over Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and growing numbers of Democratic primary voters are more excited about Mr. Sanders as their possible nominee. In the past month, the level of enthusiasm for Mrs. Clinton among Democratic voters has fallen eight percentage points to 40 percent, while it has grown for Mr. Sanders by 12 percentage points to 56 percent. Still, more than seven in 10 Democratic voters expect Mrs. Clinton to win the nomination. Mondays argument, before the eight justices who remain after Justice Antonin Scalias death last month, seemed to be headed for a similar outcome. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. at one point tried to boil down the cases central question. If race and partisanship are coextensive, which one predominates? he asked a lawyer for the voters who had challenged the voting district and won before a three-judge panel of the Federal District Court in Richmond. We would lose if its a tie, but in this case there is no tie, said the lawyer, Marc E. Elias. Virginia had defended the legislative map but switched sides in the Supreme Court. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. suggested that a change in administrations might have played a role in the states evolving litigation strategy. Stuart A. Raphael, the states solicitor general, said that was not so. Mr. Raphael added that the state would ordinarily resist officious intermeddlers seeking to intervene in a case to press the position it had abandoned. But he said Republican legislators who claimed to have been hurt by a court-ordered plan that replaced the legislative map were entitled to intervene. Are we happy about it? he said. No. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she doubted that the legislators had suffered the sort of direct and concrete injury that gave them standing to sue. If they had standing, she added, so would countless politicians. Every time your district is changed and you believe it hurts you, you have a right to go to court? she asked. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an unusual lawsuit challenging Colorados legalization of recreational marijuana and told a Massachusetts court to take a new look at a Second Amendment case involving stun guns. In the marijuana case, two states sought to use a rare procedure to attack the Colorado law, asking the justices to allow them to file a lawsuit directly in the Supreme Court. The Constitution gives the court such original jurisdiction to hear disputes between states, but the court uses it sparingly, most often to adjudicate boundary disputes or water rights. The State of Colorado authorizes, oversees, protects and profits from a sprawling $100-million-per-month marijuana growing, processing and retailing organization that exported thousands of pounds of marijuana to some 36 states in 2014, two neighboring states, Nebraska and Oklahoma, told the court. If this entity were based south of our border, the federal government would prosecute it as a drug cartel. In 2012, Colorado voters amended the states Constitution to allow recreational use of marijuana and to regulate its sale and distribution. Nebraska and Oklahoma did not challenge the laws decriminalization of the drugs possession and use, but said other parts of the law were at odds with federal law and had vast spillover effects, taxing neighboring states criminal justice systems and hurting the health of their residents. WASHINGTON The Justice Department has closed its espionage investigation into the former American diplomat Robin L. Raphel and will file no charges, her lawyer said on Monday, ending a case that had put her under a cloud of suspicion over her ties to Pakistan for more than a year. F.B.I. agents raided Ms. Raphels home and office in 2014, looking for evidence that she was spying for Islamabad, which Ms. Raphel adamantly denied. It was clear from the outset that this investigation was based on a fundamental misunderstanding, the lawyer, Amy Jeffress, said in a statement that sharply criticized government officials for revealing details of the investigation to reporters. She added: It is of the utmost importance to our national security that our diplomats be able to do their work without fearing that their routine diplomatic communications will subject them to criminal investigation. Unidentified assailants attacked a hotel on Monday that is used by European Union military officials in Bamako, the capital of Mali, an African nation that has struggled with recurrent instability and assaults by Islamist militants. The European Unions military mission in Mali said in a Twitter post that its headquarters there had been attacked but that no casualties among its personnel had been reported and that it was securing the area. The mission is housed in the Nord-Sud hotel, in a section of Bamako frequented by foreigners. PARIS The International Criminal Court convicted a Congolese politician, Jean-Pierre Bemba, of war crimes and crimes against humanity on Monday, finding him culpable for a devastating campaign of rape, murder and torture in the Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003. A panel of three judges convicted Mr. Bemba of murder and pillaging, and defined the large-scale rape by his soldiers as a crime against humanity and as a war crime. Other international courts, including the United Nations tribunals for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda, have issued convictions for rape as a war crime and a crime against humanity but Monday was the first time the International Criminal Court, in The Hague, had done so. Largely because of pressure from human rights advocates and womens groups, organized or mass rape is increasingly being recognized and prosecuted as a weapon of war, not as a byproduct of it. HAVANA President Obama stood beside President Raul Castro on Monday and declared a new day of openness between the United States and Cuba, but old grievances and disputes over human rights marred a groundbreaking meeting and underscored lingering impediments to a historic thaw. The two presidents, meeting at the Revolutionary Palace for the first such official contact between their two governments in more than a half-century, engaged in a frank and at times awkward exchange with each other and reporters. Mr. Obama at turns prodded Mr. Castro to submit to questions during an extraordinary 55-minute news conference. Standing at lecterns in a cavernous granite-walled hall in front of Cuban and American flags, the two leaders traded criticism of each others countries even as both said they were committed to continuing on the path to normalizing relations. One pressing question facing the city is what to do with the people who still live in the bunkers. Estimates of their numbers range from 150,000 to a million. Nearly every apartment building in the Digua Shequ centers neighborhood has a former shelter or a basement. Most of the residential units in them are rented out for 500 to 900 renminbi a month, or roughly $77 to $138 about one-third of what it would cost to live aboveground. Workers wages arent rising as fast as the cost of living, said Xu Tong, who both rents out and lives in an underground space in eastern Beijing. If you get rid of these basement units, where will the migrants live? Government data shows that migrant workers wages increased about 14 percent in 2014 from a year earlier, compared with a nearly 22 percent increase in their cost of living. Mr. Xus lease illustrates the uncertainty about how serious the governments ban on underground dwellings is: Although the new rule takes effect in 2017, his contract does not expire until 2019. Migrant workers use of the former bomb shelters remains a delicate topic. After The New York Times submitted an interview request to the neighborhood committee, Mr. Zhou said, an official there who supports the project called him and recommended that he not mention the floating population or northern drifters two euphemisms for migrant workers. So far, Digua Shequs work remains an exceptional case for having legally repurposed the spaces under the new rules. Currently, the Civil Air Defense Department of Beijing grants one-year leases on former bomb shelters to individuals and companies. The order to end residential use means that some stand to lose a source of revenue, as few local officials and landlords are willing to spend to transform the units into commercial spaces. As a result, many shelters and basements occupied before the ban was announced are still being quietly rented out as housing. HONG KONG The police in China say they have uncovered a criminal ring suspected of selling improperly stored vaccines in dozens of provinces. After the arrest of a former doctor and her daughter in Shandong Province, in eastern China, the police said they were searching for 300 suspects across the country. More than 20 people have been detained since last year or are on bail in connection with the case, the state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday. The former doctor in Shandong was convicted of illegally selling vaccines in 2009 and was given a suspended three-year prison sentence, according to The Paper, an online news organization that first reported on the case. But rather than halt her activities after her conviction, the suspect, who has been identified by only her surname, Pang, apparently enlisted her daughter to expand the vaccine sales, officials said. JAKARTA, Indonesia Chinas Coast Guard rammed one of the countrys fishing boats to pry it free from the Indonesian authorities who had seized it over the weekend, angering the Indonesian government and heightening yet another diplomatic dispute over the South China Sea. The boat was stopped for fishing illegally in Indonesias waters and was being towed to port when the Chinese took it back, leaving its crew in the hands of Indonesia. Jakarta reacted with uncharacteristic fury, summoning the Chinese ambassador to a meeting on Monday. The high-seas confrontation also indicated that Indonesia might be toughening its stance toward China in the region. It began at 10 p.m. on Saturday when a special task force vessel operated by the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries caught a Chinese fishing boat within Indonesias maritime 200-mile exclusive economic zone, off the Natuna Islands northwest of Borneo, said Arrmanatha Nasir, a spokesman for Indonesias Foreign Ministry. COPENHAGEN Anker Jorgensen, a former prime minister of Denmark who opposed the Vietnam War and favored establishing a Palestinian state, has died. He was 93. Mr. Jorgensens party, the Social Democrats, announced his death but did not provide the date or the cause. Mr. Jorgensen led Danish governments in 1972 and 1973 and from 1975 to 1982, a time when Denmark was marred by political turmoil and economic problems. He resigned in 1982 after failing to get support for tax increases and spending cuts he had proposed to deal with the ailing economy. He was a trade union leader with no government experience when he was picked to succeed Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag, who resigned for personal reasons in 1972. A proposal by a British government agency to let the Internet suggest a name for a $287 million polar research ship probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, the agency is the latest group to see what happens when web users are asked to unleash their creative energy: R.R.S. Boaty McBoatface is a clear front-runner. People quickly disregarded the more dignified names suggested by the Natural Environment Research Council Shackleton, Endeavour, Falcon. Instead the contest became the latest in the Internets long, storied history to end up with social media users gleefully offering ridiculous names to government-funded projects. The initiatives are often hilarious but dont often succeed. Remember when Slovak lawmakers overrode the publics vote in 2012 to rename a pedestrian bridge after the actor Chuck Norris? Or the debacle in Austin, Tex., a year earlier, when people unsuccessfully tried to name the citys waste management service after Limp Bizkits frontman, Fred Durst? PARIS The French-German couple has always been assumed to be the engine of the European Union, the crucial team at the heart of a sprawling, unruly family of 28 nations. But in recent months, if not years, the tandem has become visibly lopsided. As Germany takes the lead on crisis after crisis from the euro to migration the question keeps popping up: Where is France? Why has France not stepped up to make the voice of Germanys main partner heard, even as the migration crisis turns into a nightmare and threatens Europes very existence? asked the French newspaper Le Monde on March 6, just as Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany began a final push to make the migration deal with Turkey, which was reached Friday. The reasons for Frances muted role on the migration issue are connected to domestic politics, said Pascale Joannin, general manager at the Robert Schuman Foundation, a think tank based in Paris that focuses on the European Union. PARIS The Belgian authorities on Monday identified a man suspected of being an accomplice of Salah Abdeslam, who was captured on Friday and charged with terrorist murder in the Paris attacks of Nov. 13. They had asked for the publics help in finding him. The man was identified as Najim Laachraoui, 24, a Belgian citizen who went to Syria in February 2013. Mr. Laachraoui, going by the name Soufiane Kayal, was one of two men using fake Belgian identification cards who were with Mr. Abdeslam in a Mercedes on Sept. 9 as they passed through a checkpoint between Hungary and Austria. Twice that month, Mr. Abdeslam traveled to the Hungarian capital, Budapest, using a rental car. A man using the false identity of Soufiane Kayal later rented a house in the town of Auvelais, about 30 miles south of Brussels, that was searched on Nov. 26. The authorities found Mr. Laachraouis DNA at the house in Auvelais and also at a house on Rue Henri Berge, in the Schaerbeek section of Brussels, that was searched on Dec. 10. In the property on Rue Henri Berge, investigators found traces of TATP, which has become the signature explosive for Islamic State operations in Europe. TATP can be made with common household products and was an ingredient in the suicide vests used in the Paris assaults. Mr. Abdeslams fingerprints were also found at the house. DONETSK, Russia A Russian judge on Monday adjourned the reading of the verdict in the politically charged case against Nadiya V. Savchenko, a captured Ukrainian military pilot, until Tuesday morning. Ms. Savchenko is accused of directing artillery fire that killed two Russian journalists during a battle between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist militias in eastern Ukraine in 2014. She has said she was captured by the separatists before the shelling occurred. The case has acquired symbolic weight in both Russia and Ukraine, and has highlighted the strained relations between Moscow and the West. Her lawyers said they had no doubt that their client would be convicted and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. European officials have repeatedly demanded that the Russian government release Ms. Savchenko. Exactly how they reached Israel, which has no diplomatic relations with Yemen, largely remains a mystery. Two countries that long facilitated Jewish emigration from Yemen, the United States and Britain, closed their embassies in Sana last year, as did many other Western countries. Saudi Arabia, which has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, has imposed a naval and air blockade of Yemen. All traffic to and from Yemen is supposed to be checked by the Saudis, including flights, which stop in Saudi Arabia for inspection while traveling to or from Sana. Image The Jewish immigrants from Yemen brought a centuries-old Torah scroll. Credit... Arielle Di-Porto/The Jewish Agency for Israel It was not clear whether the Yemeni Jews had left by air or sea for the first leg of their journey. Israeli officials remained tight-lipped on the subject, possibly to protect the route in case the Jews who remained behind decide at a later date to emigrate. Arielle Di Porto, the director of Jewish immigration from distressed countries at the Jewish Agency, who coordinated the journey of the Yemeni Jews and met them upon their arrival in Israel, said only that the recent immigrants had not arrived on an Israeli plane. The new arrivals were taken to a so-called absorption center in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, and they have been reunited with relatives. The family from Sana that arrived late Sunday is related to Aharon Zindani, who was killed in what was believed to be an anti-Semitic attack in 2012, the agency said. It said that it had arranged for Mr. Zindanis wife and children to emigrate soon after his murder, and that it had arranged for Mr. Zindanis remains to be brought to Israel for burial. I visited Brazil late last year expecting to sample moqueca (moe-KAY-cuh), a tropical fish stew, on its home turf and to bring back a recipe. I ordered it in several restaurants and surveyed the ingredients in the huge city market in Salvador, the capital of the Brazilian state Bahia, where fish and vegetables were piled high amid stalls of mangoes, sausages and candles used for religious practices, both Catholic and African. A few of the elements of the dish may be unfamiliar to Americans, but they convey the essence of Brazilian cuisine. The dende oil, or red palm oil, used as an enrichment and flavoring, brings the moqueca to life. It was once all but impossible to find outside the country; now you can order it online. The farofa, an accompaniment, is ubiquitous in Brazil and adds body to the stew. Both are worth the effort to include. BASEL, Switzerland Each year, some 150,000 industry insiders and haute horlogerie fanatics descend upon this small town, near the German and French borders, for Baselworld, the biggest watch fair in the world. But amid the relentless clinking of Champagne glasses, flashy showcases and sequin-encrusted models cruising the floor with multimillion-dollar showstoppers, the mood at the fair this year was, according to its regulars, more subdued than at fairs past. The atmosphere is not great, said Jean-Claude Biver, the chief executive of TAG Heuer, talking at a media preview. I think Baselworld this year will not be that bad, but it wont be one of the best. Because of currency fluctuations, slowing demand from China and a slump in traveler spending, full-year Swiss watch exports fell 3.3 percent to 21.5 billion Swiss francs ($22.1 billion) in 2015, eroding much of the industrys growth since 2012. Having resolved on the coast of Maine to write about the world, Dillard took Walden for her model, a debt she acknowledges in Heaven and Earth in Jest, the opening chapter of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, to which in The Abundance shes given a more down-to-earth title, On Foot in Virginias Roanoke Valley. (Many of the alterations Dillard has made to her early work show an inclination to temper her youthful exuberances, tone things down, simplify. Living Like Weasels, a favorite with anthologists, is now The Weasel.) Like Thoreau, she exhibits in those early essays a knack for aphorism and parable. Like him, she makes her suburban surroundings seem wilder than they were, her adventures more solitary than they were, her pilgrims persona more self-reliantly masculine than she was or he was. Emerson exhorted poets to magnify the small and micrify the great, and Dillard knows as well as anyone, Thoreau included, how to put that bit of Emersonian theory into practice. Consider, for instance, the frog. If youve read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, you know the frog Im talking about, the one that makes a memorable appearance in the essay formerly known as Heaven and Earth in Jest an appearance and disappearance both. Once youve read the relevant passage, watched the frog deflate and crumple before your eyes as a giant water bug turns it into an amphibian smoothie and sucks it dry, you cant unread the passage, the side effects of which as is often the case with Dillard can be long-lasting. Its a reviewers commonplace to praise a writers prose as hallucinogenic, but in Dillards case, the adjective fits: Her essays have been known to induce in their users visions of dreamlike intensity. Even then, in the early 1970s, when she was writing under the influence of Thoreau, she was beginning to emerge from under it. She may be a latter-day Transcendentalist, but the century that separates her from her precursors matters. She knows her Thoreau, her Dickinson, her Merton, her Ecclesiastes, her Book of Job; she also knows her Darwin, her Einstein, her Oppenheimer, her luciferin and her luciferase. With others of her postwar, post-Hiroshima, post-Holocaust generation Joan Didion comes to mind she shares an apocalyptic streak. Walden is auroral, as if written by dawns light. The Abundance is crepuscular. Darkness keeps falling across the page. Readers seeking pretty glimpses of heaven on earth will find little comfort here. Humor, yes. And a fair portion of the beautiful and the sublime. A great deal of the sublime. But little comfort. Dillard has said she prefers what Neoplatonic Christians called the via negativa, the doubtful path to God. She may believe in a created universe, not an accidental one, but she does so while making herself stare and making her readers stare into the unthinkable void of space and time. In arranging her retrospective exhibit, Dillard has abjured chronological order. The essays she wrote first arrive late. She chooses to begin instead with Total Eclipse and to end with An Expedition to the Pole, a pair of essays from her 1982 book Teaching a Stone to Talk. Together, framing the collection, these two essays lend it the shape of a Divine Comedy. Total Eclipse at first appears to be an account of the astronomical event named in the title, and for another writer John McPhee, say the astronomical event alone would have more than sufficed, but Dillard is a metaphysician, not an empiricist. Her preferred method is to transform, through the alchemy of metaphor, natural phenomena into spiritual ones. In her hands, the total eclipse, observed from a hillside in Washingtons Yakima Valley, becomes a descent into an underworld, a region of dread. Images of deep-sea diving recur. Blotting out the sun, the moon, like a mushroom cloud, obliterates meaning itself. The essay is her Inferno. In An Expedition to the Pole, she counterpoints the history of polar exploration with a visit to a New Age Catholic church where the Mass is performed to the accompaniment of a folksy singalong. I would rather, I think, undergo the famous dark night of the soul, she writes, than encounter in church the dread hootenanny. Who wouldnt? And yet, as she braids these two threads, the hootenanny and the expedition to the pole, they begin to combine and mingle in astonishing ways like firefly enzymes, perhaps. An extended metaphor emerges, a kinship between worship and polar exploration that grows increasingly hallucinatory, until by the essays end, literalizing her metaphor, Dillard delivers us into a comical fantasia: The congregants of the Catholic church are now sharing an ice floe with survivors of doomed expeditions, and Dillards pilgrim of a narrator is banging a tambourine, joining in on the jamboree as she goes drifting toward the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility for which she has been searching in the mountains and along the seacoasts for years. This is nonfiction? Yes. Its also Dillards Paradiso, as close to heaven on earth as she ever gets. New York Universitys Center for the Study of Transformative Lives will co-host novelists Jamaica Kincaid, Colum McCann, and Salman Rushdie, as well as biographers and New York Times Ethicist and NYU Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah, as part of its Spring Event Series. The events on March 31 and April 26 are free and open to the public. Those on April 27, part of this years PEN World Voices Festival, will include a ticket charge. Registration is required for all programs. For more information, please email transformative.lives@nyu.edu or call 212.998.4291. March 31, 7 p.m.: The Life and Work of Albert Camus, with Elizabeth Hawes Elizabeth Hawes, author of the recent biography Camus, A Romance, discusses her pursuit of Camus and his impact on his readers. Co-hosted with PEN America. NYUs Center for Ballet and the Arts, 20 Cooper Square, 2nd Floor (between 5th and 6th Sts.) April 26, 6 p.m.: Exiles: A Portrait of Mid-20th Century Intellectual Diaspora What do the last centurys most gifted refugeesHannah Arendt, Stefan Zweig, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Arthur Koestler, Herbert Marcuse, and Walter Benjaminhave to teach us about the trials and frequent triumphs of those fleeing political terror? Their biographers weigh in. With Evelyn Barish on Paul De Man; George Prochnik on Stefan Zweig; Michael Scammel on Alexander Solzhenitsyn; and Richard Wolin on Martin Heidegger. Moderated by Anne Heller. Co-hosted with the NYU Biography Seminar, New York Institute for the Humanities, and PEN World Voices. NYUs Center for Ballet and the Arts, 16 Cooper Square (between 5th and 6th Sts.) April 27, 6 p.m.: Ex-Pats: Life and Letters in a New World What does it mean for writers to be uprooted from their birthland and change their language? How do they adapt to life in America? Negotiating between two cultures creates a tension that, for the most nimble, can have a galvanizing effect, as leading expat authors explore in this panel. With Kwame Anthony Appiah, Marlon James, Jamaica Kincaid, Valeria Luiselli, and Colum McCann. Moderated by Eric Banks. Co-hosted with the NYU Biography Seminar, New York Institute for the Humanities, and PEN World Voices. Instituto Cervantes, 211 East 49th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Aves.) April 27, 8 p.m.: In ConversationBarbara Goldsmith and Salman Rushdie "When Does an Adopted Home Become Home?" Born in India and living in the United States, Salman Rushdie, a Distinguished Writer in Residents at NYUs Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, blends two cultures into a single language without borders. The PEN World Voices Festival founder is interviewed by acclaimed author Barbara Goldsmith. Co-hosted with the NYU Biography Seminar, New York Institute for the Humanities, and PEN World Voices. NYUs School of Law, Tishman Auditorium, 40 Washington Square South (between MacDougal and Sullivan Sts.) EDITORS NOTE: The Center for the Study of Transformative Lives at New York University fosters research, teaching, and education centering on the lives of exemplary individuals whose dedication, genius, and moral vision helped shape the course of human events. The work of the Center is motivated by the conviction that the example of a great and good life, studied in depth and at length, can become a guiding influence on peoples lives today as they confront their own choices, decisions, and opportunities. Focusing on well-known and less-well-known figures from the present and the past, students and researchers study inspiring individuals in the context of their times and the circles in which they moved, using them as powerful lenses through which to view history and understand societal change. For more, go to: http://www.transformativelives.org/. Report highlights risks of Government policies for young children 21 March 2016A report showing that there is an increased risk for young children in full-time childcare highlights the risks of the Governments bums on seats approach to funding early childhood education, says NZEI Te Riu Roa National President Louise Green.In 2010 the Government froze funding and at the same time removed funding for 100 percent qualified teachers in ECE.Since then early childhood services committed to maintaining 100 percent qualified teachers have struggled and there has been a massive increase in private services that do not have 100 percent qualified teachers.The Brainwave report says that the quality of early childhood education is most important for those who are vulnerable but that vulnerable children are less likely to have access to it.We know quality ECE is crucial for young children and that poor quality ECE has cumulative and ongoing negative effects.Thats why the government needs to lift its funding freeze on early childhood education and reinstate funding for centres and kindergartens so that all teachers can be qualified.This report shows the damage to children of a policy that has a quantitative target of having 98 percent of children in ECE but no provision or funding for ensuring quality.The best indicators of quality ECE include qualified teaching, low teacher to child ratios and small group numbers.NZEI also supports Sue Moroneys private members bill to introduce 26 weeks paid parental leave so parents can choose to stay home with young babies. LOS ANGELES The attorney for a man charged with killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl in the Grim Sleeper trial in Los Angeles repeatedly shouted at the judge in the case Monday and refused to proceed. Defense attorney Seymour Amster and the lead prosecutor spent nearly two hours Monday heatedly arguing over a number of points in the trial of Lonnie Franklin Jr., who has pleaded not guilty to 10 murders between 1985 and 2007. The back-and-forth, which jurors did not see, escalated into an outburst by Amster after Judge Kathleen Kennedy ruled that he would have to refile a subpoena to make it narrower. I am now going to rest. We have no defense, Seymour said to gasps in the courtroom. I cannot represent this man any further. After Kennedy questioned Amster further, he shouted twice that he was resting. When he began pacing and pushed a chair into a table, three courtroom deputies moved in closer to him. The tension eased after Kennedy calmly told Amster to stop yelling at her and they discussed how to move forward. Amster repeatedly said earlier that he didnt want to have a stroke during the trial, citing the stress involved. Im not asking you to have a stroke, the judge told him. Im asking you to do your job. After a short break, Amster began his opening statement to jurors, honing in on DNA that didnt match his client. Amster told jurors that many victims had DNA on their bodies from as many as five male contributors, and many samples didnt match Franklin. Prosecutor Beth Silverman told jurors last month that Franklins DNA was connected to a number of the victims and that all the cases were either linked through DNA or firearms evidence. Silverman showed jurors a photo of the only known survivor of the Grim Sleeper attacks. The photo showed a woman with a gunshot wound to her chest, slouched over in a car. The Polaroid was found in Franklins possession when he was arrested in 2010. The 10 murder victims in the case were between 15 and 35 years old. Their bodies were dumped in alleys and garbage bins in south Los Angeles, some naked, some covered with mattresses and trash. Most had been shot in the chest after some type of sexual contact, others strangled. Autopsies showed all but one had cocaine in their systems. Some had turned to prostitution. Silverman told jurors that Franklin took advantage of the crack cocaine epidemic in south Los Angeles, targeting women willing to sell their bodies and their souls in order to gratify their dependency on this powerful drug. The Grim Sleeper nickname was coined because of an apparent 14-year gap in the murders between 1988 and 2002. Police have dueling theories about the gap. Some think the killings stopped after one intended victim survived in 1988, scaring off the attacker. Other investigators believe there were more victims but their bodies just werent found. The Grim Sleeper was among at least three serial killers who stalked Los Angeles-area women during the crack cocaine epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s. The attacks were dubbed the Southside Slayer killings before authorities concluded more than one attacker was involved. Ever since the Industrial Revolution began in the United Kingdom about 250 years ago, industry after industry has been transformed or demolished by new technologies. Economist Joseph Schumpeter called the process creative destruction. But despite dislocations and hardships, progress first to machines, in recent decades to computers and information technology has propelled great increases in wealth, especially for the poorest among us. Thats shown clearly by the increased lifespans that everywhere went with the new machines. Which is why we encourage the California Legislature to pass two bills that reduce regulations for ride-booking companies, such as Uber and Lyft. One is Assembly Bill 1360, by Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, where both those companies are headquartered. It would allow ride-booking companies to charge individual fares for group rides carpooling with up to seven passengers. And AB828, by Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low of Campbell, in the heart of Silicon Valley, excludes ride-booking vehicles from the definition of commercial vehicle, meaning the driver would not need to have a commercial license. Both of these bills seem pretty obvious to us, especially given the inflexibility of bus and trolley networks and the need to reduce traffic and pollution. Unfortunately, though the bills have passed the Assembly overwhelmingly, the Los Angeles Times reported they have stalled in the Senates Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, where the chairman is state Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego. Why? Two of Sen. Huesos brothers own USA Cab in San Diego, which faces stiff competition from Uber and Lyft. Since his election to the Legislature more than five years ago, the Democratic lawmaker has pushed for stiffer regulation of rideshare companies, the Times said. Its the worst sort of crony capitalism. Sen. Hueso said his committee would hear the bills by June, giving proponents just a couple of weeks before the Legislature goes on recess. His fellow Democrats, and not just from the Bay Area, need to tell him to get out of the path of progress, and let these bills pass. Contact the writer: A WARSAW, Poland A court in Poland on Monday refused to drop a case against two British teenagers caught stealing from the Nazi Auschwitz death camp and has referred it to a lower court. Initially, the 17-year-old teenagers from Hertfordshire, in southern England, pleaded guilty to charges of stealing items from the historic site while on a school trip in June and were seeking settlement. They were allowed to return home. But later their lawyers argued that the case should be thrown out, because the teenagers were not aware that the objects they took from the site of the former camps warehouses had special historic value. The objects included part of an old hair-cutting machine, two pieces of reinforced glass from the warehouses and some buttons. A court in the southern city of Krakow admitted the items were of no special historic value, but ordered a court in Oswiecim, where the former camp is located, to weigh charges of simple theft. The verdict is subject to appeal. Pawel Sawicki, of the museums press office, said the authorities of the Auschwitz Museum are considering an appeal in which they would stress that any objects coming from the site are of special value to history and to culture. Polish courts have handed out suspended prison terms and heavy fines to people convicted of stealing objects from Auschwitz, including to an elderly Israeli couple caught in 2011 and a German teacher caught in 2014. In the most dramatic theft, the ominous Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Makes You Free) sign was stolen from the former death camps historic gate in 2009. It was found days later, cut into pieces. The Poles who stole it and the Swedish man who instigated them were sentenced to prison. Between 1940 and 1945 the German Nazis killed more than 1.1 million people in the camp. The victims were mainly European Jews, but also Russian prisoners of war, Poles, Gypsies and others. The body of Louis F. Louie Cardin of Temecula, a Marine who died in an attack at an Iraqi base on March 19, arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Monday, according to the Department of Defense. It arrived at 9 a.m. PST. Major Patrick Simmons with the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Public Affairs Office said the body will be sent to a medical examiner and turned over to the family later this week. Its going to take several days, he said. Cardin, a graduate of Chaparral High in Temecula, joined the Marines in 2006 as a field artilleryman and deployed to Afghanistan three times. Staff Sgt. Cardins latest deployment, to Iraq, ended Saturday, March 19, when he and several other members of his unit were hit with enemy rocket fire at a base in Makhmour, a town southeast of Mosul. The attack happened near the front line with the Islamic State. Cardins death was the second in the campaign against the militants, according to the U.S. military and Iraqi officials. A senior Iraqi army officer in Makhmour said two rockets landed about 8:20 a.m. Saturday on the U.S. camp, a small, closely guarded facility where American advisers have been based for several months helping Iraqi army and peshmerga forces battle Islamic State fighters nearby and preparing for an offensive to recapture the key Iraqi city of Mosul. Several other Marines also were injured in the rocket attack, according to a Pentagon statement. Cardin had been assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Pentagon officials said Sunday. Vincent Cardin, 33, of Hemet, recalled his younger brother, who would have turned 28 on April 27, as a funny man. He said he most recently heard from his brother March 10 via a Facebook message, when the siblings discussed getting their mother a ring for her birthday containing all of their birthstones. The kids grew up in Anza and Aguanga before moving to Temecula, Cardin said. Louis Cardin was not married and had no children. A federal agency has moved to permanently close a Laguna Niguel company accused of illegally charging students upfront fees and deceiving customers about the cost of their services. Student Loan Processing.US, which also operated under the name IrvineWebWorks, is accused of charging fees before performing any service and falsely alleging an affiliation with the Department of Education, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Last Tuesday the agency asked a federal court to issue a final judgment that would permanently shut down the company. If approved, the company and its owner, Jim Krause, would be banned from any future involvement in debt relief and could be ordered to pay back thousands of dollars to thousands customers affected by the business. Student Loan Processing.US and its owner, James Krause, preyed upon students looking for loan repayment help and fleeced them out of millions, the bureaus director Richard Cordray said in a statement. The company was in business at least since May of 2011 and had customers across the nation. In December of 2014 the CFPB filed a lawsuit against Student Loan Processing.US. The companys owner Jim Krause did not return emails or phone calls seeking comment. Contact the writer: lwilliams@ocregister.com, 714-796-2286 President Obamas pick for the Supreme Court is very unlikely to get a hearing, much less to be confirmed, by the Republican-controlled Senate this year. But a few Republican senators have indicated theyd be willing to at least meet with Judge Merrick Garland and one, Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, has said he thinks Garland should get a vote. (Maine Sen. Susan Collins has called for a hearing.) Theres a possibility, however remote, that more GOP senators could split with their party and endorse Garlands consideration. All this has raised questions of whether Republicans are softening on their blockade. To be honest, it doesnt seem like it. Meeting with a Supreme Court nominee is not the same thing as voting for a Supreme Court nominee. Plus, the most important person in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., has consistently maintained that the Senate will not consider Obamas nominee. And if McConnell doesnt bring Garlands confirmation up for a vote, it wont come up for a vote. But if theres one thing this election cycle has taught us, its never say never. There are foreseen and unforeseen political events that could change Republicans calculations. So with the caveat that all of this or none of this could happen, here are four scenarios that could make Senate Republicans switch course and consider Obamas Supreme Court nominee, ranked in order of most to least likely. 1. Independents in swing states get riled up Make no mistake: Nearly every calculation made by both sides during this confirmation battle is rooted in electoral politics. Thats because the stakes are high. In November, the White House, the Senate and possibly the ideological swing of the Supreme Court is up for grabs. Senate Democrats think Republicans obstruction of Garland is a winning campaign issue, especially when they can tie it to Donald Trump. They plan to hammer vulnerable Republican incumbents, like Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Rob Portman of Ohio and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, in their home states with this message: Your senator isnt doing his or her job. Theyre doing Trumps bidding instead. Its a safe bet that operation wont change the minds of many partisan voters. The open question is what independents will do. Democrats are betting the Supreme Court drama will sway these voters toward Democrats. Republicans are betting it wont. If Republicans are wrong and they sense a groundswell of opposition to their plan, Senate leaders could conceivably switch course and allow hearings possibly even a vote. Keeping control of the Senate, after all, is their top priority. These are tough optics, I will admit, Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., told CBS. For what its worth, a recent Washington Post poll (taken before Obama nominated Garland) showed that independents think, by a margin of 2-to-1, that the Senate should hold hearings. 2. Republican senators meet with Garland and like him Following Obamas nomination of Garland, at least six GOP senators have indicated or even said outright theyd be willing to meet with the judge, despite the fact McConnell has said he wouldnt. Optimistic Democrats might read that as a sign that Republicans are starting to see the light that Obama picked the most qualified person for the job, and if Republicans sit down with him, theyll agree and maybe even convince their colleagues to hear him out. This, too, is plausible. Garland has received praise in the past from Republicans, and seven sitting GOP senators voted to confirm him to the D.C. Circuit Court in 1997. But those same Republicans who said theyll sit down with Garland have also indicated their meeting is not an indication theyre changing their mind about him. In fact, some have said they will meet with him just to tell Garland they wont consider him. If I can meet with a dictator in Uganda, said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chair of the Senate committee that would hold hearings on Garland, I can surely meet with a decent person in America. 3. Hillary Clinton is our next president So what happens if President-elect Hillary Clinton indicates shell nominate a more progressive option to the court? Suddenly, Garland, who has clerked for conservative judges and is relatively moderate, might not look like such a bad option for Republicans. Were that to occur, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Flake floated the idea of holding a hearing on Garland in a lame-duck session. Flake said: The only position Ive had is, Hey, Im concerned about the direction of the court, and so if we come to a point where weve lost the election, and we can get a centrist like Garland in there, as opposed to someone like Hillary Clinton might appoint, then Id go for it. But once again, reality sinks in here. McConnell told Fox and CNN on Sunday there would be no lame-duck confirmation. White House chief of staff Denis McDonough, for what its worth, just said on Fox News Sunday that Obama would stick with Garlands nomination in the lame-duck session even if Democrats win the 2016 election. McDonough: We will stand by him from now until he is confirmed and hes sitting on the Supreme Court. 4. Another court vacancy opens up Yes, Republicans gambit not to consider Garland is politically risky. But they are betting the payoffs will be massive. If everything goes according to plan for McConnell, Republicans will successfully stop Garlands confirmation process without political blowback. Theyll have a great election in November, and come January, theyll have a Republican White House, a Republican Congress and the ability to nominate someone just as conservative as the late Justice Antonin Scalia, keeping the courts ideological sway in their favor. But those calculations could change if another spot opened up on the court between now and November especially one of the liberal spots. Suddenly, instead of replacing a conservative with a moderate, Republicans can replace a liberal with a moderate. And wait until they (ostensibly) win Novembers election to fill Scalias spot. This, too, is a possibility, however far fetched. As I wrote in February: Sometime during the new presidents first term, there could be long-awaited vacancies. The most likely slots to open up, judging by the ages of the justices, would be two liberal members Ruth Bader Ginsburg (82) and Stephen Breyer (77) and the courts erstwhile conservative-leaning swing vote Anthony Kennedy (79). No other member of the court is more than 67 years old. We repeat: Never say never. WASHINGTON The U.S. military has around 5,000 service members in Iraq, officials said on Monday, far more than previously reported, as the Obama administration quietly expands ground operations against the Islamic State. The number of American forces in Iraq has come under increased scrutiny following the death over the weekend of a Marine staff sergeant, the second combat casualty in renewed U.S. operations in Iraq. He was killed when militants launched rockets at a small U.S. base around the city of Makhmour. The existence of the Marine detachment had not been known prior to Staff Sgt. Louis Cardins death. Officials at the Pentagon have declined to specify how Marines are serving at the outpost in northern Iraq, which they described as a satellite base positioned to protect American trainers at a nearby, larger base. Their presence in Iraq highlights the use of forces from Navy ships already in the Middle East. The Defense Department has also reversed an earlier position and are now declining to confirm how many forces are presently in Iraq, saying only that the number of officially assigned forces is below the current cap of 3,870. People come through on a temporary basis and go above and below the force cap all the time, but we remain under our force cap, Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, told reporters on Monday. But officials privately acknowledge that the total troop number, while it varies from day to day, now stands around 5,000. The more than 1,000 personnel above the official cap include the Marines in northern Iraq along with military officials handling foreign military sales and other defense cooperation matters. Having the ability to add additional personnel, whose deployments are seen as more temporary than the force of 3,870, gives the theater commander the ability to move forces around, a U.S. military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel issues. The 3,870 troops include American trainers and advisers arrayed around the country. If the Obama administration were to classify the Marines and other additional personnel as permanent, it would be required to increase that official force level reported in its monthly boots on the ground notification to Congress. The White House, mindful of Obamas pledge to end the ground wars initiated by his predecessor, has sought to minimize the combat role of American forces in Iraq. But officials have recognized the need for enhanced support to Iraqi forces, which are only slowly making progress is dislodging militants from major urban areas. The United States has already taken steps in recent months to augment its campaign, including establishing a new Special Operations task force. Senior officials are expected to consider additional steps when the Iraqi government launches an offensive to reclaim the city of Mosul. The number of U.S. troops is a sensitive topic for Iraqis following the 2003-2011 war that saw over 150,000 U.S. troops on Iraqi soil at its peak. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, already grappling with a fiscal crisis, is facing intensifying pressure over widespread corruption. SEOUL What would it take for South Korea to develop nuclear weapons? Its a fringe idea that rears its head every now and then here. But North Koreas advances in nuclear weapons technology and the frustration over how to deal with Kim Jong Uns obstinate regime have led a small but growing number of prominent politicians and academics to wonder: Why not us, too? The idea has influential backers in the Chosun Ilbo, South Koreas biggest newspaper, and in Chung Mong-joon, a scion of the Hyundai family and a staunch and wealthy advocate for South Korea having nuclear weapons. And they have one main target in mind: China. I dont think that South Korea actually wants nuclear weapons, said Park Syung-je, chairman of the Asia Strategy Institute in Seoul. Its a way of saying to the Chinese that if you dont cooperate on North Korea, then were going to get nuclear weapons of our own. While South Koreas government has been doing all it can to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear and missile tests, there is a limit to how much pain Seoul can inflict. Instead, all eyes are on China, North Koreas largest trading partner by far and the closest thing it has to an ally. There is a great deal of frustration here that China is the country that has almost all the leverage over North Korea, especially given the widespread view that Beijing, while angry, will never risk destabilizing its impoverished and nuclear-armed neighbor. North Koreas nuclear weapons capability power is bound to grow, so it is important for South Korea to keep military and power balance between the two Koreas, said Cheong Seong-chang, a North Korea expert at the Sejong Institute, a think tank, and one of the most prominent advocates of South Korean nuclear weapons. China would object to the idea of South Korea becoming a nuclear state, but it is important for us to find a point where the national interests of both countries meet, Cheong said. China is already vehemently objecting to talks between Seoul and Washington over the deployment in South Korea of a sophisticated anti-missile system known as THAAD, for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. Thanks to its post-Korean War security alliance with the United States, South Korea is protected by the American nuclear umbrella. It declared in a 1991 deal that it would not manufacture, possess, store, deploy or use nuclear weapons and is a signatory to several nonproliferation treaties. But some politicians are openly wondering why South Korea shouldnt have its own weapons program. We cant borrow an umbrella from a neighbor every time it rains, said Won Yoo-cheol, a lawmaker from President Park Geun-hyes ruling Saenuri party and its floor leader in the National Assembly. Its time for us to seriously consider an effective and realistic countermeasure for dealing with North Koreas nuclear capability. This could take the shape of asking the United States, which pulled its nuclear weapons out of South Korea in 1992, to bring them back. Or it could entail South Korea developing nuclear weapons of its own, Won said last month. In January, an editorial titled South Koreans Must Discuss Acquiring Nuclear Arms ran in the conservative Chosun Ilbo. The U.S. has passed the buck for taming North Korea to China, and China is doing nothing. Seoul now faces a real need for public discussion of the development of its own nuclear weapons, the editorial said. Then last month, the newspaper ran a detailed article in which nuclear experts said it could take only 18 months to turn plutonium from South Koreas nuclear power plants into a workable bomb. It would take time to construct a large-scale reprocessing facility, but it can be done at a smaller scale 3 even now in laboratories, the paper quoted Kim Seung-pyong, a professor of nuclear engineering, as saying. The weapons advocates have a not-insignificant amount of public support. A Korea Research poll published last month found that 53 percent of respondents supported South Korea either developing its own nuclear weapons or considering doing so. Forty-one percent wanted a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. But the idea has not gained traction among senior politicians, and President Park has unequivocally dismissed it, saying that the whole peninsula should be free of nuclear weapons. David Straub, associate director of the Korea Program at Stanford Universitys Asia-Pacific Research Center, said the public discussion has so far largely been a media phenomenon that has shown some South Koreans frustration with Chinas lack of action to punish North Korea. Speaking out publicly, he said, seems to be mostly an attempt to get Beijings attention. And the Chinese, he added, are not stupid. Still, American officials have long worried about an arms race in northeast Asia. Japan has a plutonium reprocessing facility and could use it to develop fissile material for nuclear bombs in as little as three months. It wouldnt take much for South Korea, with its 24 nuclear power plants and its advanced technology, to get to the same stage. Taiwan might also join in. U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, during a visit to Beijing last week, expressed rare public concern over Chinas spent-nuclear-fuel reprocessing plans. Chinas plan for a large-scale plutonium reprocessing facility certainly isnt a positive in terms of nonproliferation, Moniz told the Wall Street Journal. Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center in Washington, interpreted Monizs words as a sign of concern about discussions such as those taking place in South Korea. Its hard to believe that South Korea would ever go first in developing nuclear weapons, Sokolski said. But its getting tougher and tougher to deflect this idea. I think theyre definitely all looking at each other. Federal law prohibits the possession, selling or harvesting of marijuana. But it is legal in four states, and many others have decriminalized the penalties associated with its use and possession of small amounts. Californians voted against legalized marijuana in 2010 but may see it on the ballot in November. WHERE STATES STAND Several initiatives to put legalized marijuana on the November 2016 election ballot have been withdrawn or did not qualify with enough signatures. The initiative with the greatest financial support has until July to gather the 365,880 signatures required for a chance to be on the ballot. States most likely to vote on legalization of marijuana in 2016: Of these states Nevada is the only one to have a qualified a legalized-marijuana initiative for the Nov. 8 ballot. Marijuana arrests in California Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation in 2010 that reduced the penalties for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Arrests for possession Arrests for sales Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reporting Program OPINIONS ON LEGALITY In 2015, 53 percent of people surveyed by Pew Research Center said the use of marijuana should be legal. Opinions vary greatly based on age, ethnicity and political party. MONEY RAISED In 2012, Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, allowing cultivated marijuana to be sold in state-regulated dispensaries. Tax revenue raised in Colorado Funds raised in Colorado Colorado has a 10 percent retail tax on marijuana and a 15 percent excise tax for larger, wholesale transactions. The state collected $70 million in taxes on pot from June 2014 to July 2015, $30 million more than amount raised from taxes on alcohol. Washingtons take In February the average daily sales of marijuana in Washington state totaled $2.7 million. Jaime Smith, deputy communications director for the governors office, said, The legalization initiative was not driven by a desire for a revenue, but it has provided a small assist for our state budget. A report on legalized pots effects on public health and justice in Washington will be released in September. Tax revenue raised in Washington Washington weedscape About 290 retail locations As of March 15 there were nearly 300 licensed retail locations with an additional 740 licensed producer/processor locations. Ahead for California The initiative with the most momentum to reach Californias 2016 ballot would enact a 15 percent sales tax, a $9.25-per-ounce excise tax for buds and $2.75 excise tax for leaves. In 2010, Californians voted against legalized marijuana with 53.5 percent of voters saying no. SUPPORTERS AND DETRACTORS Most people oppose federal enforcement of marijuana laws in states in which it has been legalized, according to a Pew Research Center survey in 2015. Legalization supporters Reasons cited by the 53 percent of people in the 2015 surve who said pot should be legal. Opponents Reasons cited by the 44 percent of people who said marijuana should not be legal. Sources: Colorado Department of Revenue, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, Pew Research Center, California Secretary of State, FBI BERLIN Chancellor Angela Merkel, alternately lauded for courage and reviled for recklessness in admitting more than one million migrants into Germany, finally has what she wanted: a European Union accord with Turkey to reduce and manage the influx. But even before the ink had dried on the deal reached Friday, Merkel faced sharp criticism from human rights groups for compromising on European values that she, herself, had championed regarding the protection of refugees, as well as from others who questioned a partnership with Turkey. The European Union has embraced a nation whose president, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has veered from democracy, muffling the news media and other freedoms. He has pursued his own agenda against opponents of the Assad government in Syrias civil war, reviving a military campaign against Kurd militants while facing terrorist bombings in Ankara and Istanbul. Does anybody seriously think that a country which hunts down and mistreats its own citizens can offer security to people in flight? asked Cem Ozdemir, the leader of the opposition Greens and one of an estimated three million people of Turkish descent in Germany. Another Greens leader, Anton Hofreiter, told The Rheinische Post, Angela Merkel has achieved a European solution, but abandoned her own humane stance. While others were less categorical in their criticism, the compromises entailed in the accord no doubt underscored that the refugee crisis has eluded easy solutions. But it was made necessary by Europes inability to secure its own borders and put in place a timely and workable plan to process and redistribute refugees. Short of that, Merkel argued, the deal with Turkey was all that stood between Europe and a repeat of the dangerous chaos that ensued last year when hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees set off on rafts to cross the Aegean to Greece. The deal was also needed to shield European leaders from the gathering political backlash in a bloc wary of migration. Even Merkels own political standing is being challenged by a shift among voters toward the far right. In essence, Europe will pay Turkey up to 6 billion euros, or nearly $6.8 billion, through 2018 to keep at least 2.7 million Syrian refugees in decent conditions and prevent their passage to a continent where Merkel and other leaders are under populist pressure to keep out more foreigners. Greece will get money and up to 4,000 European officials, judges and interpreters to help process any migrants who do still reach its shores and the approximately 40,000 already trapped in Greece. The smugglers who have made billions shipping desperate migrants across the Aegean to Greece and on to Northern Europe will see their business destroyed because everyone reaching Greece will be turned back to Turkey, Merkel stressed three times as she presented the pact of expediency on Friday in Brussels. Great plan, said Stefan Ulrich of the liberal daily Suddeutsche Zeitung. Just unfortunately a bit too reliant on good will on all sides. But even as she hailed the deal, Merkel was cautious about its prospects. Tremendous logistical challenges lie ahead, she acknowledged on Friday. I am under no illusions that what we decided today will also bring further setbacks, she said. But I think we have found an agreement that contains an aspect of irreversibility. Above all, it was very important to me that everything today was agreed together, with the 28 European Union member states. With Fridays agreement, Merkel is also safeguarding the billions already poured into keeping Greece in the euro currency and shoring up NATO on its southeastern flank, adjacent to Middle East war zones. The alliance, including its often quarreling members Greece and Turkey, is now involved in patrolling the Aegean to prevent illegal migration. At home, Merkel has seen a far-right party ride the refugee crisis to spring from obscurity last summer to double-digit percentages in three state elections a week ago. She has also come under heavy fire in her own conservative bloc for refusing to impose a limit on sheltering migrants. The sharp fall in arrivals in Germany that has resulted from Austrias and Balkan nations shutting their borders has benefited Merkel, whose poll standings are rising for the first time since December. If she now also controls the refugee influx her way, she is likely to regain further support. Tanja Borzel, a professor of politics and social sciences and integration expert at the Free University in Berlin, saw what she called good and bad news in Fridays outcome. I was very surprised, she said by telephone, that Turkey has committed to this for relatively little in exchange. Borzel pointed to Turkeys succeeding in opening just one new policy channel for talks on eventual European Union membership and facing stiff conditions for the visa-free travel it seeks for Turks from late June. In addition, she said, Europe insisted that it would dispense the 3 billion euros, or about $3.4 billion, it initially promised Turkey in aid before giving more. The European Union did not yield, Borzel said, seeing a gap between what Turkey wanted and what it got. The bad news, she added, is that Europe still depends heavily on Turkey and Greece to manage their share, despite broken past promises to do just that. The United Nations refugee agency, which has been pouring new staff and assistance into Greece, stopped just short of rejecting the deal and stressed that every refugee still must get an individual hearing. Ultimately, the response must be about addressing the compelling needs of individuals fleeing war and persecution, the agency said in a statement. Refugees need protection, not rejection. The International Rescue Committee a nongovernmental group that recently arranged a meeting between Merkel and the actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal, a human rights lawyer was more blunt. Instead of shutting down smuggling, the group warned, the EUs deal with Turkey will lead to more indignity, more disorder, more illegal journeys and more lives lost. The newsweekly Der Spiegel, never slow to cast the chancellor in a critical light, noted that on paper, she has (with some minus points) the deal she sought. But she now bears the responsibility that it works. Merkel, who at 61 has been in power since 2005, brings not just her political experience but also the process-driven approach of a trained scientist to the task of governing. On Friday, she peppered her presentation with talk of summaries, phases and mechanisms, and purposefully looked on the bright side. Why should I paint horror scenarios? she asked a questioning journalist. Lets first of all begin with the process. It lies in our hands whether we undertake the visa liberalization that Turkey seeks, and when and how to advance talks on European Union membership. Borzel was also philosophical. Merkels plan assumes, she noted, that when the Syrian refugees find out that they cannot go to Germany, they will accept this and wait in Turkey. At least over the weekend, that, indeed, appeared to be the case. There are a number of assumptions that we will see in the next weeks and months if they are confirmed, Borzel said. It gives Europe and Ms. Merkel some time. And if it doesnt work, we will all have to think again. Heres a roundup of restaurant and retail news from across Orange County. Take a look at the slideshow for more details on each. Wok N Tandoor: The Indian and Chinese casual restaurant, opened Feb. 17 in Orange. The restaurant also has a location in Artesias Little India. Wok N Tandoor is located at 1948 N. Tustin St., the former space of Titos La Familia. Rekindle Caffe: The coffee and pastry shop is soon opening at 434 N. Tustin St., according to its Facebook page. Sammys Stack House: An IHOP at 707 N. Tustin St. has closed and reopened as Sammys Stack House. Pie Hole: The hand-held savory and sweet pie shop is expected to open in Old Towne Orange in April. Blakelys Chicken: A rotisserie chicken restaurant is replacing Freebirds in Orange at Katella Avenue and Tustin Street. Watsons Soda Fountain & Cafe: The well-known shop, which switched ownership in July, will reopen Monday. Blast 825: This quick-fire pizza restaurant opened March 11 at 18541 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach. Customers choose their dough, sauce and toppings and then watch their pizza cook in 825-degree heat in brick ovens. The 10-inch, $8.45 pizzas, take three minutes to cook. Pizza Studio: The location will open in Lake Forest in April. There already is a Pizza Studio in Buena Park. Like Blast 825, Pizza Studio guests can build their own pizzas, selecting crusts and toppings. The 11-inch, $7.99 Pizza Studio pizzas are ready in two minutes. The store will be located at 23646 Rockfield Blvd., No. 605. Moes Southwest Grill: Atlanta-based Moes Southwest Grill has signed a franchise agreement to open 13 units in Orange County over the next few years. Knotts Berry Farm: Park-goers have a new place to turn for their caffeine fix: Starbucks. A 935-square-foot store officially debuted just outside of the parks entrance Friday. Downtown Disney: An additional Starbucks location is under construction at Downtown Disney in the Disneyland Resort. Gelsons Market: The specialty grocer is on a hiring spree as it prepares to open two new stores, both of which are former Haggen stores. It will debut its fourth store March 31 in Ladera Ranch, followed by a Laguna Beach location. It will hire up to 100 employees to staff all of its Orange County stores. Room & Board: Furniture shop Room & Board will relocate its Costa Mesa showroom from South Coast Plaza Village to South Coast Collection this fall. The new store will be located at 3309 Hyland Ave., Costa Mesa. Charrisse Consign Design: The store has opened its new 10,000-square- foot location at 23461 Ridge Route in Laguna Hills. The business, owned by Charrisse Newby, sells new and consignment furniture, accessories, custom upholstery and reupholstery. Newby has been in the furniture business since 1997 and was formerly the owner of Casual Elegance in Mission Viejo. Send any retail updates to hmadans@ocregister.com and any restaurant news to nluna@ocregister.com Marie Ekberg Padilla contributed to this report. COSTA MESA Two police officers were assaulted in separate incidents over the weekend, officials said. The first report happened around 11 p.m. Saturday at The Lynn House, an addiction recovery home for women in the 2700 block of Cibola Avenue. Officers went to the recovery home regarding a female who was attacking staff with a fire poker, said Sgt. Dan Miles of the Costa Mesa Police Department. Authorities said Kristen Scali, 25, of Massachusetts was under the influence of a stimulant narcotic when police arrived. No one was injured and the fire poker was taken from her by staff, Miles said. Scali did not stop fighting and became combative before kicking and biting an officer, police said. The officer was able to pull his hand from her mouth without injury; she didnt break the skin, Miles said. Scali continued to kick and bite, but officers were able to take her to Hoag Hospital for medical evaluation. She was ultimately arrested on suspicion of assault with deadly weapon and resisting a police officer. She was held in Orange County jail in lieu of $25,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday. On Monday, a man suspected of being drunk was also accused of assaulting a police officer. Staff at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 3131 Bristol St., called police around 2:30 a.m. after two men and a woman were seen drinking alcohol nearby, Miles said. Yeison Alvarez-Perez, 21, of Santa Ana was passed out when he was woken up by the officers; he kicked one of the officers in the chest, Miles said. The officer was not injured and Alvarez-Perez was arrested on suspicion of assault on a police officer. Officials said the other man and woman were not arrested. Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or aduranty@ocregister.com STATE COLLEGE, Pa. What does it take to get college kids out of bed before dawn on a chilly Monday morning? For more than a dozen Penn State students, it took a visit from one unyielding Republican senator. They were among about 20 picketers bearing signs reading Do Your Job and Hold a Hearing, Take a Vote who greeted Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., as he arrived at a private breakfast event here. It was one of a series of nationwide protests aimed at forcing Senate consideration of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, scheduled Monday to kick off the two-week Senate recess. Liberal activist groups including MoveOn.org and Credo Action organized more than three dozen events Monday in states with Republican U.S. senators including senators such as Toomey who oppose taking up Garlands nomination and also face tough races for reelection this year. In five states represented by key GOP senators, planes are set to make lunchtime flights with banners calling on those lawmakers to Do your job. Republicans, confident in their strategy of blockading Garlands nomination and leaving the next president to fill the vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalias recent death, are brushing off the protests. Its a free country; people can come out and protest as they see fit, Toomey said as he left the event. But signs and chants, he added, are not likely to work. For me, this is about the fundamental direction of the most important court in the land for the next generation, Toomey said. We have a presidential election that is well underway. Itll be all finished in about eight months, and I think its completely reasonable to let the American people have the maximum say in the direction of this court. But Democrats, from the White House down to the grass roots, think steady pressure can turn public opinion against the GOP blockade and force hearings and eventually a confirmation vote on Garland. Lets go. Lets get it done. Lets have a vote, said Ron Simpson, 67, a retired nuclear engineer who protested at the Toomey event alongside the Penn State students Monday. Later in the day, a plane pulling a Do your job banner is set to fly over Toomeys office in Harrisburg. Similar banners are scheduled to fly over Cleveland and Milwaukee, homes of Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who are up for reelection this year, as well as Des Moines and Austin, homes of key Senate Judiciary Committee members Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and John Cornyn, R-Texas. These events will make it crystal clear that senators will be held accountable by their constituents if they continue to shirk their constitutional responsibility and ignore the will of the overwhelming majority of the American people, said Amy Brundage, one of several former aides to President Barack Obama who is now working with a nonprofit, the Constitutional Responsibility Project, organized to promote Garlands confirmation. While Democratic activists lay siege to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who declared the blockade only hours after Scalias death was reported, conservatives have stuck to a quieter but equally determined approach. Carrie Severino, chief counsel for the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative legal group. called Mondays protests street theater that is unlikely to persuade undecided voters. The people who are coming out are not the people who are voting for the Republican senators in the first place, she said. While GOP-aligned interest groups may not be taking to the streets, they are quietly activating supporters. The Judicial Crisis Network is spending $2 million on a TV, radio and online ad campaign aimed at preventing consideration of an Obama nominee. Lawmakers, including Cornyn and Portman, have penned newspaper op-eds laying out their no-confirmation stance. Severino said she has focused on making appearances on conservative talk-radio programs in Pennsylvania and elsewhere to help inform Republican voters what is at stake with the Supreme Court vacancy. McConnell appeared on four talk shows Sunday morning, painting Garland as a strident liberal who would shift the court to the left and stressing the need to leave the vacancy to the next president to fill. The American people need to weigh in and decide whos going to make this decision, he said on Fox News Sunday. Not this lame-duck president on the way out the door but the next president next year. Notably, the protesters who gathered outside the Nittany Lion Inn on Monday morning were mostly supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanderss presidential campaign. They picketed in support of Garlands confirmation even though Sanders (Vt.) said last week that he would prefer to nominate a more liberal judge if he is elected. We elected Obama, said Jonathan Gross, a 19-year-old Penn State freshman. This is his constitutional duty to do this, and now the Senate needs to do its constitutional duty. Toomey, elected in the 2010 Republican wave, faces a tough path to reelection in a presidential year, when more Democratic voters typically turn out in Pennsylvania. Unseating Toomey is a key element in Democrats plans to regain the Senate majority, and he faces the difficult task of maintaining strong support among conservative voters while not alienating the moderate suburban voters who fueled his 2010 victory. He has staked out a careful position on the Supreme Court vacancy: Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully consider his nomination, he tweeted last week. The Democratic field, meanwhile, remains unsettled ahead of the April 26 primary. Katie McGinty, a former top aide to Gov. Tom Wolf, has the backing of the Democratic Partys national campaign arm, but ex-congressman Joe Sestak, who lost to Toomey by two percentage points in 2010, remains popular with Democratic voters and is running an energetic campaign. Also running is John Fetterman, mayor of the western Pennsylvania town of Braddock, who has sought to appeal to supporters of Sanderss presidential campaign. Severino said senators such as Toomey understand that any independents who might be put off by the blockade are far outnumbered by stalwart conservatives who would abandon Republican senators who take action on a liberal replacement for Obama. Democrats, she said, dont realize how important this issue is in particular to conservatives who have seen time and time again what happens when you have an out-of-control Supreme Court. Voters across the conservative spectrum from supporters of gun rights to pro-business voters to antiabortion activists think this is absolutely the right decision by the Republican Senate majority, Severino added. All those other issues ultimately end at the Supreme Court, she said. Thats where the buck stops. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and her allies have begun preparing a playbook to defeat Donald Trump in a general-election matchup that will attempt to do what his Republican opponents couldnt: show that his business dealings and impolitic statements make him unfit to be commander in chief. Both the Clinton campaign and outside supporters are confident that she and Trump will almost certainly face each other in the general election and that the focus is shifting past her hard-fought primary campaign against Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. They are now focused intently on researching the billionaire real estate moguls business record, dissecting his economic policies and compiling a long history of controversial pronouncements that have captivated and repelled the nation in this tumultuous election season. Neither the Clinton campaign nor several independent super PACs working on her behalf plan to respond with the same brass-knuckles style that Trump has taken with his Republican opponents, aides and outside supporters said. But in their view, Trump isnt Teflon: Republicans waited too long to go after him, and they went about it the wrong way. What the Republicans did was too little, too late, said David Brock, who runs two pro-Clinton super PACs now engaged in researching and responding to Trump. It was petty insults. It was not strategic. Justin Barasky, spokesman for the large pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA, said Republican candidates committed malpractice by failing to raise liabilities from Trumps past or aggressively challenge him on offensive or incorrect statements. Implicit in the effort is real worry about Trumps outsider appeal in a year dominated by working-class anger and economic anxiety. The prospect that Trump could compete for some of the blue-collar voters who have flocked to Sanders, for instance or to reorder the map of competitive states to include trade-affected Michigan or Pennsylvania has prompted Clintons allies to leave nothing to chance. Yet they also believe that, although Trump has motivated a loyal plurality of supporters in primary contests, he has limited ability to expand that support once the Republican field clears. Because of the litany of controversial pronouncements he has made, they expect a Trump nomination to make it easier to rally women, Latino and African-American voters to turn out for Clinton. In fact, her aides are planning for a historic gender gap between Clinton and Trump. Given Trumps own willingness to attack his opponents and his pivot to going after Clinton in recent days one clear presumption has emerged about the fall contest: It will be ugly. Thats one reason the former secretary of state plans to counter Trump with high-road substance, policy and issues, according to one senior campaign aide. The idea is to showcase what Clintons backers see as her readiness for the job without lowering her to what they describe as Trumps gutter. The aide said the campaigns day-to-day decision-making remains focused on Sanders. But Clinton swept all five states that voted Tuesday, and Trump did well, meaning both are far closer than any competitor to securing their respective partys nomination. Clinton is also far ahead in polling in Arizona, a large contest this week, while Sanders is expected to pick up victories in other Western states that the Clinton campaign maintains will have little effect on her lead. A central lesson of Trumps primary battle, the campaign aide said, is that he cannot be ignored but also that he cannot be beaten at his own game. The key will be to maintain stature by focusing on her message of political unity and economic growth and by showing knowledge and strength on foreign issues. The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about internal strategy. Its kind of mutually assured destruction: Both sides line up their nukes. Its going to be just ugly and nasty and icky, said another Democrat with longtime ties to the Clinton family. The winner will not be the least bad of the two. The winner will be the one in the contest of that mutually assured destruction who also has a vision and a message about the future that is both inspiring and credible for the rest of the country. At the same time, her infrastructure of outside supporters will be poised to respond to what they expect will be Trumps all-out war against Clinton on everything, both personal and political. Clintons backers acknowledged that she is also a divisive figure and that controversies such as her use of a private email server while secretary of state will not evaporate during the general election. We will not make the same mistake the Republicans made by letting attacks go unchallenged, Brock said. Trump has repeatedly brushed off polling indicating that he would lose in a head-to-head contest with Clinton. But after his victories in Florida and elsewhere last week, he sounded like a general-election candidate who recognizes the challenge ahead. We have to bring our party together, he said. We have something that actually makes the Republican Party probably the biggest political story in the world. Trump has benefited in the primary season from the failure of Republicans to unite behind a single foil to his candidacy and from his own strategy of picking off successive targets whom he viewed as weak. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson both made the mistake, Clinton supporters said, of trying to ignore Trumps insults or wait out a Trump decline that never came. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., made the other mistake of trying to use Trumps own tactics. You cant beat him by being him, Barasky said. In a one-on-one race against Clinton, Trump would have less room to parry or pivot the same way, the senior Clinton campaign aide said, because Trump would have one target and one target only. Barasky and others also predicted that Trump will emerge more damaged by his primary fight than she, because of the deep divisions he has caused and exploited. Sanders supporters may not like Clinton, but their distaste for her doesnt approach the antipathy or angst that many Republican voters harbor about Trump, they said. Trump satisfied his loyal supporters by playing a character the bully, the iconoclast but he turned off many in his own party in the process, said several Clinton supporters who are studying the Republican race. In fact, they believe Trumps own words will make one of their central objectives easy: tearing him down in the eyes of women, notably Republicans and independents. Several outside groups including Emilys List, which supports Democratic women who favor abortion rights are compiling dossiers of statements denigrating women that were taken from the candidates own mouth, not just in this campaign but far into his past. Youre a mom and youve got your kids sitting on the couch and you watch the nightly news and youve got this guy saying things as a presidential candidate that you tell your kids not to say, said Stephanie Schriock, president of Emilys List. You dont call women bimbos; you dont say that theyre fat. Women, including independents who sometimes vote Republican, are going to be repulsed, Schriock said. Trump will also be a rallying point for Clintons message to black voters, particularly older ones, who view Trumps rhetoric and his raucous rallies as reminiscent of the worst of Americas past. At an MSNBC forum Monday, Clinton said that Trumps rallies and his exhortations to violence resemble the lynch mobs of the South during the Jim Crow era. The remark came after videos from a Trump rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, were widely disseminated and showed a white Trump supporter punching a black protester in the face. The secretary has hit on a really important chord that is running through the African American community: This community is 50 years or less from the civil rights images of dogs and hoses and frightening images, said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who has endorsed Clinton. That visual of the sucker punch is going to be ingrained in us forever. You cant take it back. Several pro-Clinton super PACs are compiling research on Trump from his long career in business and much shorter career in politics. The strategy is still a work in progress, and ongoing research through polling, focus groups and forensic accounting, among other tools, will continue through the spring. Much of the work is to search for vulnerabilities that in other years, with other candidates, would have already been exploited by other Republican candidates during the primary. Plans are well underway to present Trumps bankruptcies and management history to voters particularly to women and the working class. In addition, Trump opposes an increase in the minimum wage and has proposed tax breaks for the wealthy, positions that his Republican opponents could not go after but which Clinton supporters believe will play poorly in the general election. People who suffered from Trumps business decisions will be featured in testimonial advertisements and media campaigns, Brock said. The media strategy is not unlike several successful efforts in 2012 to tie Republican Mitt Romney to the layoffs and business closures that his company, Bain Capital, was responsible for. Youre definitely going to hear from a number of people who are former customers, clients, employees, who got the short end of the stick in various ways dealing with Trump, Brock said. Thats fertile ground. Schriock also noted: Its about character. It all ties to what kind of character does this man have. And it is about money. As the general election approaches, Clintons allies are preparing to draw from the discontent in Republican ranks to fill her campaign coffers. Ive gotten phone calls and emails from a few major Republican donors who have said, in effect, I will let you know when Im ready to have you make an introduction for me, said Andy Spahn, president of a Los Angeles consulting firm and a longtime Clinton adviser and top Democratic fundraiser. There is certainly an element of the Republican Party, be it voters or high-net-worth donors, who are uncomfortable with what is happening. Other Democrats also assessed that, in addition to GOP donors, Republican congressional candidates will run away from Trump in the general election, underscoring what they see as his thin qualifications and the danger he poses to their own political fortunes. clinton-trump Keywords: hillary clinton, donald trump, campaign 2016, clinton v. trump, trump v. clinton, clinton trump, trump clinton WASHINGTON Donald Trump revealed part of his foreign policy advisory team and outlined an unabashedly non-interventionist approach to world affairs during a wide-ranging meeting Monday with The Washington Posts editorial board. The Republican presidential front-runner, for the first time, listed five of the people who are part of a team, chaired by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., counseling him on foreign affairs and helping to shape his policies. They are Keith Kellogg, Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, Walid Phares and Joseph Schmitz. Trumps meeting with members of The Washington Posts editorial board covered a range of issues, including media libel laws, violence at his rallies, climate change, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the U.S. presence in Asia. Trump who is set to give a major address on foreign policy later Monday before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said in his meeting at The Washington Post that he advocates an aggressive U.S. posture in the world with a light footprint. In spite of unrest abroad, especially in the Middle East, Trump insisted that the United States must look inward and steer its resources toward rebuilding domestic infrastructure. I do think its a different world today, and I dont think we should be nation-building anymore, Trump said. I think its proven not to work, and we have a different country than we did then. We have $19 trillion in debt. Were sitting, probably, on a bubble. And its a bubble that if it breaks, its going to be very nasty. I just think we have to rebuild our country. He added: I watched as we built schools in Iraq and theyre blown up. We build another one, we get blown up. We rebuild it three times and yet we cant build a school in Brooklyn. We have no money for education because we cant build in our own country. At what point do you say, Hey, we have to take care of ourselves? So, I know the outer world exists and Ill be very cognizant of that. But at the same time, our country is disintegrating, large sections of it, especially the inner cities. Trump cast China as a leading economic and geopolitical rival and said the United States should toughen its trade alliances to better compete. China has got unbelievable ambitions, Trump said. China feels very invincible. We have rebuilt China. They have drained so much money out of our country that theyve rebuilt China. Without us, you wouldnt see the airports and the roadways and the bridges. The George Washington Bridge [in New York], thats like a trinket compared to the bridges that they build in China. We dont build anymore. We had our day. Trump praised George Shultz, who served as President Ronald Reagans secretary of state, as a model and was harshly critical of the current secretary of state, John Kerry. He questioned the United States continued involvement in NATO and, on the subject of Russias aggression in Ukraine, charged that Americas allies are not doing anything. Ukraine is a country that affects us far less than it affects other countries in NATO, and yet were doing all of the lifting, Trump said. Theyre not doing anything. And I say: Why is it that Germanys not dealing with NATO on Ukraine? Why is it that other countries that are in the vicinity of Ukraine, why arent they dealing? Why are we always the one thats leading, potentially the third world war with Russia. Trump declared U.S. involvement in NATO may need to be significantly diminished in the coming years, breaking with nearly seven decades of consensus in Washington. We certainly cant afford to do this anymore, Trump said, adding later, NATO is costing us a fortune, and yes, were protecting Europe with NATO, but were spending a lot of money. Trump sounded a similar note in discussing the U.S. presence in the Pacific. He questioned the value of massive military investments in Asia and wondered aloud whether the United States still was capable of being an effective peacekeeping force there. South Korea is very rich, great industrial country, and yet were not reimbursed fairly for what we do, Trump said. Were constantly sending our ships, sending our planes, doing our war games were reimbursed a fraction of what this is all costing. Asked whether the United States benefits from its involvement in the region, Trump replied, Personally, I dont think so. He added, I think we were a very powerful, very wealthy country, and we are a poor country now. Were a debtor nation. Trump began the hour-long meeting by pulling out a list of some of his foreign policy advisers. Walid Phares, who you probably know. PhD, adviser to the House of Representatives. Hes a counterterrorism expert, Trump said. Carter Page, PhD. George Papadopoulos. Hes an oil and energy consultant. Excellent guy. The honorable Joe Schmitz, [was] inspector general at the Department of Defense. General Keith Kellogg. And I have quite a few more. But thats a group of some of the people that we are dealing with. We have many other people in different aspects of what we do. But thats a pretty representative group. Trump said he plans to share more names in the coming days. Kellogg, a former Army lieutenant general, is an executive vice president at CACI International, a Virginia-based intelligence and information technology consulting firm with clients around the world. He has experience in national defense and homeland security issues and worked as chief operating officer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad following the invasion of Iraq. Schmitz served as inspector general at the Defense Department during the early years of President George W. Bushs administration and has worked for Blackwater Worldwide. In a brief phone call Monday, Schmitz confirmed that he is working for the Trump campaign and said that he has been involved for the past month. He said he frequently confers with Sam Clovis, one of Trumps top policy advisers, and that there has been a series of conference calls and briefings in recent weeks. Papadopoulos directs an international energy center at the London Center of International Law Practice. He previously advised the presidential campaign of Ben Carson and worked as a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington. Phares has an academic background, teaching at the National Defense University and Daniel Morgan Academy in Washington, and has advised members of Congress and appeared as a television analyst discussing terrorism and the Middle East. Page, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and now the managing partner of Global Energy Capital, is a longtime energy industry executive who rose through the ranks at Merrill Lynch around the world before founding his current firm. He previously was a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he focused on the Caspian Sea region and the economic development in former Soviet states, according to his company biography and documents from his appearances at panels over the past decade. Trumps meeting with The Washington Post was on the record. An audio recording was shared by the editorial board, and a full transcript will be posted later Monday. Trump was accompanied to the meeting, which took place at The Washington Posts new headquarters, by his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and spokeswoman, Hope Hicks. ISTANBUL A Turkish member of the Islamic State was the perpetrator of a suicide bombing that killed four foreigners in Istanbul over the weekend, the Turkish interior minister said Sunday. The attacker, who struck in Istanbuls central Istiklal Avenue Saturday morning, has been identified as Mehmet Ozturk, a Turkish citizen born in 1992 in the southern city of Gaziantep, Efkan Ala, the interior minister, said in a televised news conference. Three Israeli citizens and an Iranian were killed in the attack. Dozens more were injured. An Israeli military plane flew the bodies of the Israeli victims home Sunday for burial. They were identified as Simha Damri, 60, a grandmother from the southern town of Dimona; Avraham Goldman, 69, a tour guide from Herzliya; and Yonathan Shor, 40, a Tel Aviv resident who worked in the technology industry. Goldman and Shor, who was also identified as Yonathan Suher by the State Department, held dual Israeli-American citizenship. Israels deputy foreign minister, Tzipi Hotovely, told Army Radio Sunday that there was no information to suggest the suicide bombing was specifically directed at Israelis. The bombing was the fourth such attack in Turkey this year. The Islamic State has not claimed responsibility for any attacks in Turkey, but officials said the group was responsible for a suicide bombing in Istanbuls historic tourist district in January that killed 10 people, most of them German citizens. Officials also linked the group to the worst terrorist attack in Turkeys modern history, in which 103 people were killed during a peace rally in Ankara, the Turkish capital, in October. Turkish officials say the Islamic State has started to target Turkey because of its increased cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition that is fighting the group in Syria. When the bomber struck on Istanbuls busiest thoroughfare Saturday, the country was still reeling from a car bombing in central Ankara last week that killed 37 people. A splinter group of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for that attack. On Sunday, many roads in Istanbul were cordoned off for security reasons, and television footage showed the usually bustling Istiklal Avenue virtually abandoned. Photographs showed several people placing red carnations at the scene of the attack. ORANGE Jim Reeves grew up eating burgers at Watsons. The 57-year-old, who says his family moved to Orange in 1893 in a covered wagon before Watsons opened, says his parents also ate at Watsons. So did his grandparents. Watsons, which opened in 1899 as the drugstore in downtown Orange, is one of the countys oldest businesses. Its where Tom Hanks filmed part of That Thing You Do! Its also where George W. Bush once stopped in for a malt. In Orange, Watsons is an icon. Now, that icon and the town around it are about to change. HISTORY SELLS A new version of Watsons Watsons Soda Fountain & Cafe is set to open Monday. According to Bill Skeffington, who bought Watsons last summer from longtime owner Scott Parker, the new Watsons is a modern incarnation of the place that once thrived as a combination drugstore and soda fountain. The counter is a mix of marble and wood, just like the old counter. The menu is a foodie nod to Watsons comfort-food past. Even the malts and shakes remain, though some come infused with booze. I didnt want to see (Watsons) go away, Skeffington said. I figured I could bring it back and help make it more profitable. Many figure to welcome the hipper menu and look. But some residents look at the new Watsons and see nothing less than the end of Old Towne Orange. Though dozens of restaurants have opened in downtown Orange (the city lists 39 eateries within 1 square mile of the its traffic circle), none has the symbolic import of Watsons. Watsons is a good barometer of how downtown Orange has changed, said Phil Brigandi, a local historian. Others say the evolution was underway long before Watsons remodeled. Many of the restaurants and bars that have opened in Orange in recent years replaced antique stores, a category of business that, a generation earlier, revived the communitys downtown. Then and now: See photos of Watsons now compared with years ago by clicking the picture below Today, according to city records, there are nine antique or collectible stores in downtown Orange, about half the number from 20 years ago. For some antique sellers, the transformation has been unsettling. Generally, were all feeling less secure, said Kathy Schulte, who has owned Antique Mall of Treasures for 20 years. Were doing well, but I dont like that its changing, she said. A lot of shop owners feel this way. Rick Otto, city manager of Orange, says the transformation isnt an accident. The city has wooed restaurants and bars to boost revenue and respond to changing demand. Economically, its worked. Last year, businesses in downtown Orange generated taxable sales of about $60 million. In 2006, that figure was $42million. But the change isnt all about money. The downtown that once went quiet at sundown now is busy late into the night. Police regularly run DUI checkpoints near the area. A new, trendy Watsons, some argue, makes the transformation complete. For Skeffington to say he needs a liquor license as part of his business plan really says something, said historian Brigandi. Or, as Everett Caldwell, owner of Mr. Cs, a vinyl record shop thats been open in downtown Orange since the 1970s, put it, Its changing the nature of the town. WATSONS AS A CHAIN? While some observers wonder what the new version of Watsons says about downtown Orange, its former owner says the alternative was no Watsons at all. Watsons did really well for a while, but business started to slow. I was spending retirement money to keep up and add on, said Parker, who bought Watsons in 1971. Hes not bothered by what Skeffington has done with his former business. Everything thats been added is what I would have done if I had the resources, he said. Skeffington spent $500,000 on a remodel that keeps some of the old Watsons alive. Parts of the original ceiling were restored. And the restaurants decorative centerpiece an early 20th-century pharmaceutical cabinet is filled with cloudy vials and hand-blown glass bottles with aging, handwritten labels. All were found in Watsons basement during the reconstruction. The nods to the 21st century include a few high-definition TVs, silently playing old black-and-white movies and 24-hour news. There are menu items such as Cotton Candy Martini and Penicillin, a cocktail with Scotch, fresh lemon, ginger, honey and candied ginger. Longtime Orange resident Reeves turned out for Watsons soft opening last week. He ordered a burger and a soda, and said he generally approved of the changes. So did Bill and Connie Castle, whove been coming to Watsons since they moved to Orange 40 years ago. We love that theyve kept that old feel, said Bill Castle, 79. Skeffington hopes enough people feel that way that he can turn the Watsons brand into something that will work in other downtowns. Im planning on expanding the restaurant and opening Watsons in other places, he said. Maybe Orange County, maybe other parts of Southern California. I hope we help Watsons last another 116 years. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico As the Zika virus speeds through the hemisphere, a cluster of one-story buildings set in the shade of banyan and mango trees has become the epicenter of the U.S. fight against the pathogen. Behind an unmarked gated entrance in this working-class neighborhood of San Juan, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have only one focus: to stop Zikas spread. About 100 virologists, biologists, entomologists and more are working here, including dozens brought from CDC sites in Colorado and Georgia. Theyre racing to develop tests for faster and more accurate diagnosis of infection and killing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by the hundreds to determine what chemicals are most effective. Much of it is labor-intensive. The insecticide research means collecting eggs on sticky brown paper placed all over the island, then soaking those egg-dotted sheets in shallow trays of water back at the lab. The eggs grow from larvae into adult mosquitoes, which are kept in mesh cages and fed pigs blood contained in what looks like a membrane-wrapped sausage. The final stage? Putting the adults inside chemical-coated bottles. If 98 percent are dead within 30 minutes, the chemical has real potential against Zikas prime source of transmission. The effort is critical, according to entomologist Audrey Lenhart, because much of the mosquito population has become resistant to permethrin, one of the most commonly used insecticides in Puerto Rico and abroad. Its very impressive, CDC Director Tom Frieden said after visiting the complex during a recent trip. You see 20 mosquitoes all flying around happily in a bottle thats been coated with an insecticide that is being widely used and next to it another bottle where all 20 mosquitoes have been rapidly knocked down 1 / 8by the experimental substance 3 / 8 and most of them killed. In the midst of their research, the scientists also are scrambling to protect the population most at risk here. The island already has at least 249 confirmed Zika cases, almost as many as the rest of the entire United States. Twenty-four of those involve pregnant women, and the number could skyrocket given the 4,000 pregnant women who live in areas with active transmission. Not only is the CDC helping the authorities install window screens on homes in these communities, it is working with local authorities to distribute 4,000 Zika prevention kits. The contents include condoms as well as repellent since sexual transmission is now proven. Until January, the labs target was dengue fever the reason this branch was set up 30 years ago. Dengue fever is one of the worlds most virulent infectious diseases, with more than 400 million people becoming infected each year. But today, all of the branchs work is shifted to Zika. There is no silver bullet to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito or reduce the risk of Zika infection on a population-wide basis, but there are some things that we may be able to do if we have the resources that would significantly reduce risk, Frieden said. Conditions in Puerto Rico provide scientists a unique opportunity to study the virus and its effects in real time, noted Tyler Sharp, acting head of the epidemiological team. Teams are monitoring the pregnant women with the rash, red eyes and joint pain that are signs of Zika and visiting the homes of pregnant women without symptoms. They hope to learn more about Zikas link to a range of birth defects, including microcephaly, in which children are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains. Researchers expect to see an uptick in Guillain-Barr syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that may be triggered by Zika. So far, there is only one case. But epidemiologists are scouring three hospitals patient records going back to 2012 to establish the syndromes prevalence before the Zika outbreak. With a baseline, Sharp said, theyll know the point at which additional cases represent a true increase. The CDC wants to address another key question, too: How long is Zika detectable and infectious in blood, semen, saliva, and vaginal secretions? Sharp said. What is learned in Puerto Rico should benefit the several dozen countries and territories in the Americas that are battling Zika. Cuba is the latest, as signaled Saturday when the CDC added it to the agencys travel-advisory list of places with active Zika transmission. One of the biggest challenges in halting the spread of the virus is figuring out if someone is infected. Its complicated because 80 percent of people dont show symptoms. More than a year ago, lab scientist Gilberto Santiago helped to develop a new diagnostic that simultaneously tests for Zika, dengue fever and chikungunya, related viruses that tend to spread in the same regions. Known as the trioplex, it has been used in Puerto Rico since January. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency approval to the three-in-one test, and on Monday, the CDC plans to start shipping hundreds of kits to labs in the United States and other countries. This will help the public in the most affected countries, said Jorge Munoz, director of diagnostics and research. Another major hurdle is eliminating mosquitoes outside homes without using insecticides. Some of the labs past research, led by entomologist Roberto Barrera, suggests one answer. Barreras team designed a low-tech trap a 5-gallon black plastic bucket filled with water and hay. On top is a small, round chamber lined with special adhesive paper. Female mosquitoes looking for containers of water to lay their eggs are attracted by the odor of the hay decomposing, Barrera said. They fly into the chamber, get stuck on the paper and die within minutes. Versions of the traps, which Barrera described as cheap, durable and low maintenance, have been tested in southern Puerto Rico for the last several years. Communities with them had 80 percent fewer mosquitoes than communities with no traps, he said. The researchers now are talking with companies about potential mass production. Getting a cold drink might seem like the perfect way to relax after a long, hot summer day, but for most Chinese the opposite is true. They routinely consume hot beverages with their meals and all through the day irrespective of the weather. So dont be surprised if on a balmy day, you see a Chinese person sipping hot water from a thermos! While the western world might find this bizarre, the Chinese actually think that the Western habit of chugging ice-cold water is very strange. The idea of consuming anything at room temperature or below is, according to them, bad for your health. In the big family I was brought up in, no one would dare to pour even room temperature water, journalist Nicole Liu writes for the LA Times. Doing so would risk a chorus of criticism, with parents, aunts, cousins, and grandparents chastising you almost simultaneously: Cold water gives you cramps! Photo: David Woo Hot water might be beneficial to a certain extent, but it appears that Chinas staunch belief in its healing properties might partially be the result of subliminal messaging. According to Liu, Chinas hot water habit can be traced back to 1949, when the quality of tap water wasnt very good. So the government promoted drinking boiled water as a way of eliminating water-borne bacteria. There were boiler rooms in every [workplace] and community, and people delivered hot water to each household, 68-year-old Li Zhenhui told Liu. They would do it very early in the morning by filling the containers you left outside the door. They kept saying it was for our health and hygiene. But the tenets of ancient Chinese medicine cannot be ignored they also appear to play an important role in the nations fondness for hot drinks. The consumption of warm water early in the morning has long since been thought to aid digestion, improve blood circulation, help in detoxification, and relieve soreness of muscles. Cold water, on the other hand was thought to cause muscle cramps and slow down organ function. Hot food, on principle, is never mixed with cold water because that would cause an imbalance of temperatures. In fact, most restaurants in China provide the option of serving soft drinks hot or at room temperature, as opposed to ice-cold in Western countries. Photo: V.T. Polywoda Some believe that the habit of consuming plain hot water is derived from the countrys ancient tea culture. Since people have had to boil water to prepare their tea for centuries, they just began consuming plain water along the way. This theory doesnt hold up as well when you consider Chinas neighbors Korea and Japan which also have a longstanding tea tradition, but arent known to drink hot water. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure consuming hot water is so ingrained into their culture that many Chinese people find it difficult to adjust to cooler drinks served in other parts of the world. In 2013, while on a road trip from Scotland to England, I endured cold water for four days as we drove through the foggy countryside, Liu recalls. On the fifth day, my Chinese stomach could take it no longer, and I begged my husband to stop somewhere to have a proper glass of steaming hot water. My husband, a Brit who has been in Beijing for over five years, readily agreed. She goes on to describe how shocked the waitress at a local cafe was when they made the bizarre request for two mugs of steaming hot water. Photo: kizzzbeth But Liu observes that several hospitality services around the world are now warming up to the Chinese need for re shui (hot water). Hotels overseas are getting hip to Chinese tourists needs, adding amenities like slippers, Chinese-language newspapers and, yes, teakettles, she writes. A few years ago she was served a Lebanese flight attendant on Emirates airlines, who didnt speak any Chinese but instantly recognized the words re shui. One big difference between Chinese tourists and non-Chinese is youll be called dozens of times for re shui, and fewer people drink alcohol, she told Liu. It looks like the Chinese are hooked on to hot water for life, and will continue to be so for several generations to come. This is more than evident from scenes of the ongoing legislative sessions in the nation, which repeatedly show waiters serving hot water to senior officials in the conference hall. Some use it to make tea, while others prefer to drink it straight. Sources: LA Times, CCTV, Tutor Ming The OECD Observer online archive takes you on a journey through half a century of public policy and world progress. Since November 1962, the OECDs experts and leading guests offer insights on the questions facing our member countries with concise and authoritative analysis, and provide our audiences with an excellent opportunity to understand policy debates and consider solutions. Each edition of the OECD Observer reports on a core theme of the OECDs on-going work, from economics and society through governance, finance, and the environment, and articles are bolstered by tables and graphs. A number of staff from Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore successfully completed a Course in Quality Improvement and were awarded for their achievement last week by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). By Damian Moran e-mail: damian@offalyexpress.ie Twitter: @offaly_express Fiona McMahon, Treasa De Paor and Oisin O hAlmhain from Portlaoise General Hospital joined 280 graduates from hospitals, community and children services throughout Ireland at Farmleigh House last Wednesday, 2nd March, to mark the course graduation, which was delivered through the IHI Open School and funded by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). The aim of this e-learning programme is to provide frontline staff and multidisciplinary teams with tools in quality improvement methodologies. Hospitals are continuously working to improve their compliance with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare and this programme will assist them greatly. The skills acquired through the course will enhance a patient safety culture service and facilitate service improvements within the hospital setting. Addressing the audience, Dr Susan O Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of the Dublin Midland Hospital Group, of which Naas General Hospital is a constituent hospital, congratulated all staff and acknowledged their hard work: I would like to congratulate the staff of Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise who successfully completed this course and developed their skills in Quality Improvement. It is always a challenge to juggle a busy job caring for patients with the demands of such an educational course. It is a major achievement to complete such a course and now the graduates have a real opportunity to share their learnings and use their new skills to drive improvements in services that matter to patients. Dr. Philip Crowley, HSE National Director Quality Improvement, congratulated graduates, calling on them to return to their healthcare settings with the learnings and skills they have achieved: The Quality Improvement Division of the HSE identified that building capacity and capability for leadership and improvement was one of the key priorities for 2015. We welcome the support by HIQA to build capacity and capability for leadership improvement. The staff who have completed the course should now return to their workplaces with a renewed enthusiasm to ensure that all our efforts are focused on providing a quality-driven, safe service for our patients. Director of Nursing & Midwifery for the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, Eileen Whelan completed the Quality Improvement Programme. Eileen is a Quality Improvement Fellow from NHS Scotland and said: I am delighted so many Portlaoise Hospital staff availed of this great opportunity. Providing staff with access to the e-learning programme facilitated a wide range of staff with flexibility to complete the Programme at a location and time that suited the demands of their day to day work. The Programme provides an excellent opportunity to build on the basic quality improvement knowledge and skills, and it assists staff develop their expertise in implementing improvements in their daily work with patients. Investing in our staff is important and the IHI Programme demonstrates true value for money while delivering on patient centred services The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) www.ihi.org offers quality, continuous improvement educational courses online for healthcare professionals. To date, over 100,000 students worldwide have participated in these courses. To date, 27 children from Offaly have had their wishes come through with Make-A-Wish Ireland since the organisation started in Ireland in 1992 By Damian Moran e-mail: damian@offalyexpress.ie Twitter: @offaly_express Each year, Make-A-Wish ensures that wishes are granted to children who are battling life threatening medical conditions such as cancer, brain tumours, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and many others. Make-A-Wish is 100% funded through donations and fundraising and to support the ongoing work with children from Offaly and throughout Ireland, Make-A-Wish need the help of volunteers in Offaly to keep the great work going. Wish Day will take place on Friday 8th April and Make-A-Wish is seeking the help of 30 volunteers throughout Offaly to give just a few hours of their time to support Make-A-Wish. Irene Timmins Head of Fundraising for Make-A-Wish said, On Wish Day, Friday 8th April, volunteers throughout Offaly will be raising awareness for the work of Make-A-Wish while also helping to raise funds through the sale of beautifully designed badges. A successful Wish Day will enable us to grant more wishes to children living with life-threatening medical conditions. We have brave children on our waiting list from Offaly and with the support of people from throughout the community, Make-A-Wish can grant the wishes to these deserving children. Wish Day will take place across Ireland on Friday 8th April and Make-A-Wish volunteers will be located throughout Offaly. To sign up to volunteer visit www.makeawish.ie or contact Barbara Kilbride on (01) 2052012 / barbara@makeawish.ie Loading... OilVoice will be with you shortly... The Nebraska Science Festival will release tickets Tuesday for an April 22 presentation by actor and science fest headliner LeVar Burton. Burton the former Star Trek actor and Reading Rainbow producer will present Technology & Storytelling: Making a Difference in the Digital Age at Joslyn Museums Witherspoon Concert Hall in Omaha. His presentation is suitable for all ages. Tickets for the general admission seating will be released at noon Tuesday. Though tickets are free, they will be released on a first-come, first-served basis. They will be available online at Eventbrite.com. Users will need to create a login and password before searching for LeVar Burton NE SciFest Keynote Presentation. Once there, users can reserve up to four free tickets. Tickets will not be available at the event but are required for entry on April 22 when doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:30 presentation. Past SciFest speakers have included scientist Bill Nye, Animal Planet host Jeff Corwin and extreme storm chaser Reed Timmer. SciFest, presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, will take place April 15 through 23 and will feature all sorts of science- and tech-related activities at locations across the state. Check nescifest.com for more information on the Burton presentation and other SciFest events. WASHINGTON Nebraska likely will take up the fight against Colorados legal marijuana in the federal courts now that the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to settle a case with national implications. A majority of justices on Monday opted not to hear the lawsuit by Nebraska and Oklahoma that argued that their neighboring state cannot legally sell a drug that remains banned under federal law. The majority did not explain the decision, but two dissenting justices said they thought the court should have taken up the case. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson predicted that the Supreme Court eventually will have to decide the legal questions regarding state marijuana laws. A lawsuit could be filed in U.S. District Court in coming weeks seeking to compel the federal government to enforce federal law, he said. Right now I would say the industry is running wild, Peterson said. Mondays decision was applauded by those who work to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in states. Some regarded it as tacit approval of the laws in four states where legal pot generated an estimated $5.4 billion in sales last year. States have every right to regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana, just as Nebraska and Oklahoma have the right to maintain their failed prohibition policies, said Mason Tvert of Denver, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project who co-directed the 2012 Colorado initiative. Even though she prevailed Monday, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman put the onus on Washington for not addressing problems with legal marijuana rather than her fellow Republican attorneys general in Nebraska and Oklahoma for filing the lawsuit in late 2014. I continue to believe that this lawsuit was not the way to properly address the challenges posed by legalized marijuana, she said. But the problems are not going away. The Obama administration says it opposes legalization of marijuana but will not take enforcement action in states that legalize, tax and regulate the drug to keep it out of the hands of children. Gov. Pete Ricketts said problems with Colorado marijuana have spilled into Nebraska, particularly in communities near the boarder between the states. He called it a failure of the Obama administration to not enforce federal drug law. To date, Nebraska has wisely avoided Colorados mistake in legalizing this dangerous drug, and my administration will continue to work with senators to protect our families and stop efforts to circumvent federal law here in Nebraska, the governor said. Nebraska lawmakers have not introduced legislation to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, but they are expected to debate a bill in coming weeks to allow medical use of the drug. More than half of Colorados recreational pot sales in 2014 were to out-of-state visitors, according to data from Colorados marijuana regulators. Some sheriffs in western Nebraska have said their departments are burdened with greater enforcement costs because Colorado has been unable to contain the flow of the drugs. Nine former directors of the Drug Enforcement Administration filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Nebraska and Oklahoma. Colorados attorney general argued that her states sovereignty was at stake. Nebraska and Oklahoma essentially wanted the authority to reach across state borders and change a law in Colorado that they didnt like, she said. Late last year, the U.S. Justice Departments top courtroom lawyer argued that the claims by Nebraska and Colorado did not merit Supreme Court consideration. Colorados law prohibits legally purchased marijuana from leaving Colorado, so any problems in surrounding states were the responsibility of third-party lawbreakers, the solicitor general said in a brief filed with the court. Justice Clarence Thomas said Monday that the case should have been taken up because the responsibility to decide legal disputes between states rests with the Supreme Court. He was joined in his dissent by Justice Samuel Alito. The plaintiff states have alleged significant harms to their sovereign interests caused by another state, Thomas wrote. Whatever the merit of the plaintiff states claims, we should let this complaint proceed further rather than denying leave without so much as a word of explanation. The decision did not sit well with Scotts Bluff Sheriff Mark Overman. Marijuana encounters with people under 21 in an 11-county western Nebraska area have doubled in recent years, Overman said. Such encounters increased from 125 in 2010 to about 250 in 2015. With very, very few exceptions, all of the marijuana we now encounter comes from Colorado, Overman said Monday. Colorados decision to allow recreational marijuana has brought other legal challenges from inside and outside the state. One lawsuit by some Nebraska and Kansas law enforcement officials was dismissed last month by a federal court in Denver, the Associated Press reported. World-Herald staff writer Joseph Morton contributed to this report. Contact the writer: 402-473-9587, joe.duggan@owh.com WALLACE, Neb. The community of Wallace is looking ahead to its future by taking a page from its past. The Wallace Community Foundation met with the public a few weeks ago to devise a plan for the upcoming years. When it really started was about 20 years ago, said Jim Smith, a member of the foundation and Wallace businessman. A group of about eight business people decided we needed to do some things to make sure the school stayed here in Wallace. If we were going to have our businesses here and raise our families here, we wanted to make sure of that. So we started an economic development group. The group at that time found a video about two towns too tough to die: Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. So we got in the car and took a trip up to Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, and found out what they did, Smith said. The group invited Dr. Edwin C. Nelson, known as the Cheerleader of Nebraska and the retired president of Chadron State College, to come speak at a town hall meeting. From that meeting of about 150 people, the group came up with a list of 10 projects to tackle. Nine of those were completed. It was a long process, but they got done, Smith said. It was things such as new infrastructure, new streets, water tower, new fire hall in addition to the school, which was the big one. The school completed a $2.2 million addition, the community hall was spruced up and the baseball diamonds were renovated. The only project that was not completed was a swimming pool. Fast forward to the present, and the community is in the process of looking ahead at the next 20 years to once again ensure that the school stays in the community. There was a lot of success that came from that meeting, Smith said. Another thing was the foundation that started with nine guys from that meeting. Smith is the only original member of the foundation still on the board, and at a recent meeting the board discussed what more its members could do for the community. The current board said Were just not doing anything, we need to do something, we need to do this planning session again, Smith said. At the town hall meeting, the community members identified several areas they wanted to improve. The No. 1 thing that came out of that was that we wanted to keep the school here and we need housing, and housing and housing and more housing, Smith said. The Planning with a Purpose session has opened the door for residents to address issues they hope will keep Wallace alive and thriving into the future. The community has had a solid base with the population around 366 people. Although the foundation initiated the conversation, a committee of community members will take the lead role in future planning sessions. The community is centrally located, with many people who want small-town living but have jobs in North Platte, Ogallala, Grant, Sutherland and other nearby areas. There are a lot of young families who are living here, and we want to ensure they have a future in Wallace, Smith said. MIT Global Start-Up Workshop 2016 begins in Hyderabad Feature oi-Lisa By Lisa Massachusetts Institute of Technology is organising a Global Start-Up Workshop in Hyderabad from 21st March through 23rd March. The workshop is a must attend for those who want to start-up new business or have started new business. At the workshop participants will be provide with an opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs and exchange ideas with experts. It is an ideal platform to share best practices and lessons learned from around the world. Last year such conference was hosted by Guatemala and in 2014 it was hosted by Morocco. This year's conference is committed to bring four key deliverables to the conference. 1. Unparalleled access to mentors; 2. International competitions; 3. Hands on training; and 4. Monitored profiles of attendees. History: MIT Global Startup Workshop was founded in 1997. The first MIT GSW was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in March 1998. It brought together an international community committed to launching BPCs to stimulate and nurture entrepreneurship worldwide. Demo Town: The workshop is to have a Demo Town where start-ups can present their products or vision based on the stage of the startup. At Demo Town attendees can obtain useful and critical feedback on their start-up ideas and products and this feedback will help them perfect their market strategy. The showcase team at the workshop is to help start-ups with making their presence felt online by helping them make a short video about the company. Inaugural session: The workshop was inaugurated by Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister for MSME. Mr. Mishra on the occasion said that, "Government of India has an initiative to build eco-system for nurturing innovation and Start-Ups to drive economic growth and generate employment opportunities. "Government of India has taken various measures to improve ease of doing business and also for building an environment for Start-Ups including MSMEs in the country. "The role of MSME sector can best be ascertained in terms of its contribution in GDP, manufacturing output, export and employment generation." "MSMEs growth over 10% in recent yrs. MSME contributes 37.5% of the country's GDP, 45% of the manufactured output and 44% of its exports." The MSMEs provide employment to over 80 million persons through over 36 million enterprises. pic.twitter.com/5VaT8scoQx andmdash; Kalraj Mishra (@KalrajMishra) March 21, 2016 "PM Narendra Modi has envisioned the country as a 'Manufacturing Hub'. Vision of Make In India a manufacturing hub." "Make In India strategy aims to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development and build manufacturing infrastructure in the country." "Government of India is focussing on facilitating the ease of doing business and encouraging growth of entrepreneurs. Towards this effect UAM has come into force." "Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum is a simplified form to be filled online on self-declaration basis without any supporting document and fee." "PM Narendra Modi is focussing on use of IT tools, Ministry of MSME has launched Employment exchange portal where job seekers can find employers and vice versa." "Government will unveil a blue print for start-ups soon. There will be special support structure for start-ups, including funding from the government." "Under Stand-Up India, each 1.25Lac bank branches would be encouraged to fund a SC/ST and woman entrepreneurs to create 2.5Lacs new entrepreneurs." "CLCSS provides upfront capital subsidy for technology upgradation support by 15% capital subsidy (limited to max 15 lakhs) for purchase of Plant and Machinery." #CLCSS asst provided to entrepreneurs to set up new micro enterprises in the mfg as well as the services sectors pic.twitter.com/jO1rnqm3NA andmdash; Kalraj Mishra (@KalrajMishra) March 21, 2016 "PMEGP Scheme is for assisting the young entrepreneurs to set up new micro enterprises in the manufacturing as well as the services sector." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, March 21, 2016, 17:00 [IST] Polls 2016: Why doesn't SP focus more on UP instead of contesting in 3 states? Feature oi-Shubham By Shubham After the JD(U), the Samajwadi Party (SP) has now decided to contest in three of the four states going to the Assembly elections starting next month. Mayawati's BSP to emerge single-largest party in UP polls: Survey UP polls 2017: Survey shows BJP, BSP will have an intense battle in Purvanchal" title=" JD(U) to contest in three states Mayawati's BSP to emerge single-largest party in UP polls: Survey UP polls 2017: Survey shows BJP, BSP will have an intense battle in Purvanchal" /> JD(U) to contest in three states Mayawati's BSP to emerge single-largest party in UP polls: Survey UP polls 2017: Survey shows BJP, BSP will have an intense battle in Purvanchal The ruling party of Uttar Pradesh has decided to contest in 25-30 seats in Assam and around 20 in West Bengal besides in some in Tamil Nadu, too. Kiranmoy Nanda, a former minister in the Left Front government in Bengal and in charge of Bengal and Assam, said. The SP, however, is not contesting the Kerala polls. The party might be looking to expand its reach beyond UP, which will go to polls early next year, but is it in a position to target other states when the prospects in its own state are not looking too bright? The SP failed to win a single seat in Assam and Tamil Nadu in the 2011 polls and managed just one seat in Bengal that year. In the Bihar election last year, too, the SP gave candidates in 135 candidates after pulling out of the Grand Alliance but failed to open its account. The SP has also ruled out alliance with either the Congress, BJP or the Left Front in the states that go to elections next. The party's stand might change if chances emerge on alliance with a regional party. But will the SP's efforts now to widen its base beyond UP of any use? The party is fighting a serious anti-incumbency problem in the key state and is predicted to finish third after the BSP and BJP in the 2017 polls. In this situation, why waste time seving a pan-Indian ambition and instead work more in the state which matters the most for its survival? The SP will also do itself no favour by unnecessarily losing some contests in places where it is irrelevant. The initiative to seek an all-India status is good but only when you are on a strong wicket. In 2013, for example, the SP, which was then just a year-old in governance in UP, won Channapatna Assembly seat by defeating the JD(S), which is known to be a strong force in that constituency. Certain quarters feel the SP's decision to field candidates in other states to eat into other parties' vote share will boost its supporters' morale after the disappointing opinion poll surveys but it could also prove otherwise as some unnecessary losses could leave them more dejected. 6 men,17 terror cases, on the run for 2 years; police of six states could not nab them India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Mar 21: It comes as quite a surprise that six men on the run for two years had carried out 17 incidents of terror including robberies without being detected by an entire nation's police force. This is an incident involving five SIMI operatives who had fled from the Khandwa jail in Madhya Pradesh in the year 2013. Going by the investigations being conducted today, it appears that they have been blamed for every incident of terror that has taken place since 2013. Be it the Chennai train blasts, the Bijnor blast or the spate of robberies that have taken place in various states. 6 men, 2 years, 17 incidents: Six persons have managed to break out of the jail at Khandwa in 2013. They were on the run for two years. However two of them were traced in the last half of 2015 and killed in an encounter at Telangana. The hunt of the other four continued. However the hunt came to an end last month when four of them were arrested in Odisha. In the years that these persons were absconding, the police blamed every incident on them. Prior to the cracking of the Bengaluru Church Street Blasts case, even this incident was blamed on them. NIA probes SIMI link to ISIS The Chennai train blasts according to investigators was the handiwork of this group as they were avenging an incident in which four Muslims had been earlier thrown out of the same train. After they escaped from jail, they carried out a robbery in Madhya Pradesh. The money they looted was handed over to the SIMI module in Jharkhand which carried out two blasts, one at Patna and the other at Bodhgaya. Following this they left for Uttar Pradesh where they attempted to bomb Bijnor. However in an accidental blast, one of them was seriously injured. After this incident they carried out a spate of robberies which included a major one in Telangana as well. It is said that they also stayed a while in Karnataka after the robbery at Telangana. They have also been accused of carrying out a bombing outside a police station in Pune. How did they get away? After their escape, they were being hunted down by the police of Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and not to mention the National Investigation Agency (NIA). They were all over the place according to the police. It sounds quite strange that for two years none of the above mentioned security forces were able to trace them. 2014 Chennai train blast mystery solved: It was revenge, say accused While some police officials allege that they managed to stay off the radar thanks to the local help they enjoyed in most states, the NIA says that they had deployed another tactic. According to the NIA, they never travelled as a group and this helped them avoid the heat. It must also be mentioned here that during the accidental blast at Bijnor in 2014, one of the operatives, Mehboob had been injured badly. This led the other operatives to call his mother who joined them and has been there with them since then. They conversed on cell phones, went about different states using buses and trains and yet were not traced for two years. Now with the arrest of these persons, police officials are looking to close at least 17 cases one of which also includes a plot to bomb an RSS meet. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, March 21, 2016, 9:48 [IST] Dr Ambedkar is as iconic as Martin Luther King, says Narendra Modi India oi-Sandra New Delhi, March 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to BR Ambedkar on Monday, March 21 and said that 'Ambedkar is a source of inspiration for the nation, the voice of the marginalized.' Modi, while speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of BR Ambedkar National Memorial in the capital, said: "Babasaheb was the voice of the marginalised. He is a Vishwa Manav. Only talking about him with respect to India is injustice to him." PM Modi God's gift to India, says Union minister Venkaiah Naidu Speaking at the event Modi said: "History is sometimes diluted or suppressed in our nation. Why was it that Dr Ambedkar had to resign from the ministry? This part of history is either forgotten or diluted." "It was because the governement rejected Ambedkar's ideas for women empowerment that he left the government of that time. When issue of equal rights to women came up, Babasaheb was clear that if women don't get equal rights I can't be a part of the ministry," Modi added. Babasaheb was the voice of the marginalised, says Narendra Modi Praising Ambedkar at the event, Modi said: "Dr Ambedkar is as iconic as Martin Luther King who fought for the oppressed." 60 years after Ambedkar created a structure for power generation in India, we still have villages which have no electricity, Modi said. The prime minister also praised Ambedkar's vision for the development of the poor and middle class. "He had a vision to realise India's maritime resources, power sector and many things. He always wanted people to be educated," Modi said, adding: "Ambedkar gave inner power to people by compelling people to be knowledgeable." Addressing the issue of reservation for reservations for Dalits, tribals and marginalised communities, Modi said that this is a right that nobody can snatch. "Nothing has ever happened to reservation for Dalits, tribals, where we are in power but still this lie is spread to mislead people," he said. OneIndia News Are these the terrorists who attacked Pathankot air base? India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Mar 21: The National Investigation Agency has for the first time released the photographs of the terrorists who carried out the Pathankot attack. The NIA has released the photographs of four of the terrorists who carried out the attack. The details of the other two terrorists remains unknown and a forensic report while confirming the presence of charred remains has however unable been able to obtain a DNA sample. The NIA has sought out information regarding the four terrorists. The agency says that in case anyone has information relating to these four terrorists they should contact the NIA at- Superintendent of Police, National Investigation Agency, 6th & 7th Floor, NDCC-II Building, Jai Singh Marg, Palika Kendra, New Delhi 110001. 011-23438236, 9654447345 or assistance.nia@gov.in. [Timeline of Pathankot terror attack] The NIA will now send for re-examination the charred remains found at the second encounter spot to ascertain whether there were six or four terrorists. The forensic test that the NIA received recently suggested that there were human remains, but could not source DNA samples as they were completely charred. There was a major confusion over the number of terrorists at the Pathankot air base. While on day one four terrorists were killed, an encounter raged on for another 60 hours in which it was stated that a gun battle was on with two more. It may be recalled that an intercept picked up at the time of the attack heard one of the handlers telling the terrorist, " they do not even know how many of you are there." The NIA wants to be doubly sure and hence wants to send the samples for re-examination. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, March 21, 2016, 18:52 [IST] Herald case: Court seeks balance sheet of Congress party India oi-PTI New Delhi, March 21: A Delhi court on Monday, March 21 directed the Congress party to submit its balance sheet for the year 2010- 2011 in compliance with its order in the National Herald case in which Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and five others are accused. The court's direction came after the counsel appearing for Indian National Congress (INC) informed it that the party needed time to follow the March 11 order by which the documents were sought. Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen, after hearing the submissions, posted the matter for April 8 for the next hearing on the plea of BJP Leader Subramanian Swamy. The counsel, Badar Mahmood, said the court summons were received only on March 19 and added that there was lack of clarity about the year of which the documents pertain to. "Summons were not clear as to whether it was for 2010, 2011 or for both," the counsel said. A Congress office peon, who appeared in the court, also said that no office-bearer of the party office was present on Saturday to give the documents. In its March 11 order, the court had also summoned the balance sheet of 2010-2011 of Associated Journals Pvt Ltd (AJL), observing that these documents of INC and AJL could not be referred as "personal documents" of the accused. However, the counsel appearing for AJL, today submitted before the court that the documents summoned by the court are already in the court records which were verified by the officials from the Registrar of Companies who were summoned thrice during the recording of pre-summoning evidence. "We are taken for a ride. The documents summoned are already on the record of the court. Its only for the purpose of publicity that the complainant has filed this complaint as he has been 'tweeting' about this case from his social networking account Twitter," senior advocate R S Cheema, appearing for AJL said, while showing some of Swamy's tweets to the court. Swamy had accused Sonia, Rahul and others of allegedly conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by just paying Rs 50 lakh by which YI obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which the AJL had owed to the Congress party. PTI Dhanteras 2022: How much gold can you buy from Dubai Lashkar-e-Tayiba enhancing social media capabilities, replicates ISIS India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Mar 21: On December 26 2015, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) which is the financial arm of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba launched a website called nazarpakistan.com. Although a late entrant into the world of social media, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba felt the important of an online presence. In fact at the launch event which was organised by the newly set up cyber team of the outfit, Hafiz Saeed, said that the Daesh (ISIS) was an example of how the social media helped propagate their cause. The Indian Intelligence Bureau has said that the biggest threat emerges from the online space. India has kept a close watch on the social media accounts that were launched by the JuD and also its website. Is it target Kashmir: In Jammu and Kashmir, it was the Hizbul Mujahideen which extensively used the online medium. Pictures of young mujahideens posing with rifles and uniforms were posted on facebook accounts and the outfit did get the desired results. The recruitment has gone up suggests an IB official. Keeping this in mind, the JuD too decided that it would have a major online presence. Hafiz Saeed himself has begun tweeting a lot. In addition to this the various handles of the outfit do propagate about the work they are doing, but they make it loud and clear that they want the liberation of Kashmir. Through the website, nazarpakistan.com, the JuD has openly declared support to the separatists in Kashmir. In addition to this there is an attempt to lure the people into their fold and there are also signs that they are trying to capture the imagination of the youth. Quoting the success of the ISIS on the social media by Saeed itself was an indication that he wants to replicate their module. The ISIS has been hugely successful in roping the youth into their fold only because of extensive propaganda on the social media. The Lashkar-e-Tayiba too felt that this was the best way to capture the youth and hence they have enhanced their capabilities on the internet. Lashkar-e-Tayiba was always tech savvy: The Lashkar-e-Tayiba has always been tech savvy. They have had a tech team for nearly 10 years now and have developed applications and software which they have used successfully in terrorist strikes. Take for instance the planning that went into the Mumbai 26/11 attacks. There was a lot of reliance on technology both during the planning stage and also at the time of the attack. The use of the VoIP, satellite phones and various other communication devices ensured that they remained un-detected all through the planning stages leading up to the attack. The Lashkar-e-Tayiba has always had a dedicated tech team which has provided them fool-proof technology which they have successfully used during terror strikes or even tracking down the movements of the Indian army. However they were late on the social media as many felt that the the battle would continue to be on the ground. However seeing the success of the ISIS and how strategically the outfit has placed itself on the online space, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba did not want to left behind. OneIndia News 108-foot statue of Kempegowda to be unveiled by PM in Karnataka: Basavaraj Bommai Watch: PM Modi receives warm welcome from locals in Badrinath India making every effort to deal with global economic challenges: PM Modi at 'Rozgar mela' Deepotsav 2022: In PM Modi's presence, 18 lakh diyas to create new world record in Ayodhya | Top points News flash: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee holds padyatra India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Bengaluru, March 21: PM Narendra Modi to lay foundation stone for Dr BR Ambedkar National memorial and will be delivering Dr Ambedkar Memorial Lecture in Delhi. Get all the latest news updates of the day: 10:40 pm: Police arrested a man for allegedly distributing morphed picture of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat in Bagalkot (Karnataka), yesterday. He has been sent to judicial custody till March 31 after being produced before the magistrate. 10:30 pm: Indian Coast Guard rescue seven fishermen safely from a sinking fishing boat off Ratnagiri (Maharashtra),after it received a distress alert. 9:50 pm: Bengaluru: IDBI bankers hold candle light protest against Union Govt's policy of reducing stake from IDBI bank. 8:50 pm: Fire at Deonar dumping ground (Mumbai) continues, situation still not under control. WATCH: Fire at Deonar dumping ground (Mumbai) continues, situation still not under control.https://t.co/dJmAf5EBMc ANI (@ANI_news) March 21, 2016 8:30 pm: Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro meet in Havana. 8:15 pm: Have requested President that Uttarakhand's CM should be allowed to prove majority as scheduled by Governor on Mar 28: GN Azad. 8:05 pm: We apprised President on how BJP with help from Centre has been trying to dismantle opposition's Govt in state particularly Congress: GN Azad. 8:00 pm: We are expecting to cover almost entire population by Holi. That would be real colorful Holi for Ex-servicemen: Manohar Parrikar on OROP. 7:55 pm: We are grateful to Defence Department staff & banks who worked overnight to disburse around 2293 crores by March 17: Manohar Parrikar. 7:50 pm: Sub-Committee of High Level Committee constituted to interact with Trade & Industry on Tax Laws, to submit report within 60 days of constitution. 7:45 pm: We have disbursed current payment and arrears of 13 lakh & 5000 pensioners: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on OROP. 7:40 pm: We have requested the President to direct the Governor to dismiss Uttarakhand Govt: Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP. 7.35 pm: Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora & former Defence Minister AK Antony reach Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet the President on Uttarakhand issue. 7.08 pm: Fire was seen spreading from the laboratory (Kolkata) and reached upto 8th floor. People were evacuated with the help of hydraulic ladders. 7.00 pm: 9 Congress MLAs (rebel Congress MLAs) will meet the President separately: Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP. 6.47 pm: UttarakhandCrisis: BJP leaders march from Vijay Chowk to Rashtrapati Bhavan, will meet the President shortly. 6.46 pm: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee holds padyatra in Kolkata. 6.40 pm: Fire breaks out in Ballygunje science laboratory in Kolkata, 12 fire tenders at the spot. 6.06 pm: We weren't prepared for that.Some things are beyond human control.Sound-check couldn't be done due to lack of time after rain, says Shafqat Amanat. 6.00 pm: People don't know there was a 'sound issue' there-Pak singer Shafqat Amanat on his performance before Indo-Pak match. 5.45 pm: The three students were rescued by the fishermen and were taken to a Medical College Hospital. They are currently out of danger. 5.20 pm: 3 students of Class 10 attempt to commit suicide by jumping off Valiyathura Sea Bridge (Kerala), before their exams, scheduled for afternoon 5.10 pm: 12 CCTV installed, 40 night vision camera will be installed. We will declaring Deonar dumping ground as prohibitory area, says Ajoy Mehta. 5.00 pm: Army and police in jt op nabbed a cadre of Muslim Tiger Force in Kokrajhar (Assam), involved in extortion &other subversive activities in area. 4.55 pm: CBI registers 4 cases agnst then Rifle Association officials in Kerala and othrs on allegations of illegal procurement of ammunitions and its misuse. 4.54 pm: Congress releases list of 57 candidates for upcoming Assam assembly election. 4.30 pm: Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah meets Governor NN Vohra in Jammu. 4.15 pm: Harish Rawat is not important, CMs come and go. But if 'dhan-shakti' will be used to bring change in Govt then every year a CM will be removed this way which will lead to political instability in state: Harish Rawat 4.00 pm: No school buses to be used this time in #OddEven formula,will run 'Paryavaran Bus Seva', 50% seats for women.Marshals in each bus, says Delhi Govt. 3.30 pm: Phase two of Odd Even formula in Delhi to begin from April 15 to April 30. 3.00 pm: Complaint filed in Ashok Nagar PS (Delhi) against Amitabh Bachchan for allegedly singing incorrect national anthem during IndvsPak match. 2.59 pm: I've ordered inquiry into the incident. We'll provide compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for kin of victims: Madhya Pradesh CM. 2.45 pm: Hearing adjourned for April 8 in the National Herald Case in Patiala House Court 2.40 pm: Delhi High court to hear tomorrow,Kumar Vishwas's plea against lower court order of lodging an FIR against him on allegations of molestation 2.35 pm: Former AIADMK leader Mohan tries to immolate himself outside CM J Jayalalithaa's residence in Chennai. 2.30 pm: Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer blocks state Govt's free rice scheme, says its a violation of the model code of conduct. 2.20 pm: MP CM Shivraj Chouhan orders enquiry into yesterday's Bhopal boat mishap, announces compensation of two lakh each for kin of the victims 2.00 pm: Bhagat Singh jaisa koi doosra kabhi paida nahi ho sakta-Ghulam Nabi Azad,Congress on Shashi Tharoor 1.50 pm: NCP's Sameer Bhujbal's judicial custody extended till March 31 by Special PMLA court, in a money laundering case. 1.30 pm: Report of Committee on Taxation set up by CBDT to examine business models for e-commerce received by Government. 1.10 pm: Uttarakhand Crisis: Congress leaders Saket Bahuguna and Anil Gupta expelled from the party for six years for 'anti party' activities. 1.00 pm: Government approves 15 proposals of FDI amounting to Rs. 7261.6 crore approximately. 12.55 pm: Uttarakhand HC asks absconding BJP leader Joginder Pundir to surrender before court on March 28 in Police horse Shaktiman attack case. 12.45 pm: Chennai: Opposition parties protest against honor killing incidents in Tamil Nadu. 12.30 pm: North Korea fires another missile into sea, says Yonhap news agency. 12.20 pm: The President has given us time for 7 pm, says Ajay Bhatt, BJP (Leader of Opposition) 12.18 pm: AAP leader Kumar Vishwas moves Delhi HC against lower court order of lodging an FIR against him on allegations of molestation. 12.15 pm: BJP MLA Sushil Kumar Modi returns gifts given to Bihar MLAs during budget session in Bihar Assembly. 12.10 pm: Uttarakhand Congress dissolves all nine district units of the party in the state. 11.49 am: Income Tax Department raids at properties belonging to State cabinet rank holder Harendra Ladi in Uttarakhand. 11.45 am: Delhi HC asks Vodafone to reply to Income Tax Department show cause notice by March 23, HC says no more extension to file reply would be granted. 11.40 am: Frequent fire incidents in Deonar Dumping ground a conspiracy to malign Shiv Sena, says Maharashtra environment minister Ramdas Kadam. 11.36 am: Special CBI court defers its judgement till March 28 in a coal scam case pertaining to allotment of a Jharkhand coal block to JIPL. 11.30 am: If Baba Saheb had served in government for longer time, he could've done 60 years before what I did today: PM Modi at foundation stone laying ceremony of BR Ambedkar National Memorial 11.27 am: There is a bill on waterways in Parliament but let me tell you this vision is of Dr Ambedkar. He believed in India's maritime strength: PM Modi. 11.08 am: National Herald Case hearing to resume this afternoon in Delhi's Patiala House Court. 10.55 am: Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone for BR Ambedkar National Memorial in Delhi PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone for BR Ambedkar National Memorial in Delhi pic.twitter.com/w1ox6PfH6x ANI (@ANI_news) March 21, 2016 10.20 am: Uttarakhand BJP leaders and rebel Cong MLAs to meet President Pranab Mukherjee at 6:45 pm today. 10.12 am: Elephant attack continue to claim lives in West Bengal's Bardhaman as it killed another person this morning taking the death toll to five. 9.45 am: SP MLA Abu Azmi to move adjournment motion in Maharashtra assembly pointing out failure of state and BMC in containing Deonar fire incidents. 9.05 am: 25 Former 'Chambal Dacoits' join hands, pledge to save environment and fight against deforestation. 8.45 am: Delhi man caught on camera, killing puppy, stabbing 3 stray dogs outside Green Park metro station. 8.12 am: Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat likely to meet top congress leaders in Delhi today. 8.00 am: PM Modi to lay foundation stone for Dr.BR Ambedkar National memorial. OneIndia News Second round of Bharat bandh likely to be in August One Rank-One Pension formula will not be reversed says Centre OROP: Holi Gift for ex-servicemen! Modi govt to give their dues by Holi under OROP scheme India oi-Reetu New Delhi, Mar 21: It seems government has a very good Holi gift for all ex-servicemen. If reports are to believed then teh ex-servicemen will receive their arrears by Holi under the OROP (One Rank One Pension) scheme. "We are expecting to cover almost entire population by Holi. That would be a real colorful Holi for the ex-servicemen," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told ANI. He also said that he is thankful to all the banks and defence department as they have worked very hard to disburse 2,293 crores by March 17. Veterans protesting for implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) today welcomed the release of first part of arrears and said they have raised some anomalies in OROP scheme with Defence minister Manohar Parrikar who asked them to take up the issue with the judicial commission set up for the purpose. Welcoming the release of first part of the arrears, Major Gen (retd) Satbir Singh, chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) said they have highlighted four serious flaws in the OROP scheme announced by the government, before Parrikar. State Bank of India on March 14 released arrears worth Rs 1,465 crore to 7.75 lakh defence pensioners under One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme. "As per government guidelines, first instalment (1/4th of the total arrear amount up to February, 2016) to service pensioners and full amount of arrears to family pensioners' and gallantry award' pensioners will be paid on 14th March, 2016," SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said. OneIndia News Pathankot attack: 4 or 6 terrorists, NIA wants to re-confirm India oi-Vicky New Delhi, March 21: The National Investigation Agency does not want to take any chances in the probe into the Pathankot attack. It will now send for re-examination the charred remains found at the second encounter spot to ascertain whether there were six or four terrorists. The forensic test that the NIA received recently suggested that there were human remains, but could not source DNA samples as they were completely charred. There was a major confusion over the number of terrorists at the Pathankot air base. Pathankot probe- NIA team likely to visit Islamabad soon While on day one four terrorists were killed, an encounter raged on for another 60 hours in which it was stated that a gun battle was on with two more. Not taking chances With the Special Investigation Team scheduled to arrive at Pathankot on March 27, the NIA does not want to take any chances. Any wrong information if found in the probe at India could weaken the case considerably. Moreover Pakistan is likely to cling on to that point in case of a mistake and would put the onus back on India to get its facts right. It may be recalled that an intercept picked up at the time of the attack heard one of the handlers telling the terrorist, " they do not even know how many of you are there." The NIA wants to be doubly sure and hence wants to send the samples for re-examination. The first forensic report took a considerable amount of time. The NIA had to even sent two reminders. The report stated that the charred remains are that of a juman male, but the identity could not be ascertained as it was not possible to obtain DNA samples. Apart from being sure before the Pakistan team visits India, the NIA also does not want any trouble in a court of law. The courts could pass adverse comments hampering the trial in case the facts of the case are not right. Before going any further into the probe, the NIA wants to make sure that it has the number of terrorists right. OneIndia News Sufi Islamic Board speaks out against PFIs Unity March, terms it as attempt to radicalise Sufi forum: PM's message raised hopes, Sonia's raised fears: Naidu India oi-PTI New Delhi, Mar 20: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the World Sufi Forum raised "hope", Congress president Sonia Gandhi's message "manufactured fear". In a statement, Naidu said the World Sufi Forum was addressed by the Prime Minister and Congress president in a gap of two days, but their messages were "different as chalk and cheese". "Prime Minister's speech was raising hope, Congress's was trying to manufacture fear," the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said. Modi, in his speech, reflected the glory of Sufism and said that Islam is a religion of peace, Naidu said. The Prime Minister's speech was welcomed by all as it was positive, he added. Criticising Sonia Gandhi, Naidu said her "written script conveyed dark message that nothing is going right in this country." Naidu said the PM had spoken like a statesman and categorically rejected the link between terror and religion. He also said that after the speech of the Prime Minister, people started chanting "Bharat Maata Ki Jai, very heartening". PTI Under pressure to keep flock together, PDP chief to resume talks with BJP India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Mar 21: After the BJP made it clear to the PDP that it will not accept any fresh demands, the chances of forming a government in Jammu and Kashmir ran into further problems. However now the PDP is making an attempt to get the talks back on track and the chief of the party, Mehbooba Mufti is likely to hold talks with senior BJP leaders today. J&K govt formation: After BJP snub, pressure high on PDP Not everyone in the PDP is happy with the delay in the formation of the government. Although Mehbooba may have suggested at her meeting with party workers that she was even ready to face the elections, the fact is that not all are enthusiastic. There have been murmurs of rebellion with the PDP and not all are with Mehbooba when it comes to delaying the formation of the government or even facing the polls. Meeting with PM Last week when Mehbooba was in Delhi, she met with BJP chief, Amit Shah. However the meeting with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi did not take place as he was not willing to give into any more demands. Sources in the BJP tell OneIndia that the PDP is likely to make one more attempt. If Mehbooba is ready to continue with the alliance without any fresh demands, then a meeting with the PM will take place. For Mehbooba any further delays could be crucial. The Governor is likely to dissolve the assembly if no decision is taken by the second week of April. The PDP is also not in any mood to face the elections as the results cannot be guaranteed in its favour. However for Mehbooba it is her party workers who are applying the most pressure. She has to keep them together and cannot afford any rebellion at this stage. The party workers feel that a decision has to be taken. Be it elections of a coalition some decision needs to be taken. It cannot drag on like this, although we are in favour of forming a government in the state, the PDP leaders have conveyed to their chief. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, March 21, 2016, 9:13 [IST] UP: Meet a Muslim man who left his wife for a herd of cows India oi-Mukul Lucknow, Mar 21: This incident will definitely be an eye opener for all those vigilante who unnecessarily target Muslim groups on the allegation of consuming beef. A unique incident has come to light where a Muslim man left his wife over his love for cows. The incident is of Uttar Pradesh's Eawah town. Accordng to a TOI report, when 55 year old Afaq Ali alias Munna's wife Afroz Jahan told him to choose between her and a herd of 14 cows, he went for later. Jahan who got married with Afaq in 2001, immediately left her husband after the incident. Report says that villagers even tried to patch up between the two, but they didn't compromise and went for their own way. A non-vegetarian Afaq who sacrificied his happiness said that his love for bovine was greater. Afaq who started cow rearing at the age of 15 was quoted as saying, "She used to quarrel with me every day for my obsession, asking me to sell the cows. My inner voice never allowed me to do so. I never regret my decision. I am at peace". Afaq also said that he was also criticized for leaving his wife and for his obession for Bovine. "Villagers praises me for my love and devotion. But some relatives criticise me for what I did to my wife", Afaq Ali further said. OneINdia news For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, March 21, 2016, 13:35 [IST] Why every incident of terror must be treated as war India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Mar 23: In a recent statement, the Defence Minister said that every small incident of terror should be treated as war. The experts feel that the minister was right when he issued such a statement and every incident of terror big or small needs to be treated as war. The reason why incidents big or small need to be treated as terror is because, they are not aimed at one time destruction, but it is a continued effort on part of terrorist organisations to keep a country engaged in battle. Going beyond bombs: Terrorist groups have various ways of attacking a country. In the case of India the war by terrorist groups has been multifold. There are fidayeen strikes in the form of a Parliament attack, 26/11 strike or the Pathankot strike. There are incidents such as Mumbai train bombings in which fidayeens or suicide bombers are not used. Pathankot attack: 4 or 6 terrorists, NIA wants to re-confirm However terrorist groups also go beyond the bomb blasts and fidayeen attacks. There is an economic and cyber war too. In fact if one were to rate the most dangerous forms of terror that India faces it is economic terrorism. An economic war is basically through the circulation of fake currency. India has done all it can and continues to do so, but the menace is spread too deep. Millions of rupees have been flooded into the Indian market over the past decade and these fake currency in circulation has damaged to the economy to a certain extent. In fact the RBI had to once issue a circular stating that a particular series of notes would be withdrawn as there were too many fakes. Then comes the cyber terror attacks. These are found to be in various forms. While hacking into systems to collect sensitive data is one part of the problem, the other involves shutting down crucial government websites. The other menace on the cyber space is the propaganda material which the terrorist groups post. Material with an intention of instigating and recruiting have made its way into the internet in a big way off late. While these appear to be smaller incidents, it is still necessary that they are treated as war. These have slower effect, but causes major damage in the long run. While these are the existing capabilities of the terrorist groups which target India, there are reports that also suggest that some groups are even capable of carrying out a biological war. OneIndia News Fact Check: This video of a bus being attacked is from Egypt and not related to the ongoing violence in Iraq Death toll in Egypt's Sinai attack rises to 15 policemen International oi-IANS By Ians English Cairo, March 21: The death toll of Saturday's mortar attack on a police checkpoint in Egypt's restive North Sinai province rose to 15 policemen, the interior ministry said on Sunday. The attack took place on late Saturday at Al-Safa checkpoint in Arish city of North Sinai, leaving three police officers and 12 conscripts dead, Xinhua quoted ministry's statement as saying. Calling itself "Sinai State," a Sinai-based group loyal to the regional Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Iraq and Syria claimed responsibility for the attack. Terror attacks in Egypt, particularly in North Sinai, killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since 2013. The IS branch in Sinai claimed responsibility for most of the anti-government attacks nationwide. Over the past three years, the security forces have been launching massive anti-terror operations in the peninsula that killed about 1,000 militants so far and arrested a similar number of suspects. The security raids in Sinai are part of the country's "war against terrorism" declared by then-military chief and now President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi following Morsi's removal. IANS Israel marks Turkey as 'unsafe' after bombing deaths International oi-PTI Jerusalem, Mar 21: Israel has raised the alert level on Turkey declaring the country as "unsafe" for its citizens after three Israelis were killed and 11 others wounded in a suicide bombing in Istanbul. The Prime Minister's Office in a statement said it has decided to "upgrade existing travel warning and recommend that the public avoid visiting Turkey". Amid a spate of attacks by the Islamic State groups and Kurdish separatists, and especially Saturday's bombing, "it was decided to update the existing travel warning vis-a-vis Turkey from an ongoing potential threat to a basic concrete threat," the statement said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his reaction said Israel was at the front line of a global war on terror, adding that those who failed to condemn terrorist attacks were in effect supporting them. "There could be no justification for terrorism. Israel is at the forefront of the fight against international terrorism. This fight is primarily military, but no less than that, it is moral," the Israeli premier said at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday. "The key point of the moral struggle against terrorism is clear terrorism, the murder of innocent people, has no justification anywhere not in Istanbul, not in the Ivory Coast and not in Jerusalem. "Those who do not condemn terrorism support terrorism," he emphasised. The bodies of the three Israelis killed in Saturday's bombing in Istanbul, along with several wounded, arrived in Israel on an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) airplane. The Israeli victims of the terror attack were Yonathan Suher, 40, Simha Dimri, 60, and Avraham Goldman, 69. Suher and Goldman were also named as US citizens by the State Department. Turkey named the alleged perpetrator of the attack as Mehmet Ozturk, a suspected Islamic State member. PTI Israel marks Turkey as 'unsafe' following recent bombing International oi-PTI Jerusalem, Mar 21: Israel's counter terrorism bureau has raised the alert level on Turkey stressing that the country is "unsafe" for its citizens after three of them were killed and eleven wounded in a suicide bombing in Istanbul on Saturday. The Prime Minister's Office, with which the the bureau is attached, in a statement said it has decided to "upgrade existing travel warning and recommend that the public avoid visiting Turkey". Suicide bomb attack in Istanbul kills 5, at least 20 wounded Amid a spate of attacks by the Islamic State groups and Kurdish separatists, and especially the Saturday bombing, "it was decided to update the existing travel warning vis-a-vis Turkey from an ongoing potential threat to a basic concrete threat," the statement said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his reaction said Israel was in the front line of a global war on terror, adding that those who failed to condemn terrorist attacks were in effect supporting them. "There could be no justification for terrorism," Netanyahu said. "Israel is at the forefront of the fight against international terrorism. "This fight is primarily military, but no less than that, it is moral," the Israeli Premier said at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday. Israel is at the forefront to fight international terrorism: Netanyahu "The key point of the moral struggle against terrorism is clear terrorism, the murder of innocent people, has no justification anywhere not in Istanbul, not in the Ivory Coast and not in Jerusalem. "Those who do not condemn terrorism support terrorism," he emphasised. The bodies of the three Israelis killed in Saturday's suicide bombing in Istanbul, along with several wounded, arrived in Israel on an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) airplane. The Israeli victims of the terror attack were identified as Yonathan Suher, 40, Simha Dimri, 60, and Avraham Goldman, 69. Suher and Goldman were also named as United States citizens by the State Department. Turkey named the alleged perpetrator of the attack as Mehmet Ozturk, a suspected Islamic State member. PTI My party-BJP have different ideologies but common aim of uplifting poor: Nepal ex-PM Prachanda Former Nepal PM says removed from office for including Kalapani Nepal, China sign first ever transit treaty International oi-IANS By Ians English Kathmandu, March 21: Nepal and China have signed 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU), including the transit and transportation treaty, and exchanged letters on various areas of cooperation during Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's ongoing visit to the country. Oli embarked on his maiden official visit to China on Sunday at the invitation of Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang. Among the most important deals is the transit and transportation treaty that Nepal and China signed for the first time. It will end the Himalayan nation's total dependency on an Indian sea port for third-country trade links. These agreements and MoUs were signed after the meeting between Oli and Li in Beijing on Monday morning. After five-month agitation in Nepal's southern plains by people of Madhes region over the republic's new Constitution's provisions, Nepal's trade with third-country was halted. It made the Nepalese leadership to opt for an alternative to the Haldia port of Kolkata. With the latest agreement, Nepal will be able to use the Chinese sea port for third-country trade through the nearest Tianjin port that is 3,000 km from Nepal border. India's Calcutta port is 1,000 km from from Nepal. There are concerns that Nepal cannot immediately use the Tianjin port as infrastructure in Nepal's side is poor and the Chinese side is located at a higher altitude. The another agreement signed is about Chinese soft loan for construction of a regional airport in Pokhara, some 200 km from Kathmandu. China has pledged $216 million soft loan for construction of an airport in Pokhara, the second largest city of Nepal. According to details of the agreement provided by the Nepalese side, Nepal and China also signed the Free Trade Agreement to boost the bilateral trade. China has also agreed to explore oil and gas resources in Nepal and will provide all technical and economic support. Similarly, one of the commercial banks in China will open its office in Nepal as per another agreement. Nepalese banks can also open their branches in China. China will help in installation of solar panels in 32,000 households. Agreements in the fields of science and technology, sister-city relations between various Nepalese and Chinese cities, and establishment of Nepal's Consular General Office in Chengdu, China, were also signed, said Gopal Khanal, foreign relations expert to Prime Minister Oli. China will also construct a bridge in far west of Nepal in Hilsa that will connect Nepal and Tibet. Hilsa was a traditional trade route. Oli is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in the afternoon. IANS New 'smart' umbrella can tell you if it will rain! International oi-PTI London, March 21: A company in France has developed a new smart umbrella that when paired with a smartphone app can not only predict the weather but also send you a notification if you leave it behind. 'Oombrella', the smart umbrella is fitted with a capsule having sensors for air pressure, humidity, temperature and light. This setup allows the umbrella to tell whether or not it may rain in the next 15 minutes, notifying the user via a Bluetooth-connected smartphone with the corresponding app. It can also record weather data and can hold camera at the top. The capsule also has an integrated buzzer and light so that users can be alerted when they get a call. The ribs of the umbrella are made of Kevlar, a synthetic fibre of high tensile strength, 'TechTimes' reported. According to the company Wezzoo that developed Oombrella, the device is "really wind-resistant" with the capability of withstanding storms, hailstorms and snowstorms. The handle has a waterproof, ergonomic design that makes it easy to hold while ensuring that the components inside are not damaged by rainwater. The canopy is made from the "finest shiny material," and is UV-resistant. PTI Former Sri Lanka president Gotabaya Rajapaksa not accorded any privileges, immunity by Singapore govt Indian origin man sentenced in Singapore for driving ambulance under influence of alcohol Singapore Finance Minister to address IIM conclave International oi-PTI Singapore, Mar 21: Singapore's Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will deliver keynote address at the opening of the Global Indian Institute of Management Alumni conclave to be held here next month, an official said today. Keat will address over 1,200 delegates on 're-imagining Singapore' at the opening day of Global IMMPACT 2016, the third edition in a series of gathering organised by the Singapore-based Indian business community. Organised by the PAN Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Alumni, IIMPACT 2016 is themed 'RE', a bold new approach to address how individuals can reinvent themselves and the world around them by re-imagining the future around their circles of life, work and social impact. The convention will unveil 'IIMaginarium', an immersive platform which will allow participants to "experience the future", said Sanjiv Aiyar, president of PAN IIM Alumni. "IIMPACT is a made-in Singapore platform and we plan to evolve this into a global franchise. With deep roots in India, we see ourselves as an economic bridge between India and the rest of the world: through Singapore," Aiyar said. The state-owned Singapore Economic Development Board, which promotes global business here, is a strategic partner of IIMPACT and leads government's strong support for the two-day gathering, starting on April 8. Global companies will showcase smart living, smart mobility, smart work-place, smart money and smart care possibilities built on virtual/augmented reality, robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, video analytics and internet-of-things, Aiyar said. IIMPACT 2016 has a high-impact Global Advisory Council (GAC) in place comprising distinguished alumni CEOs from Singapore and abroad. PTI 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, CON, yesterday received a courtesy visit from the now popular Kano State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Wakili at his palace. Recall that CP Wakili was praised by many Nigerians after he prevented Kano State deputy governor from disrupting election in the last local government where the PDP was leading. Two serving members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) have been shot to death in the city of Yenagoa, Bayelsa state capital. A resident of the city said the deceased were shot in Swali community in the town, on Wednesday night. They were immediately taken to Federal Medical Center (FMC), Yenagoa, where one was pronounced dead on arrival while the other died while receiving treatment. A police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told TheCable that they were shot at a primary school in Swali. The identities of the corps members had not been ascertained as of the time of filing this report. A pupil of the school where the deceased were teaching was also shot but details are sketchy. Invest & Get 20% In Just 90 Days Click HERE >> Delicious Noodles Pizza In Lagos Click HERE >> To Buy Cheap MTN & GLO Data Click HERE >> The United States has said it was disappointed by the quality of the 2019 elections, citing the low voter turnout, and reports of voter intimidation, vote buying, interference by security forces, and violence in some locations across the country. It admonished all stakeholders to work towards a free, fair, credible, transparent, and peaceful process, especially for those who would participate in Saturdays supplementary polls across many states. The US Embassy in a statement on Thursday, congratulated Nigerians commitment to the democratic process, noting that it would continue to follow closely the ongoing polls. It said, As long-time friends of Nigeria, we continue to follow closely the still ongoing elections. We do not have a preferred party or candidate. As noted by many observer groups in their preliminary reports, we too were disappointed by the low voter turnout as well as credible reports of voter intimidation, vote buying, interference by security forces, and violence in some locations. We are saddened by those acts of violence and extend our deepest sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives, including those who worked for the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security services. Invest & Get 20% In Just 90 Days Click HERE >> Delicious Noodles Pizza In Lagos Click HERE >> To Buy Cheap MTN & GLO Data Click HERE >> A few months back, a teaser for the upcoming movie, 1929 dropped, getting us considerably hyped for the period drama starring Sola Sobowale and Ireti Doyle. Now, a full trailer has been released, and were even more pumped. Based on the Aba Womens Riots which was recently made into an acclaimed play 1929 follows the Ikot Abasi womens unrest in the same year that claimed the lives of many female protesters across the eastern part of Nigeria. 1929 depicts the lives of a few local women who take matters into their own hands, bravely fighting those in power in order to gain equal treatment to their male counterparts and end the subjugation of their fellow women. We would like anyone who says feminism is un-African to please look at this moving trailer and see how fiercely the women being portrayed tackled the patriarchy in their time. 1929 hits cinemas on April 19, and we cant wait to be inspired. Watch the trailer below: [embedded content] The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Friday held that the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its candidate, Isiaka Adeleke, challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Gboyega Oyetola has merit. A three-member panel of the tribunal held that the petition has merit and accordingly dismissed the objections filed by Governor Oyetola, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Mr Adeleke and the PDP in their different petitions had urged the tribunal to declare that he scored the highest lawful votes in the election and should be declared as the winner. However, Mr Oyetola, APC and INEC filed their notices of preliminary objection against the petition on the grounds that the petition is incompetent. They said the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the petition. Delivering the lead ruling of the three-member tribunal, the chairman, Ibrahim Sirajo, held that the objections were misconceived and struck them out. The tribunal also faulted INEC handling of the relevant documents. The tribunal said that the CTC should and must be exact replicas of the EC8A pink copies. The discrepancies must, therefore, be explained and justified by the 1st respondent: INEC. In this instant, INEC failed to explain nor justify the alterations and failed to call any witnesses to justify the alterations. It held further that the attempt to explain the alterations on the basis of mere correction of errors is not acceptable and the fact that the said errors were consistently made in the disputed areas means it was a deliberate action taken. However, the court is yet to deliver its judgment on the main suit of who the true winner of the election is. The judgement on the main suit will be delivered later on Friday. 2face Idibias management, Now Muzik, has reacted to the continued allegations by his former band member, Blackface. The statement containing the reaction was released by Now Muziks spokesperson, Adejimi Oni. Read below: Contrary to the position held in some quarters that our client, Innocent Idibia, AKA 2Baba has failed or refused to respond to the ridiculous accusations by Austin Ahmedu AKA Blackface, we would like to state that this is untrue. What 2Baba and our founder/CEO, Efe Omorogbe have done is refuse to create time to engage in an unproductive media banter with Blackface every time he wants to release new material. Both 2Baba and Omorogbe have stated publicly that Blackfaces claims of song theft and media/live performance blacklisting are unfounded and malicious. Blackface has been advised to seek legal redress if he believes his claims are true and if not, cease and desist from making unsubstantiated defamatory public statements about both 2Baba and Omorogbe. Blackfaces refusal to file a suit or discontinue the defamation forced our lawyers to institute a defamation suit against him at the Lagos State High Court. His lawyers have entered a defence and the case is currently on-going. 2Baba and Omorogbe are confident that the court will handle the matter. They will not fuel a media trial by commenting on a case that is already before a competent court of law. The position advanced in a press statement issued on February 3, 2016 remains the same and no further response is deemed necessary. Signed: Adejimi Oni. For: Now Muzik. The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun will appeal the tribunal judgment that declared Sen. Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the September 2018 re-run governorship election. Kunle Oyatomi, the APC Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, said this in a statement on Friday in Osogbo that the verdict would not stand superior legal scrutiny. We are going to appeal the judgment. The verdict cannot stand superior legal scrutiny. Therefore we will appeal against it, Oyatomi said. The PDP in the state, however, commended the judiciary on what it called a landmark judgment. Soji Adagunodo, the Osun PDP Chairman, in his reaction, said the victory was for the people of the state. Adagunodo said the judgment shows that we still have men of impeccable character in the judiciary. Kudos to the Nigerian judiciary and this shows that we still have men of impeccable character in the judiciary. Truly, the judiciary is the last hope of common man, Adagunodo said. Adagunodo said since the APC had decided to appeal the judgment, PDP would await the outcome at the appellate court. The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Friday declared Adeleke winner. The three-member panel said during its ruling that the rerun election that held on Sept. 27, 2018, was illegal. The tribunal, therefore, deducted the votes scored by the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, in the rerun after declaring the rerun illegal. The tribunal said Adeleke won the election at the first ballot on Sept. 22 and the rerun that INEC devised to reach a final conclusion a week later was illegal. The declaration of Oyetola is null and void, the tribunal ruled in a majority decision with one member dissenting The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Vera Songwe, has warned Nigeria and other countries to limit their external borrowing, and should instead improve their fiscal policies and expand their tax base so as to generate revenue to fund development projects. This call was made during the 38th meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, which opened in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Wednesday. The Conference focused on the theme; Fiscal policy, trade and the private sector in the digital era: A strategy for Africa. Songwe stated that the ability to increase revenue collection was key to the continents capacity to finance its development, in particular Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and Africas Agenda 2063. In a statement issued by the Communications Section of the ECA, Songwe was quoted saying, The potential of Africa is, and has always been, promising. With a growing working-age population; abundant arable land and a multitude of other resources, the continent has all the prerequisites for rapid economic transformation in the next decade. However, ensuring the availability of adequate public resources and quality investments to drive structural change requires responsive policies that promote fiscal sustainability, optimize returns from economic activity, and enable economies to fully participate in an increasingly interconnected and globalised world. Speaking on tax collection, Songwe said, Africa could boost revenues by per cent of GDP by addressing its capacity tax constraints. In addition, by better aligning tax rates and revenues with business cycles, countries can boost government revenue by five per cent. With just over a decade remaining to achieve the sustainable development goals, it is imperative that the scope and mechanisms of domestic resource mobilization be revolutionized to bridge the financing gap, promote macroeconomic stability and limit external borrowing, she said. Songwe also spoke on the importance of digitalization and the digital economy in driving growth as well as optimizing fiscal performance on the continent. She added that the continent would need to re-skill its youth to ensure the digital age is used to Africas full advantage. For his part, the outgoing chair of the bureau of the committee of experts, Elsadig Bakheit Ilfaki Adballa of Sudan, also urged the continent to embrace the digital age to expand its revenue base, create employment for the youth and deal with most of its challenges. With the advent of the digital age, Africa can use the new technologies to push for sustainable development on the continent, he said. Incoming Chair, Zouhair Chorfi, Moroccos Economic and Finance Ministrys Secretary General, said digitization was a great opportunity for Africa. Our continent is ripe for transformation and Morocco is ready to play its part in making sure we optimize digital tools, he said. File Photo UNICEFs Representative in the country, Mr Mohamed Fall, made this known on Friday in a statement to commemorate World Water Day scheduled for March 22 with the 2019 theme, Living no one behind. Fall identified 1.1 million of those disadvantaged as Internally Displaced Persons, who are in IDP camps as a result of violence and conflict, noting that many of them are out-of-reach in remote areas still impacted by conflict. About 800,000 people are in hard-to-reach areas and 79 per cent of these are children and women. In Nigeria, conflict has created huge challenges for people living in the Northeast of the country, where violence has affected their ability to access water and sanitation, leading to diseases such as cholera. In the Northeast, 5,365 people were affected by cholera, with 61 dying in 2017, while 12,643 people were affected in 2018 and 175 died of the disease, Fall said. UNICEF Executive Director, Ms Henrietta Fore noted that children below the age of 15 in countries affected by protracted conflict on the average are three times more likely to die from diarrhoea due to lack of access to WASH facilities than as a result of direct violence. (NAN) A newborn baby girl has been found by residents after her mother abandoned her in Badarawa area in Kaduna State. According to reports, the baby was dumped in the open this early morning with a note written in Hausa language. The child was rescued after sympathizers heard her cry and picked her up. The baby has since been taken to a hospital to undergo a medical checkup and ascertain all is well with her. Opalesque Industry Update - The Doctors Company, the largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer in the United States, has announced the selection of Pier 88 Investment Partners to manage $150 million USD in a convertible bond fund strategy and the purchase of a 25% equity position in Pier 88 as part of a long-term strategic partnership. The Napa-based insurance company has looked to increase their allocation to alternative assets and selected San Francisco-based Pier 88 Investment Partners as the manager of those assets. We are very pleased to enter into this strategic relationship with [CEO] Frank [Timons] and his team at Pier 88, said David Preimesberger, Chief Financial Officer, The Doctors Company. We deeply believe in Franks abilities as an investment manager and trust that he will achieve the superior investment results we are looking for in todays volatile market. Pier 88 has the institutional heft required of enduring asset management businesses for the long term, evidenced by the high quality Board of Advisors who have also personally invested in the firm and funds. We are grateful for our partnership with The Doctors Company, Mr. Timons said. I look forward to helping The Doctors Company grow their assets and achieve the results our investors deserve. Mr. Preimesberger concludes, The culmination of Pier 88s investment acumen, deep experience and the solidity of their business proved an ideal fit for The Doctors Company. Our 25% ownership of the firm alongside working capital and fund investment are further testament to our confidence in Pier 88. Founded in 2013, Pier 88 Investment Partners is an alternative asset management firm specializing in long-biased equity hedge funds utilizing both equities and convertible bonds. The firm was founded in 2013 by Frank Timons who serves as both CEO and CIO. Before starting Pier 88, Frank had several roles at Lord Abbett including: Portfolio Manager for the convertible strategy (2012 to 2013); Portfolio Manager for the large cap core and large cap value strategy (2010-2012); and Research Analyst specializing in technology companies (2007-2010). Prior to joining Lord Abbett, Frank was a Research Analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co and Senior Strategist at Sun MicroSystems (2001-2004) focusing on venture capital investments. Frank holds a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Reprinted from Dispatches From The Edge "Poblacht na hEireann": The speaker of these words, standing on the front steps of Dublin's General Post Office and reading from a proclamation, the ink was barely dry, of the "provisional government of the Irish Republic" was the poet Padraig Pearse. It was just after noon on March 24, 1916, the opening scene in a drama that would mix tragedy and triumph, the twin heralds of Irish history. It is 100 years since some 750 men and women threw up barricades and seized strong points in downtown Dublin. They would be joined by maybe a 1,000 more. In six days it would be over, the post office in flames, the streets blackened by shell fire, and the rebellion's leaders on their way to face firing squads against the walls of Kilmainham Jail. And yet the failure of the Easter Rebellion would eventually become one of the most important events in Irish history, a "failure" that would reverberate worldwide and be mirrored by colonial uprisings almost a half-century later. Anniversaries -- particularly centennials -- are equal parts myth and memory, and drawing lessons from them is always a tricky business. And, while 1916 is not 2016, there are parallels, pieces of the story that overlap and dovetail in the Europe of then with the of Europe today. Europe in 1916 was a world at war. The "lamps," as the expression goes, had gone out in August 1914, and the continent was wrapped in barbed wire and steeped in almost inconceivable death. Shortly after the last Irish rebel was shot, the British launched the battle of the Somme. More than 20,000 would die in the first hour of that battle, and by, the end, their would be more than a million casualties on both sides. Europe is still at war, some ways influenced by the footsteps of a colonial world supposedly long gone. Britain is fighting its fourth war in Afghanistan. Italian Special Forces are stalking Islamists in Libya. French warplanes are bombing their old stomping grounds in Syria and chasing down Tuaregs in Mali. And Europe is also at war with itself. Barbed wire is once again being unrolled, not to make killing zones out of the no man's land between trenches, but to block the floods of refugees generated by European -- and American -- armies and proxies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and Syria. In many ways, the colonial chickens are coming home to roost. The British and French between them secretly sliced up the Middle East in 1916, using religion and ethnicity to divide and conquer the region. Instability was built in. Indeed, that was the whole idea. There would never be enough Frenchmen or Englishmen to rule the Levant, but with Shiites, Sunnis and Christians busily trying to tear out one another's throats, they wouldn't notice the well dressed bankers on the sidelines -- "tut tutting" the lack of civilized behavior and counting their money. Many have grown increasingly concerned, with good reason, about the integrity of the US primary election process, especially in close contests, in the following contexts: * Electioneering: The appearance of the primary candidate or an easily recognizable surrogate in or around a polling place compromises voting. The presence of an ex-President of the United States and his entourage has prevented people from voting sometimes for hours at a time this primary season. Many voters only have time to vote during their lunch hours and cannot afford to go back multiple times. First in Boston and other cities in Massachusetts, Bill Clinton has also visited polling places in Ohio and Chicago. If the candidate or surrogate is not actually voting, they have no business being at the polling place. Enforcement (wink, wink) has been overlooked, despite numerous complaints to Obama's Justice Department and to several State Attorneys General and Secretaries of State. *Inadequate number of ballots: There needs to be an adequate number of ballots for every person of voting age in every polling place. Although voting turnout has been historically low in every election, there is no excuse for the lack of ballots, in spite of the huge turnout, in Maine, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, and Michigan. *Voter suppression: New voter ID laws require specific forms of identification which target minority, student, and poor voters. These laws seem to be enacted to suppress voters because fraud by voters essentially does not exist. Voters' misinterpretation of new closed primary voting laws disenfranchised 3.2 million voters in Florida's primaries alone. *Voting machine manipulation: Studies indicate that voting machines can be easily hacked. Most leave no paper trail that can be audited after the fact. Voting by machine can be confusing to voters, especially the elderly. Why not require the use of paper ballots and count them in the presence of observers from all parties? Some developed countries using paper ballots do not certify elections for several weeks until all ballots are counted and instead rely on exit polls for immediate and accurate results. In the US, many exit polls do not mirror the final results. Could that indicate tampering with the machines? If the voting process truly cannot be trusted in a primary or general election, then perhaps our democracy is indeed lost. Do we need United Nations monitors as required in Third World nations? Yes, it appears we do; a nurses' group in Nevada and others wrote to the U.N. Secretary General, requesting just this. The courts would take too long to resolve anything, particularly if they are still as corrupt as the Bush-1 appointees on the U.S. Supreme Court were by awarding the White House to George Bush-2 in the "hanging chad" controversy. Americans are quick to forgive and forget, but this is rapidly evolving into a quiet, but indeed horrifying and very real emergency. Who will guard the guards? We need non-partisan enforcement of voting regulations, no matter who is infringing on them. An ex-president and someone wearing a Bernie T-shirt must be treated equally if we are to have a representative democracy - one person, one vote. We should ALL be contacting U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch - click here - to insure our voting rights - and especially our democracy. This commentary represents a first. I've never written one based solely on a book that so moved me I had to speak about it. But Ilan Pappe's 2006 history of what transpired in Palestine beginning in the late 19th century and culminating in 1948 -- events which take us directly to the present -- has motivated me to write about The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine as someone who cares about human rights, as a person who tries to believe that evil is the absence of good rather than the inverse, and as a secular Jew who once felt proud of a country that seemed to represent liberation. Now I realize there's a historical reality that most don't know and that many Jews will continue to deny. That would be a mistake because nearly every paragraph in the respected Israeli historian's important book is well documented from primary sources and from first-person accounts. It would also be a mistake because without understanding, acknowledging and acting upon what happened in Palestine and still happens in present-day Israel there can be no viable peace and no end to the violence that permeates that holy land. One must read the book in order to know the full extent of the facts Pappe reveals, but it is important to know this: Even before the post-World War II British Mandate and UN plans for partition, Jewish leaders agreed to rid Palestine of its Arab majority in order to build a Jewish state. The main architect for what followed was David Ben Gurion, the "father of Israel" who became its Prime Minister. As early as 1938 he said, "I am for compulsory transfer; I do not see anything immoral in it." He was not alone in his goal or his strategy: every military and political leader whose name is now familiar -- Moshe Dayan, Ariel Sharon, Yitzak Rabin and more -- supported and participated in the ethnic cleansing actions that took place in 1948 -- while the British and the UN looked on. Further, a successful propaganda campaign existed, and still does, and the world buys into it. It is based mainly on the myths that Palestinians had made nothing of the parched desert and that they always posed a real and present danger of annihilation to Jews. Both of these claims are false. Palestinians farmed the land they made fertile and had done so for thousands of years before they were driven from their destroyed villages, and they almost never rose up against their occupiers until more than sixty years after the ethnic cleansing and pogroms began -- just three years after the Jews had suffered similar atrocities during the Nazi occupations and the Holocaust that followed. Pappe compares the ethnic cleansing of Palestine to that of the one that took place in the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia, often through comparative quotes. The comparison is chilling. "These operations can be carried out "by destroying villages, setting fire to them, blowing them up, planting mines"or by mounting combing and control operations [that include] encirclement of villages, searches, and in the case of resistance, "the population expelled outside the border of the state," the Israeli plan for cleansing stated in 1948. A 1999 CNN report noted that a NATO spokesman had revealed what happened in Kosovo -- a "well-organized master plan [with] patterns of violence [in which] Serb tanks surrounded villages, rounded up civilians at gunpoint, separated young men from women and children [who were then] sent forward toward the border. " The homes were looted and systematically torched." By 1948 ethnic cleansing (often euphemistically called "voluntary transfer") to remove Palestinians from their land and homes was in full swing. The goal of Jewish leadership was to lay claim to 80 percent of land even though they constituted a decided minority. Their terror campaigns, which included massacres, were horrific. In one pleasant village that thought it had reached a non-aggression pact with Jewish leadership, Jewish soldiers arrived one April day and began spraying houses with machine-gun fire. Villagers were gathered together and murdered in cold blood. Women were raped before their execution. Here is just one personal account: "They took us out one after the other, shot an old man and when one of his daughters cried, they shot her too. Then they called my brother and shot him in front of us, and when my mother yelled, bending over him, carrying my little sister in her hands, still breastfeeding, they shot her too." This witness was twelve years old at the time. There were more atrocities. Numerous records and accounts reveal that cleansing operations escalated throughout 1948. Again, one must read the book to truly realize the scale and inhumanity that occurred that year and the injustices that followed, and that continue in different ways to this day. Anyone who reads the book can never again buy into the mythology and lies that underpin Israeli aggression. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Georgia Poised to Pass Unconstitutional "No Justice" Bill ATLANTA GA -- Although demand for prosecutorial accountability is increasing nationwide in cases where victims are shot by police, Georgia may replace normal grand jury investigations with a prosecutor controlled review. The review can shield Georgia "peace officers" from a standard investigation at a cost of justice for potential victims. The legislature is rushing to pass a new bill despite lacking power over grand jury procedures under the Constitution [Art I, Sec I, Para XI] It all started after a 2015 in depth study found that at least 171 Georgians have been killed by law enforcement officials and none of them were prosecuted. That investigative series found many of the victims that were killed had no criminal record, were unarmed, shot in the back and/or murdered after officers broke into their homes. The study concluded that unfairness in the investigations resulted from prosecutorial misconduct and current unequal double standards that shield Georgia "peace officers" when they are investigated by a grand jury for serious crimes. The purpose of a grand jury is to determine whether there is probable cause to charge a person with a crime, not to determine guilt or innocence in a mini-trial. Georgia is the only state in the union where officers have a special right to testify when being investigated by a grand jury. No other Georgia citizens have such a right. The officer must be notified of the investigation, is allowed to listen to the entire hearing and can have an attorney present. No other state has such a double standard because it violates equal protection clauses of the U.S. and state constitutions including the one for Georgia. [GA: Art I, Sec I, Para II] In February, Rep. Rich Golick and special prosecutor Chuck Spahos introducedHB941 , which retained the special officer testimony that is denied to other Georgia citizens. They claimed HB941 would "dial back" double standards by prohibiting officers from being present during the investigation and forcing them to be cross-examined. However, VoterGa Senate committee testimony showed that their original bill achieved neither goal since it did not prohibit officer presence and allowed officers to avoid answering all questions. A Senate substitute bill made minor changes but left in place new unconstitutional double standards that are even worsethan existing Georgia law. When a request was made during testimony for legislative counsel to give an opinion as to whether or not HB941 is constitutional, Chairman Jesse Stone refused. Several HB941 procedures were employed in a special investigation into the murder of David Hooks in Dublin Georgia. The special prosecutor and HB941 procedures failed to return any indictment in the Hooks case . In that case, a Laurens County deputy acted almost solely on the word of a burglar and meth addict who robbed Mr. Hooks home two days earlier. He obtained a search warrant for a late night break-in for the home of Teresa and David Hooks. Hooks was a military contractor with a security clearance and a grandfather with no criminal history. No drugs were found but Mr. Hooks was shot 17 times, including twice in the back while lying face down. Chuck Spahos, the special prosecutor who failed in the Hooks murder case is the same man responsible for the HB941 bill language. Consequently HB941 has been dubbed by victim advocates as the "No Justice for David Hooks" bill. Spahos was also involved in 3 bills last year that attempted to legalize no knock search warrants in Georgia code for the first time in history. Reprinted from Gush Shalom LET'S START with Hezbollah. Surprisingly enough, it is in a way an Israeli creation. Lebanon is an artificial state. For centuries, it was considered a part of Syria. Because of its mountainous terrain, it was an ideal place for small persecuted sects, which could defend themselves there. Among them is the Maronite Christian community, called after a monk by the name of Maron. After World War I, when the victorious Great Powers carved up the Ottoman Empire between them, France insisted on the creation of a Christian Lebanese state under its stewardship. Such a state would have been very small, devoid of a major port. So, unwisely, the territories of various other sects were added to create a larger state, consisting of several mutually antagonistic communities. There were (a) the Maronites in their mountain bastion, (b) diverse other Christian sects, (c) the Sunni Muslims, who had been settled by the Sunni Ottoman Empire in the major port cities, (d) the Druze, who had split from Islam many centuries earlier, and (e) the Shiite Muslims. The Shiites are the inhabitants of the South. They were the poorest and weakest sect, despised and exploited by all the others. In this federation of sects which is Lebanon, the constitution gives each sect a senior job. The president of the state is always a Maronite, the Prime Minister a Sunni, the army commander a Druze. There was nothing left for the poor Shiites, except the post of the Speaker of Parliament, a title without power. For more than a generation, the Israeli-Lebanese border, which is in practice the Israeli-Shiite border, was Israel's only peaceful one. Farmers on both sides worked in close proximity, without fences, without incidents. The saying was that Lebanon would be the second Arab state to make peace with Israel -- not daring to be the first. Once in the early 1940s I crossed the unmarked border by mistake. A nice Lebanese gendarme intercepted me and politely showed me the way back. AFTER THE "Black September" in Jordan (1970), when King Hussein crushed the Palestinian forces, South Lebanon became the new Palestinian base. The quietest border became quite unquiet. Martin Fredriksson, a winner of a major investigative reporting prize in 2014 for his work exposing right-wing groups opposed to NATO, has been secretly paid for years by Sapo, the Swedish Security Service, according to news reports based on his own admissions. In deep intrigue that resembles a spy novel, Fredriksson's story undermines conventional wisdom on both sides of the Atlantic that journalists must work independently from power centers, including government agencies. Also, the tale is timely, especially because of Sweden's ongoing persecution of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and new revelations by the transparency advocacy group involving Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration. Authorities have targeted Assange for what appears to be a trumped up sex scandal probe that has extended for nearly six years, apparently in reprisal for massive and ongoing disclosures by WikiLeaks of Western governments' dark secrets. More generally, United States and NATO pressures upon European leaders are tainting the latter's carefully nurtured images of independence. Sweden, which has long boasted of an official position of neutrality in world affairs and close adherence to humanitarian and democratic principles under a rule of law, has already hurt its image by the Assange case. The fallout includes a ruling last month by a United Nations panel that Assange's political asylum in Ecuador's embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid extradition amounts to "arbitrary detention" under international law. The Indicter, a start-up global human rights commentary site, underscored in columns March 6 and March 13 the sinister implications of the revelations, especially the seemingly odd mixture of Fredriksson's advocacy against Assange and in favor of NATO. It revealed, for example, that Fredriksson used his clout to lobby for Amnesty International opposition to Assange. The editor is Dr. Marcello Ferrada de Noli, a longtime Swedish medical school professor and human rights advocate. He drew on disclosures March 2 about Fredriksson in SVD (Svenska Dagbladet, or Swedish Daily) to illustrate a broader theme: that Swedish officials and thought leaders defer far more to the United States and authoritarian policies than commonly understood in liberal democracies, including Sweden. Sweden's highly irregular investigation of Assange illustrates his thesis. Ecuador granted Assange political asylum in its London embassy three and half years ago to protect him from a relentless effort by Swedish authorities to extradite him for questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations arising from two affairs he undertook from invitations by women attending his featured speech at an August 2010 conference in Sweden. Assange submitted to questioning about the claims from the two women, who had separately invited him to stay with them. Authorities have never charged him with a crime but they have mounted an extraordinary campaign to extradite him to Sweden for further questioning after he left the country. Assange has denied any criminal violation. Also, he has argued unsuccessfully in British courts that the investigation has been a ruse to extradite him to Sweden so he could then be extradited to the United States to face reported but still-secret U.S. charges. Assange is not subject to extradition directly from Britain to the United States. U..S. charges are reported to arise from WikiLeaks disclosures that angered and embarrassed officials in the United States, Britain, Sweden and elsewhere in Western governments and private power centers. Assange Case Background Today's column summarizes the latest developments in a case that the Justice Integrity Project has covered closely for years, including with major scoops in late 2010 and early 2011 re-reported internationally. These showed, among other things, that U.S. Republican strategist Karl Rove (shown below in a Bush White House photo) included among his consultant clients Sweden's governing Moderate Party (actually, the country's leading conservative party). Also, Rove urged in 2010 on Fox News that Assange be executed for his Wikileaks leadership. Another of reports was Partner at Firm Counseling Assange's Accusers Helped the CIA In Rendition for Torture. It revealed that Thomas Bodstrom, a former Justice Minister and name partner in the law firm that has used the two women to level sexual misconduct allegations against Assange, had previously cooperated with the CIA when he was Sweden's top justice official to send at the CIA's request an asylum seeker from Sweden to Egypt, where the man was tortured by Egyptian authorities. Bodstrom later moved to the United States and wrote spy thrillers. Reprinted from fair.org by Dean Baker Reputable newspapers try to avoid the self-serving studies that industry groups put out to try to gain public support for their favored policies. But apparently the New York Times (3/17/16) does not feel bound by such standards. It ran a major news story on a study by Citigroup that was designed to scare people about the state of public pensions and encourage them to trust more of their retirement savings to the financial industry. Both the article and the study itself seem intended to scare more than inform. For example, the piece, by reporter Mary Williams Walsh, tells readers: Twenty countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have promised their retirees a total $78 trillion, much of it unfunded, according to the Citigroup report. That is close to twice the $44 trillion total national debt of those 20 countries, and the pension obligations are "not on government balance sheets," Citigroup said. OK, folks, how much is $78 trillion over the rest of the century for the 20 OECD countries mentioned? Is it bigger than a breadbox? The Times has committed itself to putting numbers in context; where is the context here? Virtually none of the Times' readers have any clue how large a burden $78 trillion is for OECD countries over the rest of the century. The article did not inform readers with this comment; it tried to scare them. That is not journalism. For those who are keeping score, GDP in these countries for the next 80 years will be around $2 quadrillion, or $2,000 trillion (very rough approximation, not a careful calculation). So we're talking about a big expense, roughly 4 percent of GDP, but hardly one that should be bankrupting. Furthermore, the whole treatment of the expense as an "unfunded liability" is problematic. Suppose the United States spends 7 percent of its GDP on education (roughly current spending) and this share is projected to rise to 8 percent over coming decades. We can treat the commitment to educating our children as an "unfunded liability"; after all, we don't have any money set aside from prior years to fund it. But since we are already spending 7 percent on education every year, the additional burden will just be the boost to 8 percent. That is a burden of 1 percentage point of GDP, or roughly half the cost of the increase in annual military spending associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a similar story with public pensions. In the case of Social Security, the US is currently spending about 5.0 percent of GDP on the program, up from 4.0 percent in 2000. Spending is projected to rise by another percentage point over the next 10--15 years; are you scared? Almost every item mentioned in this article seems intended to scare, from the very first paragraph: When Detroit went bankrupt in 2013, investors were shocked to learn that the city had promised pensions worth billions more than anyone knew -- creating a financial pileup that ultimately meant big, unexpected losses for Detroit's bondholders. Investors were shocked, really? Are the people who invest trillions of dollars morons? The books of Detroit's pension system were publicly available. The problem was not the actuarial accounting blamed in this piece; the problem was simply that Detroit was a bankrupt city unable to meet its obligations because of a tax base that crashed as it lost two-thirds of its population. If there were any investors who were shocked by Detroit's pension liabilities, then the Times should do a major piece profiling these people. They are almost certainly way over their heads in jobs that pay six- and seven-figure salaries. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from Consortium News The biggest story in Jeffrey Goldberg's 20,000-word report on "The Obama Doctrine" is President Barack Obama's open break with the foreign policy establishment. The critique of orthodox national security policy thinking that Obama outlined in interviews with Goldberg goes farther than anything delivered on the record by a sitting president. It showed that Obama's view on how to define and advance U.S. "national security" diverges sharply from those of the orthodox views of national security bureaucracy and Washington foreign policy think tanks on U.S. "credibility," the real interests the United States in the Middle East and how the United States should respond to terrorism. It was the controversy surrounding his decision in the 2013 Syrian crisis not to authorize airstrikes against government forces that provoked Obama to go public with his position in that broader struggle. The foreign policy elite in Washington has issued a steady drumbeat of opinion pieces portraying Obama's failure to launch a cruise missile attack against the Syrian air force and its air defense system in 2013 as a major blow to the U.S. role in the world because it forfeited U.S. "credibility." Richard Haass, who is president of the Council on Foreign Relations and the closest thing to a spokesman for the foreign policy establishment, summed up the elite's attitude toward Obama's decision in Syria in a Feb. 23 tweet. Haass suggested that Obama's decision not to bomb Assad regime targets was on par with the Bush administration's U.S. invasion of Iraq. In his tweet, Haass linked to another attack on Obama's decision by Laurent Fabius, the recently retired former French Foreign Minister. On Twitter, Haass wrote: "2003 #Iraq war error of commission; not enforcing #Syria red line error of omission. fair debate which more costly." But the more important struggle over that decision was played out within the administration between Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, who led the charge in pressing the President to carry out cruise missile strikes against the Assad regime military targets over its alleged responsibility for the Aug. 21, 2013 Sarin attack. "There's a playbook that presidents are supposed to follow," Obama told Goldberg. "[T]he playbook prescribes responses to different events and those responses tend to be militarized responses." Such a "playbook" can be "a trap that can lead to bad decisions," Obama continued. "In the midst of an international challenge like Syria, you can get judged harshly if you don't follow the playbook, even if there are good reasons why if does not apply." Goldberg writes that Obama "had come to believe that he was walking into a trap -- one laid both by allies and adversaries, and by conventional expectations of what an American president is supposed to do." Obama was implying that he was being pushed into committing U.S. military force to the Syrian conflict less to eliminate the threat of chemical weapons than to tilt the military balance in favor of the opposition and to support "regime change" -- something Obama did not want to do. John Kerry made no bones about his commitment to striking government military targets. In Senate testimony on Sept. 3, 2013, he referred 28 times to the idea that such strikes would "deter" Assad from further chemical weapon attacks but also "degrade" the government's military capabilities. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, right, and Secretary of State John Kerry confer as they testify on the potential use of military force in Syria before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C., Sept. 3, 2013. (Image by (DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo)) Details DMCA A big reason Obama had begun to doubt the wisdom of a military response to the Aug. 21 attack, Goldberg reports, was that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper came to see Obama on the morning of Aug. 30 and told him that he could not say that the intelligence on Assad having carried out the attack was a "slam dunk." Clapper's reference was to the misguided assurance that CIA Director George Tenet reportedly gave President George W. Bush in 2002 that the intelligence community could back up Bush's WMD claims about Iraq and that to do so would be a "slam dunk." Clapper was saying that U.S. intelligence was not at all certain that the Assad regime was at fault for the attack. [For more on that topic, see Consortiumnews.com's "Neocons Red-Faced over 'Red Line.'"] Over the past week, in the mainstream media's denunciations of Obama's comments in The Atlantic, this passage about Clapper's uncertainty about who had launched the Sarin attack is ignored, although it would seem to be a key point. (See, for instance, Washington Post deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl's op-ed on Monday or last Friday's New York Times op-ed by columnist Roger Cohen.) Furthermore, Obama did have an alternative to going to war in Syria that would eliminate any future threat of chemical weapons attacks by Assad's government. In early September 2013, Obama reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Assad would give up his entire chemical weapons arsenal, while the United States would not go to war against Damascus and while Assad continued to deny a role in the Sarin attack. Questions about "Credibility" Reprinted from Reader Supported News I am not proposing that we should give up on winning the nomination -- there is still a path. What I am saying is that it's time to start building a grassroots agenda that won't depend on winning the nomination. We may not have enough delegates to win the nomination, but there will be enough delegates to change the Democratic Party for future elections. Here are just some examples. Platform Committee When I worked for Bill Bradley in 2000, we were dismayed at the makeup of the platform committee. It was full of corporate execs. We sent a delegation to a platform committee that included Tom Hayden, Gloria Allred, and Lila Garrett. They were completely shut out, with none of their platform planks even earning a vote by the committee. It is probably too late to influence the makeup of this year's committee, but we should demand that the 2020 platform committee have no seats allowed to corporations. If we play our cards correctly, I think there will be labor delegates in the Clinton camp that would welcome this move. It is time to return the party to working people and progressive organizations, many of whom are in the Clinton camp and could work with us on this. Money in Politics As we are seeing with the Sanders campaign, it is not surrender to refuse to participate in the current campaign finance system. This will be a little tougher to implement, but we could prohibit the party from forming super PACs and go into 2020 with a Democratic Party that raises its money like Bernie did. Get ready for a big fight here. Of course the platform should call for overturning Citizens United and implementing public financing, but it usually does call for those things, while practices never change. Electoral Reform Get rid of the front-loaded red state nominating process. If the calendar were reversed, we might be talking about how hard it will be for Hillary Clinton to catch Bernie Sanders. How about a National Primary Day on June 7th, when everyone's vote will count the same. I spent the year in Iowa, and I see the strengths of retail politics in the current early state process. However, especially in the caucus system, there is too much room for establishment rigging of the process. Let's get back to one person, one vote, and let all voters choose the nominee. I have heard all the arguments for the little guy not being able to compete in a national primary, and I think it is nonsense. Bernie had the largest rallies from day one of his campaign and raised the most money. If you have the best message, you can compete. "One Person, One VOTE!" should be a chant ringing through the convention hall in Philadelphia. Letting Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, and a bunch of southern states provide the momentum needed to win the nomination needs to end. Click Here to Read Whole Article Trudeau's budding "bromance" with US President Barak Obama in March marks the first official visit by a Canadian leader since 1997, when Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from Alternet Our nation faces a massive crisis provoked by the loss of democratic representation. As Donald Trump leads a full-scale war against the Republican establishment and elites, particularly through his attack on both their military (Iraq) and their trade (NAFTA) policies, the Democratic Party is also in a predicament that Bernie Sanders' candidacy is exposing. Both parties right now face a great crisis of leadership/ideology as well as a great opportunity for reinvention, and whichever party first reinvents itself successfully will begin winning elections the way the Democrats did in the 1932-1968 era. If neither does, our nation faces a massive crisis provoked by the loss of democratic representation of the majority of the American electorate. Neither party today does much of anything for the bottom 90% of Americans, as so clearly demonstrated by a recent study out of Princeton that showed that the likelihood of legislation passing that represents the interest of that bottom 90% was equivalent, statistically, to white noise. Thomas Frank's new book Listen, Liberal: Or, Whatever Happened to the Party of the People? offers the fascinating premise that starting with the McGovern Commission of 1972 (which largely excommunicated Labor from having a large role in Democratic Party decision-making) and going into a full-out embrace of the "professional class" -- i.e., the top 10% economically -- the Democratic Party has largely abandoned the American working and middle class -- the bottom 90%. As Frank told me on my program recently, the doctor who delivered me in 1951 was almost certainly a Republican (then the party of the professional class), but today would almost certainly be a Democrat. In the 1950s and 1960s virtually the entire professional class (the top 10%) was Republican; today it's virtually all Democratic. In the late 1980s, the DLC Democrats (and now the Third Way/Clinton Democrats) embraced the professional class and embraced complex solutions to our nation's problems. They consciously moved away from labor/working class and towards an elitist embrace of banksters, the emerging "geniuses" of Silicon Valley, and the college-educated at all levels. They even went so far as to suggest it was a good thing that much of America's blue-collar working-class high-school-diploma jobs go to China and Mexico, as we here in America needed to move to the "new economy" jobs of technology, medicine, and finance, requiring a college education. This ideological change in the Party led to the Clinton-era 1990s policies that gutted our industrial base, ripped apart the social safety net (ending "the era of big government"), and financialized our economy. As Frank points out, while FDR had a "brain trust" of the best and the brightest in the nation, they were drawn from a broad cross-section of America in terms of class and education. Many didn't even have a college education. The Clinton and Obama administrations, on the other hand, while optically more racially diverse, are almost entirely run by people with elite educations from elite universities (particularly Harvard), who share the worldview of the DLC/Third Way. The policies that came out of this new Democratic Party ideology (largely taken from the 1950s Republicans) have resulted in a boon for the professional class, but almost totally left behind the bottom 90%. President Obama's failure to even bring up Card Check (the Employee Free Choice Act, which would have strengthened Labor), even after campaigning on it twice, is one of the most obvious examples of the Party's decision to give lip service to working people, but keep their emphasis on elite complexity and the professional class that embodies it. The result of these decisions and policies provided the opening for the most unlikely phenomenon (on the Democratic side) of my lifetime: a rumpled, acerbic, 74-year-old Jew with a Brooklyn accent who calls himself a "Democratic Socialist" drawing tens of thousands to stadiums across the nation and holding his own against the anointed candidate of the Democratic Party and Third Way elders. Bernie Sanders carries into the Democratic Party the message of the bottom 90%, the Occupy Movement, and the Black Lives Matter movement -- and the aspirations of students and working people -- so successfully in large part because they've been abandoned by the Democratic Party elites (including the Clinton dynasty). While Thomas Frank details brilliantly the reinvention (and, probably, destruction) of the modern Democratic Party, in my book The Crash of 2016, I detail the parallel rise of the modern Republican Party, starting with the Powell Memo within a year of the McGovern Commission. Prior to the 1970s, business in America had been largely apolitical, preferring to focus instead on making money and running companies. But Powell convinced the Chamber of Commerce and a group of wealthy ideologues to change all that, and a group of billionaires and foundations rose to the call and created the huge and well-funded "conservative" infrastructure of think-tanks, media arms (hate radio and Fox News), and the Koch Network. Within a generation, the Party elites relied almost entirely on Big Business and Big Money to get elected, only throwing rhetorical bones to the bottom 90% with their cynical "god, guns, and gays" strategy. Since we, and I mean "we the people," elected America's first Black president in 2008 (even though I'm sure you did not vote for him; so you're in the minority), you and your Republican colleagues have been working overtime to make him fail. During his first term, you even said ever so pompously that you'll make it your life's work and duty to make him "a one-term president" as if you were the Great American Decider-in-Chief. Well, we now know where all that hot air and mouthing off got you. You failed miserably. You became a national embarrassment. A surripitous laughing stock. I guess nobody ever told you that your job as a United States Senator (please refer to your job description) was and is NOT to decide who gets to sleep in the White House as President of the United States. That's OUR job, "we the people." We elect the president, you, and the members of the Senate. So your arrogance and self-righteousness in daring to supersede the will of the American people and their decision on who or who not to elect to higher office is so part of your "white male entitlement" belief system that has so blinded and clouded your already prejudicial judgment. So instead of doing the sensible thing -- find common ground -- you stubbornly dug in your heels. Mitch, may I call you that? You could have really distinguished yourself and even made a name for yourself as a consensus building leader. But for the two things that still, even today, stand in your way -- your hatred for Barack Obama and your fear of the Republican base, especially those Tea Party zealots. See, that's why you laughed and tittered in your hands when one Donald J. Trump was spewing his unique brand of rubbish at President Obama, questioning his American citizenship, and thus his legitimacy to be president. You did not condemn him then as all was fair game in attacking President Obama whom you never respected as a legitimate and elected president by "we the people." You could not even wrap your ample skull around the fact that he was elected TWICE by the same people that you so despise. You see, I know this because you keep speaking about the American people as if they're living somewhere in the far reaches of the universe and not right here in your home state of Kentucky and elsewhere in America. By the way Mitch, how is your home state doing? I hear that its one of the ten poorest states in the union and that this all happened under your watch. And how's the coal industry doing there? Hear lots of people have been getting sicker and sicker over the years. And, I'm not one to repeat rumors Mitch, but I hear you're doing pretty well for yourself these days what with alleged seven figure incomes and the like. Good for you! But I have to tell you Mitch that I don't particularly care for sheep. You know, a ruminant quadruped woolly mammal considered to be largely unintelligent (sorry, my definition, Mitch). Besides they bleat too much for my liking, thank you. You Mitch, remind me of sheep. You go with the flow, just as sheep do when plodded. On cue, you make the right bleating noises, just like all sheep do. You're not the brightest bulb in the senate, a grave disadvantage when dealing with other independent minded and assertive types who don't like plodding. And you're easily led and influenced. That's how you arrived at the conclusion that President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court was not supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA) so you're right to oppose the president's pick. Only a gullible sheep would conclude that the NRA is "the American people," or for that matter their opinion is somehow relevant when put against the US. Constitution and the duty and right of a president to fill vacancies on the US Supreme Court. See, Mitch, I told you sheep were not known for super intelligence. And what's this about President Obama being a "lame duck president?" God man, are you daft? President Obama will only become a lame duck president AFTER the November 8, 2016 presidential elections WHEN HIS SUCCESSOR is named by the action of the American people in national elections. So dear, dear Mitch, until November 8 there is no "lame duck" president or any other duck. But you should know these very simple things, Mitch. You're the leader of the United States Senate. So for Christ's sake, man, don't just spew out stuff before thinking it over. It makes you look stupid and out of your depth. (don't want to do the sheep comparison again!) Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Research Report Covers The CNC Vertical Turning Center Market 2016 Growth, Trends, Share, Forecast To 2020 http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/cnc-vertical-turning-center-market-2016-global-industry.html http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/report/55175/request-sample http://www.9dresearchgroup.com http://www.9dimengroup.com Global CNC Vertical Turning Center Industry 2016 Market Research Report was a professional and depth research report on Global CNC Vertical Turning Center industry that you would know the world's major regional market conditions of CNC Vertical Turning Center industry, the main region including North American, Europe and Asia etc, and the main country including United States ,Germany ,Japan and China etc.Browse full report with TOC @The report firstly introduced CNC Vertical Turning Center basic information including CNC Vertical Turning Center definition, classification, application and industry chain overview; CNC Vertical Turning Center industry policy and plan, CNC Vertical Turning Center product specification, manufacturing process, cost structure etc. Then we deeply analyzed the world's main region market conditions that including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc.In the end, the report introduced CNC Vertical Turning Center new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis and Global Twin-screw Extruder industry.In a word, it was a depth research report on Global CNC Vertical Turning Center industry. And thanks to the support and assistance from CNC Vertical Turning Center industry chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.For sample request click onThe report including six parts, the first part mainly introduced the product basic information; the second part mainly analyzed the Asia CNC Vertical Turning Center industry; the third part mainly analyzed the North American CNC Vertical Turning Center industry; the fourth part mainly analyzed the Europe CNC Vertical Turning Center industry; the fifth part mainly analyzed the market entry and investment feasibility; the sixth part was the report conclusion chapter.Table of ContentPart I CNC Vertical Turning Center Industry OverviewChapter One CNC Vertical Turning Center Industry Overview1.1 CNC Vertical Turning Center Definition1.2 CNC Vertical Turning Center Classification Analysis1.2.1 CNC Vertical Turning Center Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 CNC Vertical Turning Center Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 CNC Vertical Turning Center Application Analysis1.3.1 CNC Vertical Turning Center Main Application Analysis1.3.2 CNC Vertical Turning Center Main Application Share Analysis1.4 CNC Vertical Turning Center Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 CNC Vertical Turning Center Industry Development Overview1.5.1 CNC Vertical Turning Center Product History Development Overview1.5.1 CNC Vertical Turning Center Product Market Development Overview1.6 CNC Vertical Turning Center Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 CNC Vertical Turning Center Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 CNC Vertical Turning Center Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 CNC Vertical Turning Center Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 CNC Vertical Turning Center Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 CNC Vertical Turning Center Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two CNC Vertical Turning Center Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend AnalysisChem Gadgets 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@9dresearchgroup.comWeb:Blog: Global Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Market 2016 Industry Size, Trends, Demand, Growth, Share, Analysis and Forecast to 2020 http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/silver-nanomaterials-as-transparent-conductor-market-2016-global.html http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/report/54989/request-sample http://www.9dresearchgroup.com 9D Research Group has recently announced the addition of new report "Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Market 2016 - Global Industry Size, Trends, Growth, Share, Opportunities and Forecast by 2020" to their offering.Global Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Industry 2016 Market Research Report was a professional and depth research report on Global Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor industry that you would know the world's major regional market conditions of Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor industry, the main region including North American, Europe and Asia etc, and the main country including United States ,Germany ,Japan and China etc.Browse full report with TOC @The report firstly introduced Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor basic information including Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor definition, classification, application and industry chain overview; Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor industry policy and plan, Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor product specification, manufacturing process, cost structure etc. Then we deeply analyzed the world's main region market conditions that including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc.In the end, the report introduced Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.In a word, it was a depth research report on Global Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor industry. And thanks to the support and assistance from Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor industry chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.For sample request click onThe report including six parts, the first part mainly introduced the product basic information; the second part mainly analyzed the Asia Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor industry; the third part mainly analyzed the North American Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor industry; the fourth part mainly analyzed the Europe Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor industry; the fifth part mainly analyzed the market entry and investment feasibility; the sixth part was the report conclusion chapter.Table of ContentPart I Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Industry OverviewChapter One Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Industry Overview1.1 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Definition1.2 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Classification Analysis1.2.1 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Application Analysis1.3.1 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Product History Development Overview1.5.1 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Product Market Development Overview1.6 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductor Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend Analysis9D Research Group (9dresearchgroup.com) 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@9dresearchgroup.comWeb: BluEnt re-invents pricing strategy for app development projects www.twitter.com/bluentglobal Houston, 21st March, 2016: At the beginning of the financial quarter, BluEnt seems to have taken an entirely new stand on the software products offered and the pricing strategy involved in outsourced app development. A company spokesman said that a radical shift in the consumers mindset has been the prime reason for this years overhaul. Recent research indicates that a large number of businesses are moving to app based transactions. While they have their marketing strategy covered by professionals, they often require deep and patient technology consulting in order to get things sorted on the app level.Right now, companies who sign up for fixed-price development are suffering from unplanned losses due to discrepancies in estimation. Interestingly, BluEnt has introduced a new line of IT estimation services, which allow businesses to compute their cost up front. The company informs us that their development is exclusively agile and the development team at BluEnt believes in creating only high-quality software applications. They insist on investing serious time up-front to understand how an app needs to work as part of creating a detailed, good-faith cost estimate.Unlike other IT outsourcing firms based in India, BluEnt plans to begin by figuring out how the app should work at the outset of the project. Based on this vision, the BluEnt team of developers prioritize features for the end-user, and identify the critical features that need to be developed first. Their software product range includes a working product and a Minimum Viable Product.A Senior Technical Lead in BluEnt recommends that clients should always be more explicit about the scope of their project. Its always better to ideate when we get a more in-depth mockup from the client. The golden rule of outsourcing app development is to finish the hardest and highest-priority work first which means, the client needs to know exactly what he wants.Most companies outsource app development to save money. But, theres more to outsourcing that cost savings. There is always an opportunity for intelligent collaboration. However, there is always the risk of poor communication, long distance team-building and differences in delivery frameworks.Would you like to outsource your app development? At the end of the day, it depends on what you have in mind. As always, outsourcing a complex app isnt the best of options. However, if youre building a proof of concept to validate an idea, outsourcing to a certified vendor like BluEnt seems like a great option.BluEnt is a technology consulting company specializing in handling outsourced web and software application development projects for HBO, Capgemini, SunPower, Alsbridge, Statlink, Luxury Marketing Council Texas. BluEnt designs, develops and maintains software products such as mobile apps, web portals, custom business software, ecommerce and online tools for enterprises.BluEnt offers maximum value in service with flexible delivery models, subject-matter experts, and metric-driven reporting and monitoring to deliver on SLAs. BluEnt has a global presence with offices in the US, Canada and New Delhi.If you are looking for a certified outsourcing partner, dont fall for low-price vendors and fixed price development gimmicks. Pay more and get a value-added product!Ava SmithStrategic Sourcing & Business Development ManagerBluEnt832-476-8459ava.smith@bluent.combluent.co.inbluent.co.in/blogfacebook.com/BluEntGlobalAva SmithStrategic Sourcing & Business Development ManagerBluEnt832-476-8459ava.smith@bluent.com Research Report Covers The Coal Chemical Market 2016 Trends, Growth, Analysis To 2020 http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/coal-chemical-market-2016-global-industry-size-trends.html http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/report/54954/request-sample 9D Research Group Has Recently Announced The Addition Of A Market Study Coal Chemical Market 2016 - Global Industry Size, Trends, Growth, Share, Opportunities and Forecast by 2020, Is A Comparative Analysis Of The Global Market.Global Coal Chemical Industry 2016 Market Research Report was a professional and depth research report on Global Coal Chemical industry that you would know the world's major regional market conditions of Coal Chemical industry, the main region including North American, Europe and Asia etc, and the main country including United States ,Germany ,Japan and China etc.Get full report with TOC @The report firstly introduced Coal Chemical basic information including Coal Chemical definition, classification, application and industry chain overview; Coal Chemical industry policy and plan, Coal Chemical product specification, manufacturing process, cost structure etc. Then we deeply analyzed the world's main region market conditions that including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc.In the end, the report introduced Coal Chemical new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis and Global Twin-screw Extruder industry.In a word, it was a depth research report on Global Coal Chemical industry. And thanks to the support and assistance from Coal Chemical industry chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.Download sample report @The report including six parts, the first part mainly introduced the product basic information; the second part mainly analyzed the Asia Coal Chemical industry; the third part mainly analyzed the North American Coal Chemical industry; the fourth part mainly analyzed the Europe Coal Chemical industry; the fifth part mainly analyzed the market entry and investment feasibility; the sixth part was the report conclusion chapter.Table of ContentPart I Coal Chemical Industry OverviewChapter One Coal Chemical Industry Overview1.1 Coal Chemical Definition1.2 Coal Chemical Classification Analysis1.2.1 Coal Chemical Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Coal Chemical Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Coal Chemical Application Analysis1.3.1 Coal Chemical Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Coal Chemical Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Coal Chemical Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Coal Chemical Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Coal Chemical Product History Development Overview1.5.1 Coal Chemical Product Market Development Overview1.6 Coal Chemical Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Coal Chemical Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Coal Chemical Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Coal Chemical Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Coal Chemical Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Coal Chemical Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Coal Chemical Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend AnalysisChem Gadgets 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 92714 Visit CERATIZIT at Wire 2016 in Dusseldorf Carbide Solutions for the Best join CERATIZIT at Wire 2016 in Dusseldorf http://www.ceratizit.com/products/wear-protection/hard-material-solutions-by-ceratizit/ http://www.ceratizit.com/products/wood-stone-working/toolmaker-solutions-by-ceratizit/ At stand C53 in hall 9 Hard Material Solutions by CERATIZIT and Toolmaker Solutions by CERATIZIT are presenting carbide solutions for your specific industrial application from April 4 8 this year.Wire ranks amongst the worldwide leading wire and cable trade fairs and will take place at the trade fair ground Messe Dusseldorf over a period of five days.The top-class brands Hard Material Solutions by CERATIZIT (link to:) and Toolmaker Solutions by CERATIZIT (link to:) will showcase a wide portfolio of carbide solutions, for example in metal forming or tool and die construction under the motto 'Carbide Solutions for the Best'.Carbide Solutions for the Best - our highlights- High-performing drawing tools- Unique solutions for nail-making- Wear-resistant hot rolls- Flow drills- Water-jet nozzles- Saw tips for metal working- Corrosion-resistant carbide blocks for wire erosion- Ceramic solutions with silicon nitride, and much moreWire 2016 join our evening eventWe are pleased to invite you to our open get-together on Wednesday, April 6th at our stand C53, starting at 6:00 p.m. Our experts are looking forward to meeting you there!CERATIZIT Group Carbide Solutions for the Best- Technical competence for every application and industry from individually-developed products to specific standard solutions and tailor-made carbide grades- More economic efficiency through cross-process consulting, which makes your manufacturing processes more efficient and boosts your productivity at the same time- Security you can feel, as we manage and control every phase of the carbide manufacturing process and guarantee maximum precision and performance thanks to our certified productionJoin us in Dusseldorf and learn more about our carbide solutions!For over 90 years, CERATIZIT has been a pioneer developing exceptional hard material products for cutting tools and wear protection. The family owned company, headquartered in Mamer, Luxembourg, develops and manufactures highly specialized tungsten carbide cutting tools, inserts and rods. The CERATIZIT GROUP is the market leader in several wear part application areas and develops successful new types of hard metal, cermet and ceramic grades used for instance in the wood and stone working industry.CERATIZIT S.A.101, Route de HolzemLU-8232 MamerLuxembourgT. +352 31 20 85-1F. +352 31 19 11E. info@ceratizit.com Global Triclosan Market 2016 Industry Size, Trends, Demand, Growth, Share, Analysis and Forecast to 2020 http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/triclosan-market-2016-global-industry-size-trends-growth.html http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/report/55012/request-sample http://www.9dresearchgroup.com 9D Research Group has recently announced the addition of new report "Triclosan Market 2016 - Global Industry Size, Trends, Growth, Share, Opportunities and Forecast by 2020" to their offering.Global Triclosan Industry 2016 Market Research Report was a professional and depth research report on Global Triclosan industry that you would know the world's major regional market conditions of Triclosan industry, the main region including North American, Europe and Asia etc, and the main country including United States ,Germany ,Japan and China etc.Access full report with TOC atThe report firstly introduced Triclosan basic information including Triclosan definition, classification, application and industry chain overview; Triclosan industry policy and plan, Triclosan product specification, manufacturing process, cost structure etc. Then we deeply analyzed the world's main region market conditions that including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc.In the end, the report introduced Triclosan new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.In a word, it was a depth research report on Global Triclosan industry. And thanks to the support and assistance from Triclosan industry chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.Download sample request @The report including six parts, the first part mainly introduced the product basic information; the second part mainly analyzed the Asia Triclosan industry; the third part mainly analyzed the North American Triclosan industry; the fourth part mainly analyzed the Europe Triclosan industry; the fifth part mainly analyzed the market entry and investment feasibility; the sixth part was the report conclusion chapter.Table of ContentPart I Triclosan Industry OverviewChapter One Triclosan Industry Overview1.1 Triclosan Definition1.2 Triclosan Classification Analysis1.2.1 Triclosan Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Triclosan Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Triclosan Application Analysis1.3.1 Triclosan Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Triclosan Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Triclosan Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Triclosan Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Triclosan Product History Development Overview1.5.1 Triclosan Product Market Development Overview1.6 Triclosan Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Triclosan Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Triclosan Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Triclosan Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Triclosan Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Triclosan Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Triclosan Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend Analysis9D Research Group (9dresearchgroup.com) 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@9dresearchgroup.comWeb: The Drilling Services Market of Middle East is Expected to Reach USD 88 Billion in the Near Future https://www.kenresearch.com/energy-and-utilities/oil/middle-east-oilfield-and-drilling-services-market-report/3260-103.html Oil and Gas industry is highly volatile and cyclical market. The growth of oilfield services industry was directly proportional to the growth in oil and gas industry. The global oilfield services industry was highly competitive with a lions share occupied by the Big Fours, namely, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes and Weatherford. The companies which provide drilling services such as Noble Drilling Corporation, Transocean, Nabors Industries and others were engaged in providing the services on contractual basis. These companies provides drilling rigs, associated equipments and tools along with the related crew, and charged the upstream companies on day rate basis majorly.Exploration and production of gas is complex. Each step of the value chain requires complex technology which is provided by OFS and drilling services companies. Reservoirs of oil and gas are identified through seismic surveys, geological modeling and field work, exploratory drilling and other procedures. The OFS companies provide a broad range of products and services ranging from seismic surveys to deep and ultra deep water drilling. Broadly, the OFS services can be divided into five stages which are reservoir/seismic surveys, exploration & production drilling, engineering, fabrication and installations, operations and finally the decommissioning of the well.The oil industry is mainly divided into three subdivisions which are mainly upstream, midstream and downstream. Oil and gas producers depend primarily on the OFS companies to maintain, develop and support their operations at all levels of exploration and production of an oilfield. OFS companies provide services at all levels of value of chain. Such as for upstream companies they provide well drilling and maintenance services, seismic surveys, well construction and completion along with construction and logistics, to midstream companies they provide services for storage, laying of pipelines, tank farms, etc. and to downstream companies they provide EPC services.Pressure pumping services are considered as an integral part of well services in India. The main drivers for the pressure pumping market in Middle East were to increase the asset value, to augment the productivity and yield of an oilfield and to achieve more proximity with the proven reserves. The pressure pumping services are provided by a number of players in the region which resulted into a lower market share of the international OFS companies. The pressure pumping services of Halliburton were majorly restricted to the growth witnessed in regions like Saudi Arabia and Oman which accounted for less market share in contrast with Schlumberger.With its first oil discovery made in 1933, Saudi Arabia now shares a foremost and influential role in the global oil and gas industry. With the lowest production costs all over the world, largest exporter of total petroleum products. With the increasing consumption of oil in the region which accounted to almost 3 million barrels per day, the country aims to augment its production capacity. The major offshore oil and gas production in Saudi Arabia comes from the giant field such as Safaniya , Ghawar and others. The large scale development projects in Saudi Arabia made it a large consumer of energy.For further detail information please follow the below mentioned link:Contact Us:Ken ResearchAnkur Gupta, Head Marketing & CommunicationsAnkur@Kenresearch.Com+91-9015378249Ken Research is a Global aggregator and publisher of Market intelligence research reports, equity reports, data base directories and economy reports. The company is engaged in data analytics and aids clients in due-diligence, product expansion, plant setup, acquisition intelligence to all the other gamut of objectives through our research focus.27A, Tower B-2, Spaze I Tech Business Park, Sohna Road, sector 49 Gurgaon, Haryana - 122001, India Global Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption Market 2016 Industry Research, Demand, Trends, Growth & Analysis http://goo.gl/jcd7Xd http://goo.gl/xZLlPY The market report, titled Global Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption Market 2016, is an analytical research done by QY Market Research study based on the Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market, which analyzes the competitive framework of the Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption industry worldwide. This report "Worldwide Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption Market 2016" build by the usage of efficient methodical tools such SWOT analysis, the Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption industrial 2016 study offers a comprehensive evaluation worldwide Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market.Global Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption 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 Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market. The Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market size is estimated in terms of revenue (US$) and production volume in this report.Do Enquiry Before Purchasing Here :Whereas the Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market key segments and the geographical distribution across the globe is also deeply analyzed. Various Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market dynamics such as growth drivers, restrictions, and the future prospects of each segment have been discussed in detail. Based on that, the Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market report determines the future status of the market globally.This report covers every aspect of the global market for Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption , starting from the basic market information and advancing further to various significant criteria, based on which, the Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market is segmented. Key application areas of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption are also assessed on the basis of their performance.Table Of Contents :1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.1.1 Definition of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.1.2 Specifications of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.2 Classification of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.3 Applications of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.5.1 Industry Overview of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption1.7 Industry News Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide ConsumptionGet Free Sample Report :2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption2.7 Global Price, Cost and Gross of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption 2010-20153 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Key Manufacturers in 20143.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Key Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption Manufacturers in 20143.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption Key Manufacturers in 20143.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption Key Manufacturers in 2014The Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption industrial chain, existing policies,and rules and regulations are studied in this Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption Market report. Key manufacturers, their manufacturing chain, products, Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption 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 Benzoyl Peroxide Consumption market worldwide.About Us: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 FMI Releases New Report on the Electronic Toll Collection Market 2014-2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-76 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-76 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Electronic Toll Collection Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020" report to their offering.Electronic toll collection system is an automated system, eliminating manual operations by toll payers and receivers. The global ETC market is expected to steer towards a strong double-digit growth rate in the coming five years (2015-2020). The primary drivers of the upcoming growth comprise the need to save travel time, cashless travel facility, the need to stop/minimize the traffic congestion and fast toll transaction. However, factors like high installation cost and a high dependence on government are hindering the growth of this market to some extent. The ETC market is expected to continue its rapid expansion to meet the surging demand for an improved, safe and secure infrastructure. The ETC system provides fast, efficient and cost-effective services. They have easy to operate buttons with a user-friendly design. They are also beneficial for traffic agencies and companies as these systems eliminate the need for multiple toll plazas, acting as a cost-saving factor for road operator agencies. Electronic toll collection systems have a positive impact on the environment as it reduces the amount of exhaust emitted from vehicles during start-up and stop at manual toll booths.The ETC market can be categorised into products, technologies, applications and geographies. Transponders, antennae, communication systems, treadles, inductive loops, scanning devices, weigh-in-motion devices, cameras and film storage devices are some of the major products of the system. An electronic toll collection system consists of various subsystems, such as automatic vehicle identification (AVI), automatic vehicle classification (AVC), back-office &integration and violation enforcement system (VES). These subsystems are useful for specific functions -AVI for vehicle identification, AVC for vehicle classification, toll collection transaction by integrating the back-office and payment system and VES to reduce unpaid tolls, by vehicle imaging.Request Free Report Sample@On the basis of technologies, the ETC market can be segmented into various categories, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID), dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), video analytics, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and global positioning system (GPS).Currently RFID and DSRC are the leading technologies. On the other hand, the GNSS and GPS are expected to show a high growth rate in following five years (2015-2020).Based on applications, the ETC market can be categorized into segments like highway, urban and bridges. Undoubtedly, ETC systems have been installed majorly on highways, but installation in urban areas and on bridges has a bright future opportunity.Geographically, the ETC market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Middle East & Africa. Present market scenario represents a strong presence of ETC system in the US, Canada and Mexico in North America, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines and Singapore in Asia Pacific, and the UK, Ireland, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Spain in Europe.Visit For TOC@Some of the key players in the ETC market are Honeywell International, Inc., Transurban, Transtoll Pty Ltd., Transcore Holdings, Inc., Toll Collect GmbH, TRMI Systems Integration, Sensor Dynamics, Xerox Corporation, 3M, Connect East, EFKON, SAIC, DENSO, Q-Free, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Perceptics, Thales Group and Kapsch TrafficCom AG. The ETC ecosystem participants offer a wide range of solutions, such as software services and system integration and toll system operations including maintenance, payment handling and revenue assurance. It is the future solution to alleviating traffic congestion problems.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: Asia Pacific Bio Composites Market Set for Rapid Growth And Trend, by 2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ap-77 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-ap-77 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Bio Composites Market: Asia Pacific Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020" report to their offering.Bio composites or green composites are formed by a biopolymer matrix and reinforcement of natural fibres. Someare degradable materials, but this is rare.Increasing concerns for the environment is a major driver of the bio composite market. Need for green composites is driven by depleting natural resources like crude oil (crude oil is a major component of non-bio composites), focus on reducing environmental pollution levels and utilization of agricultural waste. Natural fibres used in bio composites include natural fibres like Jute,wood flour, sugarcane bagasse, oil palm fibre,rice husk etc.Natural fibre reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites have gained popularity for commercial use in the automotive industry. The advantages of natural fibres over manmade glass fibre include reduced cost, low density, distinct mechanical properties, less energy consumption etc. Automakers are currently shifting towards bio composites as natural fibres like hempare tougher than steel and is also cost-effective in terms of production. Bio composites are also used in the construction and marine sectors as it is easily mouldable and rigid in nature.Request Free Report Sample@In terms of revenue, the global polymer market was estimated to be US$ 250 billion in 2013. Projections suggest that the market will reach US$450 billion by 2025. On the other hand, globalmarket of bio-based polymer is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% - 11.5%. Increase in demand for bio composites is expected from regions of Asia Pacific, due to increasing construction, manufacturing and automotive sectors. Asia-Pacific is also estimated to be the largest automotive composite market with total share of around 43% globally. Asia-Pacific is turning into a hub for bio composite manufactures and is expected to report a high demand for bio composites over the coming years.Commercial and residential construction industry in APAC is flourishing and bio composite is preffered for manufacturing are used industry is assured to play a major role in it due to increasing environmental concerns, stringent government regulations and as a social responsibility.The key players in the market are divided into two groups which are bio composite manufacturers and bio composite suppliers. The main producers of natural fibre composites in the market are Flexform Technologies, Technaro GmbH, Procotex S.A. Corporation NV and Greengran B.V. The prominent suppliersof natural fibre composites are Stemergy, Bast Fibers, LLC and Crailar.Many companies offering bio composites are aggressively trying to enhance their product portfolio to meet customer requirements and explore untapped markets. The bio composite market in APAC is highly fragmented and existing players try to develop partnership agreements amongst themselves and with smaller companies.Visit For TOC@After a decade of extraordinary developments with regard to artificial fibres, bio composites have garnered high interest from the automotive sector, especially for interior and exteriors of automobiles. Social concerns, depleting carbon resources and ecological regulations have initiated the search for new products and processes that are environment friendly. The combination of natural fibres and composites can reduce dependence on petroleum-based composite material. Bio composites could ultimately replace petroleum-based composite material in various applications areas such as automotive and construction. This could also offer new manufacturing and environmental benefits. Increasing use of bio composites can help maintain CO2 balance in Earths atmosphere. Awareness with regard to the environment and new government regulations like CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy), new national and state emission standards will catalyze increased research for eco-friendly products in the application industry. As bio composites are produced from renewable sources such as wood pulp, jute fibers, cellulose fiber etc., it is imperative that the cost of raw materials will be stable in coming years. In addition to this high volume production of bio composites will also minimize the production cost, thus market prices of bio composites.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 Dictyophora Indusiata Market 2016 Industry Trends, Analysis and Forecast to 2021 published by leading research firm Dictyophora Indusiata http://www.qyresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-dictyophora-indusiata-market-2016-industry-trends-sales.html http://goo.gl/0XnJFF http://www.qyresearchgroup.com Global Dictyophora Indusiata Market 2016The new research report, titled Global Dictyophora Indusiata Market 2016 provides an analytical view of the global Dictyophora Indusiata Market, with key focus on the industry performance as exhibited in China. The publication is compiled to present an executive level blueprint of the market, which enumerates the factors impacting the Dictyophora Indusiata market dynamics in detail. The demand and supply forces sketching the growth trajectory of the market is studied extensively. The report also draws refined growth forecasts for the market based on the information sourced from primary and secondary research.2016 Global Dictyophora Indusiata Production, Supply, Sales, and Demand Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth research report on Dictyophora Indusiata . From two aspects: production and sales, the report provides detailed information of production, supply, sales, demand, price, cost, income and revenue on Dictyophora Indusiata in US, EU, China, Japan and rest of the world.Access Complete Report with TOC @Global Dictyophora Indusiata 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 Dictyophora Indusiata market. The Dictyophora Indusiata market size is estimated in terms of revenue (US$) and production volume in this report.The report gives a detailed overview of the key segments in the market. The fastest and slowest growing market segments are covered in this report. The key emerging opportunities of the fastest growing Global Dictyophora Indusiata market segments are also covered in this report. Each segments and sub-segments market size, share, and forecast are available in this report. Additionally, the region-wise segmentation and the trends driving the leading geographical region and the emerging region has been presented in this report.This report covers every aspect of the global market for Dictyophora Indusiata , starting from the basic market information and advancing further to various significant criteria, based on which, the Dictyophora Indusiata market is segmented. Key application areas of Dictyophora Indusiata are also assessed on the basis of their performance.Get Free Sample Report :Table of Content2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Dictyophora Indusiata2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Dictyophora Indusiata2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Dictyophora Indusiata2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Dictyophora Indusiata2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Dictyophora Indusiata2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Dictyophora Indusiata2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Dictyophora Indusiata2.7 Global Price, Cost and Gross of Dictyophora Indusiata 2010-2016Chapter Three Global Dictyophora Indusiata Capacity Production and Production Value3.1 Global Dictyophora Indusiata Manufacturing Base3.2 2010-2015 Global Dictyophora Indusiata Capacity and Production3.3 2010-2015 Global Dictyophora Indusiata Production Value and Growth Rate3.4 2010-2015 Global Dictyophora Indusiata Capacity Production Price Cost Production Value and Gross MarginChapter Four Dictyophora Indusiata Sales and Sales Revenue by Regions4.1 2010-2015 Global Dictyophora Indusiata Sales by Regions4.2 2010-2015 Global Major Regions Dictyophora Indusiata Sales and Growth Rate4.3 2010-2015 Global Dictyophora Indusiata Sales Revenue by Regions4.4 2010-2015 Global Major Regions Dictyophora Indusiata Sales Revenue and Growth Rate4.5 2010-2015 Global Major Regions Dictyophora Indusiata Sales PriceAbout Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel 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. 1-855-465-4651 FREEWeb:Email: peter@qyresearchgroup.com Carbon Nanotubes Market 2014-2020 Shares, Trend and Growth Report http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-78 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-78 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Carbon Nanotubes Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020" report to their offering.Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are nano-sized tubes made up of carbon atoms. Their properties depend on how carbon atoms are aligned to each other in a sheet. It is gaining prominence in various industry verticals primarily due to its varied applications as well as its durability. It is 100X times stronger and 6 X times lighter when compared to steel. Research is underway to explore its market potential in the auto mobile and electronics industries. It is a multi-billion dollar investment in technology when compared to other synthesized nanomaterial.Owing to its attractive features, it is penetrating various end use markets. The growing demand for nanotechnology is set to cater to the growing demands of energy, healthcare, environment, aerospace and electronics sector. Analysis of the growing market of carbon nanotubes (CNT), there has been a tremendous rise in CNT patents over the last 5 years.In the healthcare domain, it plays an important role in body implants, medical devices, and dental filling materials. Researchers have developed sensors using carbon nanotubes, which can be injected into the blood to know the concentration level of nitric oxide. It has potential in assessing critical illnesseslike oral cancer. In oil and energy sectors, it can play an important role in cleaning of oil spills. Besides the oil sector, it finds its usefulness in water purification plants. Compared to other alternatives, it is a cost-effective and reliable platform.Request Free Report Sample@Globally, North America and Europe are the biggest markets for the companies operating in nanotechnology. Together, they account for almost 70% of market share. Though the market for North America is seeing a declining phase after the recent economic downturn, it is expected to bounce back with potential investment in various business sectors. With a market share of 25%, APAC is third biggest and fastest growing regional market for carbon nanotubes primarily due to the inflow of FDI in energy and healthcare sectors as well as the growing demand for specialised materials. Growing industrialisation in China and India are the other major driving factors for carbon nanotubes.Electronics and transportation are the key market segments which will see a massive investment in the APAC region. China, being the global leader in electronics market, will witness a massive investment in carbon nanotubes in the future. India, on the other hand,is the market hub for automation industries. It contributes almost 22% of Indias manufacturing sector. With 100% FDI inflow in the automation sector in India, the market seems promising for enterprises operating their business in carbon nanotubes. Chinas electronics industry has witnessed a massive double digit growth since 2001. Though Chinese nanotube markets pace has been reduced by the 21stcentury economic downturn, it soon regained its growth momentum by 2009. With carbon nanotubes, it is expected that China will soon repeat its double digit growth in the next few years. Besides the transportation and electronics segments, APAC is set to witness a CAGR growth of 49.2% (2014-2018) in the field of nanotechnology for energy sectors. The aged population in India and China is the other key factor that is driving the healthcare market in the APAC region. Carbon nanotubes with its cost effective and reliable solutions is set to penetrate the healthcare market in APAC in the coming years.Visit For TOC@Nanocyl S.A, Arkema S.A. (France), CNano Technology Ltd. (USA), Bayer MaterialScience AG, Showa Denko K.K. and Hyperion Catalysis International Inc. (U.S.) are some of the leading companies in the carbon nanotube market. With rising popularity of carbon nanotube technology, global market will witness many new emerging players in this sector.Going through the potential benefits of carbon nanotubes, there is almost no doubt that this is the promising technology of the future. It is expected to grow at double digit CAGR over the next 6 years. Though the biomedical and automotive industries will be the leading end-use sectors for carbon nanotubes, automotive industries will see a massive surge in investment in coming days. Developed economies, i.e. USA, Japan and the European nations, are investing lump sum amounts in R&D to expand the commercial horizons of carbon nanotubes.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: SpecPage unveils redesigned website www.specpage.com www.specpage.com SpecPage has unveiled its redesigned website,. In addition to a sleek, modern and user-friendly design, key enhancements include improved search and navigation functionality as well as optimization for mobile devices allowing users to better engage with SpecPage online.SpecPage is the leading provider of integrated software solutions for the food and beverage industry (F&B), including Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Product Data Management (PDM), Laboratory Information and Management System (LIMS), and Environmental Health and Safety Administration (EHSA).The company specializes in the electronic publication of product information through the standardized Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN). Along with its data capturing service, SpecPage provides manufacturers and distributors with online catalogs for the user-friendly and efficient publication, distribution and marketing of product information through GDSN."As a global technology company, our focus is to connect with our customers and deliver bespoke solutions to meet their ever changing needs," said Sabrina Weiss, Communications Manager at SpecPage. "The sleek, user-friendly design of our new company website offers customers and prospects an improved user experience with information about our products and services."SpecPage is a rapidly growing Swiss company with subsidiaries in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Slovakia and the US. The company is set to expand its activities in Europe and the US, meeting the growing demand in the range of product development and information in the F&B industry.About SpecPageSpecPagep with headquarters in Switzerland and branch offices in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Slovakia and United States is leading vendor of integrated software solutions and online catalogs for the food and beverage industry. Kelloggs, Dr. Oetker, Mondelez, Develey, Nestle Wagner, Campbell Soup, R&R Ice Cream, OSI, Zeelandia and Glanbia (to name a few) are well-known customers who use the innovative and user-friendly software solutions from SpecPage to successfully manage the special and complex aspects of product development in the global competition for attractive products. With expertise in food law, the company offers turnkey product data management tools for master data and recipe as well product lifecycle management with integrated GDSN interface, simplifying compliance with global labeling requirements. In addition to its standardized software solutions, SpecPage offers master data capturing services and audits.Sabrina WeissCommunications ManagerSpecPagePilatusstrasse 356402 Merlischachen-Kussnacht, SwitzerlandE: sabrina.weiss@specpage.comT: +41 44 500 75 00 Global Sodium Chlorite Industry Size, Shares, Key Applications, Competitive Analysis, Growth Opportunities & 2016 Forecasts http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-sodium-chlorite-consumption-2016-market-research-report.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=665863&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/category/chemicals-market-reports-57.html A new report, titled Sodium Chlorite Industry 2016, has been compiled to present an executive-level blueprint of the global Sodium Chlorite market. It studies the market in detail and compiles relevant information to update the stakeholders about the present market dynamics and growth prospects exhibited by the Sodium Chlorite market over the historical review period. The report presents a detailed evaluation of the present market dynamics to help them in determining crucial business strategies for future. The report comprises relevant information and necessary data and statistics about the market that have been presented in a coherent chapter-wise format. For a detailed understanding, these chapters are interspersed with relevant graphs, infographics, and statistical presentations.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The analysts have compiled this report based on information obtained from trusted industrial sources. This information is then plausibly collated in a format that is not complicated and easily understandable. The data obtained from diverse sources at different research stages are then evaluated with the help of industry-leading analytical tools, to ensure that the research study has only authentic information obtained from validated industrial sources. To ensure that the report on the global Sodium Chlorite market contains only industry-specific information, relevant data is also obtained from the repository of financial records of the key players in then Sodium Chlorite market.In its initial chapters, the report describes the basics of the global Sodium Chlorite market. The products and services that are on offer in the market are also evaluated in detail in the report. To analyze the growth trajectory of the global Sodium Chlorite market, the report evaluates the development trends the market has shown over the last couple of years. A competitive analysis is carried out to present a detailed overview of the current competitive landscape of the market. To provide this information, the report also profiles the major companies operating in the global Sodium Chlorite market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsChapter One Sodium Chlorite Industry Overview1.1 Sodium Chlorite Definition1.2 Sodium Chlorite Classification and Application1.3 Sodium Chlorite Industry Chain Structure1.4 Sodium Chlorite Industry OverviewChapter Two Sodium Chlorite International and China Market Analysis2.1 Sodium Chlorite Industry International Market Analysis2.1.1 Sodium Chlorite International Market Development History2.1.2 Sodium Chlorite Product and Technology Developments2.1.3 Sodium Chlorite Competitive Landscape Analysis2.1.4 Sodium Chlorite International Key Countries Development Status2.1.5 Sodium Chlorite International Market Development Trend2.1.6 Global And China Sodium Chlorite New Project and Project PlanChapter Three Sodium Chlorite Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 2016 Global And China Key Manufacturers Sodium Chlorite Capacity and Manufacturing Plants Distribution3.2 2016 Global And China Key Manufacturers Sodium Chlorite R&D Status and Technology Source3.3 2016 Global And China Key Manufacturers Sodium Chlorite Raw Materials Sources AnalysisRead More Reports on Chemicals @QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web: qyresearchreports.comEmail: sales@qyresearchreports.com CAS DataLoggers is Attending CSIA 2016 in Puerto Rico! Systems Integrators from Around the World http://csiaexecutiveconference.org/ www.DataLoggerInc.com www.dataloggerinc.com Providing Solutions for System IntegratorsCHESTERLAND, OHMarch 21, 2016CAS DataLoggers is proud to announce its upcoming exhibition at the Control System Integrators Association CSIA 2016 Executive Conference April 19-22 in Pueto Rico! A 4-year attendee, CAS DataLoggers is set to showcase the latest datalogging technology for industry suppliers, manufacturers and service providers. Learn more about the show on the official site atVisit over 60 industry partners at Thursdays Expo!CSIA 2016 provides attendees with an unequalled opportunity to meet with over 60 companies representing systems integration in every conceivable industry. This year CAS DataLoggers is set to partner with systems integrators and offers innovative datalogging products from Jager-ADwin, Delphin Technology and dataTaker. Control system integrators can utilize this industrial automation equipment and software in the implementation of their projects across a wide variety of industries.Jager-ADwin:Among its many products, CAS will display Jagers sophisticated ADwin data acquisition systems which support parallel, individually-controlled, real-time processes while running independently of a PC's operating system. ADwin systems provide deterministic operation with response times of 1 usec. or less for high-speed measurements.ADwin systems see common use in testing automotive components, sensors and ECU's, electrical component test, control of servohydraulic systems, motion control, signal generation, high-speed synchronized data acquisition, and more.Delphin Technology:CAS DataLoggers is also displaying Delphin data acquisition systems which measure temperature, pressure, flow, voltage and vibration in a wide variety of research, testing and process control applications. These systems feature different analog and digital I/O modules that can be used with a wide range of signal types including 4-20 mA current, thermocouples, RTDs, and resistance.Delphin systems also offer powerful alarm and programming capabilities which allow them to process measurements and initiate actions on their own. They can also be used for local data acquisition and logging when connected to a PC, for remote unattended data collection connected the internet, or as stand-alone devices.dataTaker:The universal dataTaker data loggers combine powerful communications options with a rugged design that stands up to accidents and hazardous areas. These intelligent dataloggers can acquire nearly any physical value including temperature, voltage, current, 4-20mA loops, resistance, bridges, strain gauges, frequency, digital, serial and calculated measurements.CAS DataLoggers Sales Manager Pete Martin comments: Were pursuing great opportunities like CSIA 2016 to partner with systems integrators and offer them our innovative and cost-effective data logging products. Our real-time ADwin and Delphin systems along with dataTakers intelligent loggers offer integrators a wealth of advanced features and significant long-term savings.For more information on Measurement & Control systems, 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 LED Materials Market : (2015 to 2021) - Current Trends, Competition & Companies involved, Technology http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3518 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3518 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com A light emitting diode or LED is a semiconductor device. LED produce incoherent narrow spectrum of light when it is in forward biased condition. The color of the light emitted depends on the composition of the semiconductor material used in manufacturing of LED. It is extensively used in an array of application such as displays devices on clock, digital watches, lighting bulbs, radios, and calculators. LEDs also find its applications in high definition television display, camera, camcorder, telecommunications, optical fiber communication, and TV remote controls. The application of LED is even exceeded to the Jewelry and WearablesOn the basis of semiconductor material, the global LED material market can be broadly classified in four broad categories namely gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP), gallium phosphide (GaP) and others. Gallium arsenide is the most widely used chemical in all major classes of led such as miniature led, high power led and application specific led. Gallium arsenide grasped the largest market share in 2013.Based on the various precursor used during the metal organic chemical deposition vapor (MOCVD) the lead material can be classified as trimethylgallium (TMGa), trimethyl aluminum (TMA), trimethylindium (TMIn), triethylgallium (TEGa) and C2Mg2. trimethylgallium (TMGa) is the most widely used LED material and grasped the largest market share in 2013.The global LED material market is mainly driven by the rising application and demand of LED in energy efficient and high resolution displays in smart phones and high definition television. The rising application of LED in automotive lighting and display, home and industrial lighting requirement is further boosting the market of LED which in turn is driving the demand for LED materials. Moreover, favorable government policies including various labeling and certification programs are providing new growth opportunities for the LED industry. One of the major reasons for rapid adoption in LED lights is its relatively less power consumption as compared with normal lights. In certain cases, the power consumption is as low as one-third.Countries such as the U.S., New Zealand, UK, Canada, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, and Brazil, and Venezuela have taken several initiatives to replace tradition less durable, high power consuming bulbs with energy efficient LED bulbs in order to save power and to meet environmental sustainability by reducing the green house gases emission.Interested in report: Please follow the below links to meet your requirements;Request for the Report Brochure:Asia Pacific is the largest market for LED material followed by North America and Europe, The demand for LED material in Asia Pacific is mainly driven by the large scale LED manufacturing industries located in China, South Korea, and Taiwan. Moreover with growing emphasis on information technology industry, strengthening power generation and distribution infrastructure of emerging economies and decreasing prices of LED mainly due to the advancement in manufacturing technology is expected to provide a higher growth rate during the forecasted period. The growing application of LED in various display technology is expected to provide moderate growth to LED material market in North America and Europe.Request TOC (table of content), Figures and Tables of the Report:Some of the major companies operating in global agrochemicals market include, Dow Chemicals Company, Intematrix, DuPont, and Sabic, Cree, Inc., OSRAM, Opto Semiconductors and Seoul Semiconductor.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United StatesUSA - Canada Toll Free: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Growth is the Keyword for ANNOVA and arvato Systems: The Broadcast and Media Experts Go for a Double-sized Stand Michael Schuller (l.), Director ANNOVA and Holger Noske (r.), Vice President Broadcast Solutions www.annova.tv www.it.arvato.com joiz Global, make.TV, HMS and Plantri are new NAB booth partners At 2016 NAB, broadcast professionals arvato Systems and newsroom experts ANNOVA go for a double-sized stand, making room for more partners. From April 16 to 21, 2016, visitors will also find joiz Global, make.TV, HMS Media Solutions and Plantri at booth number SU5515.(arvato Systems) Gutersloh/Cologne/Munich ANNOVA and arvato Systems have a long history of bringing their projects, products and people together for customers and at shows. At this years NAB Show in Las Vegas, they add partners joiz Global, Plantri, Make TV and HMS Media Solutions into the mix. Extra stand space will reduce overcrowding and give the companies room to demonstrate the solutions that have made them industry leaders.Focused on products, projects and people, arvato Systems will show broadcast and media elements from their extensive portfolio. With products that cover all bases, from MAM to media analytics; maximizing the potential of the video server to monetizing the ad inventory and beyond, arvato Systems has the right solution for broadcasters and media companies.ANNOVA Systems flagship newsroom product OpenMedia is the heart of the efficient newsroom, controlling and coordinating information and events, enabling news teams to connect with their audience. CEO Michael Schueller comments: NAB provides the ideal forum in which to meet customers from across the world and present the unique broadcast and business solutions offered by ANNOVA and arvato Systems.Holger Noske, Vice President Broadcast Solutions at arvato Systems adds: We are incredibly excited to be increasing our commitment to the event by welcoming joiz Global, Plantri, Make TV and HMS Media Solutions, enhancing our offering even further.With double the space and four new partners, visitors to booth SU 5551 will find live demos of complete workflows and be able to meet experts in some of the most relevant and exciting areas of broadcast and new media today.joiz Global will be a focus of interest for broadcasters and content producers; the interactive OTT TV platform, website and app building services combined with sophisticated analytics capabilities can help them to better engage and monetize audiences.Modular automation solutions from HMS Media Solutions cover the entire workflow of TV stations from ingest to distribution and, by easily addressing additional distribution channels via digital interfaces, enable broadcasters engage with audiences wherever they are.Plantri GmbH will show various Social Media Solutions for the Newsroom (NewsBoard, SocialMedia Gateway etc.) and its Dashboard solution: a new approach to giving broadcasters rapid, transparent access to data inside their business, for faster, more accurate decision making.make.tvs Live Video Cloud, already fully integrated with arvato Systems VPMS Media Asset Management System, means that the work of TV and Media production streams has become significantly simpler. Content producers can quickly and easily navigate, view, select and edit live recordings as well as pre-recorded material even before the video material hits the in-house production infrastructure.The combination of innovation and expertise make this one of the most exciting stands at NAB. Visitors to NAB (April 16 21, 2016) should make sure to include booth SU 5515 on their must-see list.About ANNOVA SystemsANNOVA Systems provides software solutions and services which enable newscasters and interactive content producers streamline their news and production workflows. With more than 50,000 users worldwide and 20 years proven experience in news technology, ANNOVAs OpenMedia is the leading independent news production and rundown management system today. Solutions by ANNOVA Systems are used by both private and public organizations around the world. Newsrooms relying on OpenMedia software for their output include: ARD-Group - ie. NDR, rbb, HSB, SWR, WDR, BR, SR - as well as SRG SSR, Red Bull Media House, Radio France, France 24, RTL France, TRK, Al Hijrah, Pro7, ATV Wien, 1+1 and many more. Headquartered in Munich, ANNOVA Systems GmbH is a privately-owned company.About arvato SystemsAs global next generation IT systems integrator arvato Systems focuses on "Digital Transformation Solutions". We use the technology talent and expertise of over 3,000 people at more than 25 sites throughout the world. Being a part of the arvato network and belonging to Bertelsmann, we have the unique capability to create entire value chains. Our team creates integrated, future-proof business infrastructures that help make our customers more agile and competitive, and enable them to deliver new standards of service to their customers. We create streamlined digital processes that support innovative business models. Moreover we provide operation and support services.Customers from the world of media, one of our core areas of expertise, can also benefit from these solutions. Custom-tailored arvato Systems solutions for broadcast management, media asset management, and publishing, enhanced by marketing and enterprise solutions are in use today in more than 30 countries.arvato Systems offers an exceptional combination of international IT engineering excellence, the open mindset of a global player, and the dedication of employees. We also ensure that all our customer relationships are as personally rewarding and long-lasting as they are successful.arvato Systems GmbHMarcus MetznerChief Marketing OfficerAn der Autobahn 20033333 GuterslohGermanyPhone: +49 5241 80-88242Fax: +49 5241 80-9568press@arvato-systems.de PDF Password Remover for OS X and Windows Giveaway for a Limited Time Only PDF Password Remover Giveaway http://www.pdfpasswordremover.com/giveaway.html Xi'an, China - Reezaa today is proud to announce that PDF Password Remover 1.5, their popular PDF utility for Mac OS X and Windows PCs, is available for free for a limited time. Users find that a number of the PDF files they receive or download cannot be printed or converted. PDF Password Remover removes the PDF restrictions from those files, allowing users to make better use of the PDFs.By removing restrictions from PDF files, PDF Password Remover allows anyone to copy content from the decrypted PDF and use it in other documents. 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Review copies are available upon request.Founded in 2008, Reezaa develops conversion software for Mac OS X and Windows PCs. The company relies on its extensive experience in developing conversion utilities that have already demonstrated their technical excellence and ease of use in thousands of homes worldwide. All Material and Software (C) Copyright 2016 Reezaa. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh and Mac OS X are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.Woody Wu57 #366 FuLiCheng HangtiandadaoXi'an, Shaanxi ProvinceChina 710100 Europe Residential Security Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2014-2020 http://goo.gl/Qs1bxS http://goo.gl/ktDaPr http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/residential-security-market-in-europe-35582 http://www.marketresearchstore.com Do inquiry Of Report:Zion Research has published a new report titled Residential Security Market in Europe (Surveillance Systems, Intruder Alarms, Access Control Systems and Software) : Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2014 - 2020. According to the report, the Europe residential security market was valued at USD 759.2 million in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 1,867.5 million by 2020. Europe residential security market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.11% between 2015 and 2020.Residential security system includes various components such as surveillance systems, intruder alarms, access control systems and software. Residential security is a part of physical security that assures the security of homes and individual. With increasing instances of criminal activities such as burglary and theft in residential buildings and among the aging people has resulted into growing demand for residential security systems in Europe. Residential security system also provides safety against gas leaks, fire, and other hazards. It effectively provides the surveillance services and facilitates an option raise an alarm in case of any emergency.Key factor driving demand for residential security in Europe is increasing installations of smart homes. Smart home market in Europe is growing at a rapid pace and is expected to cross 15 billion mark by the end of 2020. Smart home market is on the rise especially in Germany, UK and France. With increasing number of installations of smart home, demand for residential security systems is expected to increase. Moreover, advances in the technology and entry of the new players in the Europe residential security systems market is expected to lower down the price of residential security. This in turn is expected to boost the demand for residential security market in Europe. However, high installation cost and uncertain economic conditions across Europe except Germany is expected to arrest the growth of residential security market.Get Sample Research Report:Surveillance systems, intruder alarms, access control systems and software are the key segment of residential security market. Surveillance systems segment dominated the residential security market in 2014 with around 35% share in total market. Surveillance systems are witnessing strong demand from end users. However, it is expected to decrease in its market share during the forecast period owing to availability of different substitutes such as cloud-based services. Access control systems market is expected to exhibit fastest growth rate during the forecast period.Some of the key industry participants in residential security market include Honeywell International Inc., Bosch Security Systems Inc., Tyco International, GE Security Inc Ltd., AMX Corp., Control4 Corp., Alarm.com Inc., Siemens Building Technologies AG., and home Automation Inc.This report segments the Europe market as follows:Residential Security Market: Product Segment AnalysisSurveillance SystemsIntruder AlarmsAccess Control SystemsSoftwareBrowse Full 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: Tickets now available for A Fashion Night in Black & White Dress for Success SW Floridas annual signature event, A Fashion Night in Black & White is ready to roll out the red carpet on Wednesday, April 27 at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Naples.Celebrate in sophisticated black and white cocktail attire and enjoy an evening of fashion, hors doeuvres, champagne, dinner and a silent auction to support Dress for Success SW Florida in its life-changing work of promoting the professional development and transformation of women in Collier and Lee counties. Your co-hosts for this evening of fashion will be Board Members Shiree Woody and Barbara Melvin. Guests will be the first to preview White House Black Markets Summer 2016 collection.South Seas romance is the theme of White House Black Markets new summer collection. Featuring sophisticated pieces that are effortlessly versatile, the color drenched clothes and accessories take the modern woman from day to night, across work and vacation with feminine style.We are honored to once again host the Fashion Show and feature our 2016 Summer Collection for attendees of this special event, said Donna Noce, President, White House Black Market. Dress for Success works tirelessly to help make a difference in womens lives.Attendees are invited to dress to impress, symbolizing the confidence, hope and style of the women Dress for Success SW Florida serves. Everyone will enjoy star treatment and walk the red carpet, illuminated by the flashes of paparazzi.100% of the donations support the continued advancement of Dress for Success SW Floridas programs for women in Collier and Lee counties, including: one-on-one job interview suiting with a Personal Shopper; easy access with Dress for Success boutiques in Naples and Fort Myers; and encouragement, advice and mentorship of women who are unemployed, underemployed and entrepreneurs starting their own business. Dress for Success is located in both Naples and Fort Myers.CEO Barbara Dell states, Were thrilled that our annual event has earned such recognition and notoriety in the communitys social spheres providing us the opportunity to promote our life-changing mission. We finally have a boutique and office in Naples to provide clothing and services for less fortunate women in Collier County. We are so appreciative and want to thank in advance our many community supporters and look forward to the style and fun that defines this event.Individual tickets are $125. Tables are available for $1,200 and seat 10. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call (239) 689-4992 or email swflorida@dressforsuccess.org.About Dress for SuccessThe mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. There are 135 Dress for Success affiliates internationally focusing on providing career wardrobes, employment counseling and mentoring for women. For information on Dress for Success SW Florida, email swflorida@dressforsuccess.org, call 239-689-4992 or check our website at swflorida.dressforsuccess.org.About White House Black MarketWhite House Black Market is dedicated to providing a modern collection for the way women live now. Although named for the simplicity of black and white, our curated collections reflect the latest colors, prints and styles. WHBM operates 434 boutiques and 72 outlets across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where expert stylists provide personalized service that is always complimentary. White House Black Market also offers around-the-clock shopping at whbm.com. and can be found on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest.CONRIC PR6216 Whiskey Creek DrSuite BFort Myers, FL 33919 $565.6 Million Is an Estimated Market Value for Bioburden Testing Market till 2019 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=17983056 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=17983056 The report "Bioburden Testing Market by Product (Instrument (PCR, Microscopes), & Consumables (Kit, Reagent)), Test (Aerobic, Anaerobic, Fungi, Spore), Application (Raw Material, In-process) & End User (Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, CMO) - Forecast to 2019, provides a detailed overview of the major drivers, restraints, challenges, opportunities, current market trends, and strategies impacting the bioburden testing market along with estimates and forecasts of the revenue and share analysis.Ask For the Brochure of this Study @The global bioburden testing market is expected to reach $565.6 Million by 2019 from $354.4 Million in 2014, growing at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2014 to 2019.The report segments the bioburden testing market on the basis of products and services, test types, applications, end users, and regions. In the product segment, consumables accounted for the largest share in 2014; however, the culture media and reagents & kits segment will grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period as culture media and reagents & kits are most commonly used for bioburden testing. Factors such as the growing medical device industry, changing trends in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, increasing food safety concerns to boost the bioburden testing market, strong trend of R&D investments in life sciences, and increasing product recalls due to microbial contamination are driving the growth of the bioburden testing market.Based on regions, the market is dominated by North America, followed by Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW). North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the market in 2014, while Asia-Pacific is likely to witness the highest growth in the forecast period.For Queries & Assistance, Speak To Analyst @Key players in the bioburden testing market include Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (U.S.), Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (U.S.), SGS S.A. (Switzerland), WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (China), Merck & Co. Inc. (U.S.), Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), North American Science Associates, Inc. (NAMSA) (U.S.), Nelson Laboratories (U.S.), Pacific Biolabs (U.S.), and ATS Labs, Inc. (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 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Update: A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening. The earlier watch was expanded to include Midland, Bay, Huron, Saginaw and Tuscola counties. There is potential for six inches or greater of heavy wet snow as well as ice accumulations. Northeast winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour with 35 mile per hour gusts are possible. Rottneros Names Lennart Eberleh as New President and CEO March 21, 2016 - Rottneros has named Lennart Eberleh as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Eberleh, who will join Rottneros no later than October 1, 2016, currently serves as head of the business area Corrugated Solutions for BillerudKorsnas. Eberleh has more than 20 years of experience in various management positions within the paper industry, including positions with Stora, Billerud and BillerudKorsnas. Eberleh has a M.Sc. in Engineering from the Technical University of Braunschweig. Many of us have followed Lennart's success over the years, and we are very pleased to have recruited a person who has both substantial expertise in the paper industry as well as solid experience of business acumen, said Rune Ingvarsson, Chairman of the Board of Rottneros AB. Per Lundeen, acting President and CEO, added, Lennart is definitely the right person to continue the work with our long-term industrial plan, Agenda 500, and to develop Rottneros' strategy further. It feels very good to hand over to him. Lundeen will continue as CEO until Eberleh takes over the position. Lundeen took office as CEO in November 2014 after serving on the Board of Rottneros AB since 2013. We are very grateful for the work that Per has performed. Under his leadership Rottneros has developed into a very profitable and financially strong company, Ingvarsson said. We are also delighted that Per will make himself available for further work as a member of the Board of Rottneros AB. Rottneros produces market pulp and has an annual production capacity of just under 400,000 tonnes produced at two mills in Sweden. To learn more, please visit: www.rottneros.com SOURCE: Rottneros AB A young boy came home to their home in Bergenfield only to find out that both his parents were already dead. The police claim that they are eyeing the angle of murder and suicide in the killings. According to North Jersey, the 11-year-old boy told one of their neighbors along W. Clinton Avenue that his parents were not breathing around 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. Authorities found the body of the boy's 36-year-old mother in a bedroom of the house while the father's body was located in the basement. The 44-year-old patriarch is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. However, the cause of death of the wife has yet to be revealed. Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal noted that they are suspecting that the incident is a case of domestic violence. A neighbor of the family claimed that she did not hear any noise nor problems of the family prior to the couple's death. "I left my house around 9:30, I didn't know anything about it," the neighbor said in a CBS New York report. Other neighbors also told North Jersey that there is only little details they know about the family, who reportedly moved to the neighborhood five years ago. The same report mentioned that co-workers of the female fatality also showed up at the residence on Sunday afternoon and claimed that they were shocked by the incident. "She was a wonderful person and a good friend, happy and a hard worker," noted former co-worker Maria Vargas. "I still don't believe that this happened to her." North Jersey learned from the co-workers that the couple had three older children aside from the 11-year-old boy who discovered his parents' bodies. He has been placed under the custody of child welfare officials. Most people especially the children have the ability to learn more than one language. There are many advantages of having bilingual learning. These include learning new words in categories, having a good listening skill and having more refined interpersonal skills. It is advisable then to equip your children to have bilingual learning. Learning a second language comes easy for children. Check out these tips on Raising Bilingual Kids https://t.co/4Umi90W7Vs via @fortheloveto Savannah (@HowHesRaised) February 4, 2016 The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association reports that over 5 individual with age more than 5 years old (21 percent) can speak another language besides English at home. Children can learn the uses of the second language based on the sounds of the first language. Parenting shares the following bilingual learning that includes Spanish/ English app and websites that you and your children may check out: 1. Duolingo Duolingo is rated Apple's iPhone app of the year. You can surf this app for free. It will teach you another language in a practical and fun way. 2. Highlights High Five Bilingue The site is for kids ages 2 to 6. It equips the toddler to read and speak Spanish and English using online audio. 3. Colorin Colorado Many experts recommend Colorin Colorado website for children in grades K-12. They provide teaching strategies, videos, information and webcasts for parents about bilingual learning particularly English and Spanish. 4. Ana Lomba's Spanish for Kids; The Red Hen The head of the Early Learning Center at Avenues, Nancy Schulman suggests the Ana Lomba's Spanish for kids in teaching children to speak English or Spanish. You can make an account for free. 5. ABC Spanish Spelling Magic ABC Spanish Spelling Magis is for free for iPad and iPhone users. It helps the children read and spell using phonics. 6. Brain Pop Espanol This site would help your children learn about science, art, math and historical events. This comes in the Spanish version. 7. Muuzii In Muuzii, the children can access the "Muuzii School" wherein your children the language using flashcards. They also have short children's stories in both Spanish and English. They also provide the Word of the Day. Kansas is promoting the notion that parents are a child's first and most influential teachers. In a new state-wide school program, parents are the ones who teach their kids in school and at home. They are supervised by a parent educator who would check on the child's learning through developmental screenings, home visits and other activities. The Parents as Teachers program is now in full effect in multiple Kansas cities such as Goddard, Haysville, Wichita, Maize, Derby and Mulvane. Foster parents, caregivers and close relatives of the child can also become teachers as long as their young learners are not older than 3 years old, as per The Wichita Eagle. "All the research shows that the earlier we start working with kids, the more prepared they will be for kindergarten," claimed Maize Early Childhood Center associate principal June Rempel. She said the new set-up makes parents feel supported. Those who participate in the Parents as Teachers program are more likely to be active in school activities as their child advances. Rempel and her colleagues have been constantly asking Kansas lawmakers to increase funding for the Parents as Teachers program. School administrators have received the support of Maize voters who recently accepted the idea of a $70.7 million bond issue. Some of its aims include the creation of a separate Early Childhood Center dedicated to the Parents as Teachers program. The project is expected to cost roughly $7 million. A typical Parents as Teachers class features parents and their toddlers convening in a circle to learn new skills together like making homemade cloth diapers, essential oils and baby food. Parents can also mingle and share vital parenting tips to other participants. Earlier this month, the Parents as Teachers program held a mass screening in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The evaluation was done to assess the competencies of children who plan to enroll in preschool this August. St. Joe Channel reported that 3- to 4-year-old kids were tested in three developmental areas: cognitive, language and motor function. The famous British Royal family has had many ups and down in the past few decades and one of this downs that truly put the British Royal family in the grid of everyone's mind was the passing away of the well-loved Princess Diana, who was the mother of the famous Princes of Britain, Prince William and Prince Harry. The sadness of the death of Princess Diana was not only felt by the people in Britain and in the other commonwealth countries but it resonated all throughout the world. Princess Diana was famous not for only her beauty and mind and for being a Princess but she was also famous for her philanthropic work. Prince Harry was recently interviewed by Good Morning America in the late Princess' sitting room in Kensington Palace and during this interview Prince Harry discussed about how much his mother; Princess Diana would love to be a grandmother to his children and that how she would have been very proud of Prince William and Kate Middleton's family. Prince Harry became teary eyed discussing to the media about his mother. "I hope she's looking down with tears in her eyes being incredibly proud of what we've done here, I suppose." The fifth-in-line to the throne did not escape the talk being married and having a family. "I'm sure she's longing for me to have kids so she can be a grandmother again," Harry revealed. Prince Harry has took it up as his responsibility to continue his late mother's philanthropic work and have visited numerous area that are suffering. It can be noted that Prince Harry has a very special soft spot for children during his philanthropic travels, which tells a lot about how much the Prince wants kids of his own. "I can't wait for the day. It would be fantastic," Prince harry said as he talked about having a family of his own. Elizabethkingia, a rare blood infection with an unknown cause, has already sickened dozens in Wisconsin since November and has been reported in a Michigan resident. According to CNN News, the Michigan Department of Health declared on Thursday that Elizabethkingia has been indentified in an older adult. The elder who was also suffering of some other underlying health conditions has died as a result of the infection. The Michigan Department of Health did not release other details about the patient. Since November 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Public Health has already reported 54 cases of the Elizabethkingia blood infection identified in the state, according to Medical Daily. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has declared that most of the patients acquiring this rare blood infection are over the age of 65. All patients have also suffering "of at least one underlying serious illness", according to the official statement. Among those 54 cases of Elizabethkingia blood infection reported in Wisconsin, 17 of the infected individuals have died. It is not confirmed yet that Elizabethkingia was the cause of patients' death or the other underlying health conditions. The rare blood infection is casued by the Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteria that is commonly found in reservoirs, river water and soil. Elizabethkingia anophelis does not commonly cause illness in humans but people with serious underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems are more at risk of infection. The infection is difficult to treat because it is often antibiotic resistant. Among the symptoms of Elizabethkingia infection are included chills, shortness of breath, fever and cellulitis. Previous outbreaks were linked to healthcare settings but the source of the current outbreak has not yet been identified. Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, declared that Michigan has worked closely with Wisconsin Health Department and the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to "ensure early recognition of potential cases in our state". According to CDC spokesman Tom Skinner, after the outbreak in Wisconsin was identified the health departments across the country were asked to be on the lookout for Elizabethkingia infections, therefore the case in Michigan is not a complete surprise. Everywhere around the world, people wonder why so many doctors choose to give branded drugs. Many have suspected that it has something to do with the fact that these doctors are paid by drug companies to prescribe their branded medicines. An analysis by ProPublica revealed that doctors who receive payouts from pharmaceutical companies are actually the one who prescribed more branded medications than those doctors who are not. The researchers also revealed that the more money the more they prescribe branded medications on average, the fiscal times reported. The report which was authored by Charles Ornstein, Ryann Grochowski Jones and Mike Tigas explained that their analysis revealed that those who get money or any complimentary stuff from drug and device makers, writes off more brand-name medications than those doctors who didn't. They added saying, "Indeed, doctors who received industry payments were two to three times as likely to prescribe brand-name drugs at exceptionally high rates as others in their specialty." Medical Daily reported that they analysis found that every state has a different proportion of doctors who take industry money. Example, the number of doctors taking payouts in Alabama, Nevada, Kentucky, and South Carolina was twice as high as those in Vermont, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Maine. However, this just shows that payments are happening everywhere. The analysis also revealed that nine out of ten cardiologists nationwide who prescribed approximately 1,000 Medicare patients in 2014 were taking payouts, while seven in ten internists and family practitioners were paid. Although this does not prove any motive, it goes to show that doctors have some financial bonus to prescribe the drugs that will benefit pharmaceutical companies the most. There have already been studies showing that generic drugs work just the same as branded drugs for most patients. They must first and foremost meet Food and Drug Administration standards but are not expensively advertised compared to their branded counterparts. Patient satisfaction also says the same about both kinds of drugs. "It again confirms the prevailing wisdom...that there is a relationship between payments and brand-name prescribing," Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, told NPR. "This feeds into the ongoing conversation about the propriety of these sorts of relationships. Hopefully, we're getting past the point where people will say, 'Oh, there's no evidence that these relationships change physicians' prescribing practices.'" The U.S. Centers for Disease, Control & Prevention has issued a warning against consuming raw milk products after samples from Miller's Organic Farm resulted to positive with Listeria. The organic farm was linked to a 2014 Listeria outbreak resulting in one death. While the outbreak happened two years ago, officials just confirmed on Friday the connection between the deadly Listeria outbreak and Miller's Organic Farm. Earlier in January, the FDA tested a raw chocolate milk made by Miller's in Pennsylvania to be positive of Listeria. The officials are conducting further investigation if other milk products could also be contaminated. "Because Listeria was recently found in raw milk produced by Miller's Organic Farm, CDC is concerned that conditions may exist at the farm that may cause further contamination of raw milk and raw dairy products distributed by this company and make people sick," CDC said in a statement according to UPI. T2. Soft cheese, cold deli meat, raw milk, o my! Learn how to prevent Listeria food poisoning. http://t.co/fQUPm0EmXu #CDCchat CDC (@CDCgov) December 18, 2013 The CDC has long since advised the public from consuming raw, unpasteurized dairy products as they are highly positive of dangerous bacteria such as listeria, E. coli, salmonella and Campylobacter, Utah Peoples Post reported. Listeria is a gastro intestinal infection characterized by high fever, head and muscle aches, stiff neck, and diarrhea. If not treated right away, this could lead to death. Often, the symptoms don't appear until two to three weeks. In 2014, two people were infected with a strain of Listeria from two different placed, California and Florida. While the two were hospitalized, the one from Florida passed away. Recently, two lawmakers from West Virginia have also fallen ill after consuming raw milk. Meanwhile, the owner of Miller's Organic, Amos Miller, stated that the company's products are not sold in outlets and retail stores. The company operates as a private membership club; its products are exclusively available to its members. In an interview with CBS News, Miller isn't aware of any health issues caused by their farm-grown products. Currently, raw milk is still sold at Miller's. To know more about Listeria, check out the video below: As anyone whos ever been to a film festival will attest, its impossible to see every film that is programmed. This list is a non-comprehensive and decidedly unscientific take on a collective 11 days at the 30th year of Austins premiere destination for weird, wacky and wonderful indies. From the outset of this British comedy about two small-time crook sisters, Claire and Lisa Walker, you know youre in for a handheld camera ride. But as quickly as youre aware of cinematographer Ryan Eddlestons shaky jolts and the rawness of the image, youre also immediately drawn to the two women played expertly by Alice Lowe and Dolly Wells (most recently known in the States for her role opposite real-life bestie Emily Mortimer in HBOs Doll & Em). The camerawork is beautiful and boorish, the execution is amateurish, but all is well because writer/director Jamie Adamss ability to draw you close and make you feel as if youre part of this rag-tag group erases any thoughts about just how much money was not spent on making the film. Many directors spend years writing their first feature, but perhaps it was Greg Kwedars connection to the people in his story since his college days that allows him to combine an impressive attention to the tiniest of details with an empathetic insight not often seen in first-time directors. His film Transpecosabout one day in the life of three U.S. Border Patrol Agentsstarted under the radar at the festival, but it had an undeniable impact on fest audiences and critics, taking home the audience award for narrative features. The Hollywood Reporter called it artfully made but wholly accessible for a mainstream audience. Kwedar is careful and deliberate about his performances from veteran actors Gabriel Luna and Clifton Collins Jr. and even gives younger actor Johnny Simmons a great run in his first lead role. Tatiana Maslany is well known for her role(s) on Orphan Black, having played 10 different characters over the course of four seasons, sometimes even interacting with her own self. At 30-years-old, shes probably on her way to playing more parts than most her age, and to say shes got a good head on her shoulders is an understatement. In The Other Halfwhich she and real-life boyfriend Tom Cullen co-star in and co-executive producedshe plays a young woman suffering from bipolar disorder. Maslany took a role that could have easily been played as just juxtapositions of manic and calm and gave it careful nuances and impenetrable truth. Since Andre Royo (better known as Thirsty Rawlings on Empire) was awarded the special jury prize for acting, it seems were of the same mindset as the judges at SXSW. However, were compelled to hand the award in equal parts to George Sample IIIwhos only acting experience by age 35 came in the form of Cronies at 2015s Sundance. His role opposite Royo in what has been consistently rumored to be a fest stunner by audience members milling the streets of Austin was artfully done for someone with so little experience in front of the camera. Samplea St. Louis nativehas a very exposed approach to actingit doesnt feel like hes working too hard at it. Hes what youd call a natural. While writer/director Anne Hamiltons first feature American Fable isnt quite a perfect movie, she may have gotten a near-perfect performance out of its young lead, Peyton Kennedy. Kennedy is only 12 (11 when the movie was filmed), but shes pulls off a performance with ranges of angst, anger, bravery and depth like an old pro. Aesthetic and concept meld together in the beautiful collective:unconscious. Combining the talents of five independent filmmakers (Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker and Lauren Wolkstein), and tasking them with interpreting each others dreams, this omnibus film brings the viewer into a world that is familiar but can shift in unexpected ways. Unlike many films that attempt to recreate dreams, or other anthology films, collective:unconscious is able to capture the unique voices of each director while creating an interesting whole that feels like a dream both as youre watching and long after. Whether your dreams consist of hilariously disturbing narratives, haunting landscapes, disjointed vibrancy or calm nightmares, this film has something for everyone that will linger long after the credits roll. While narrative film often reflects our current lives in ethos and pathos, documentaries can put a spotlight on cultural happenings in a more direct way. Accidental Courtesy is not necessarily the smoothest doc at the fest, but Matthew Ornsteins first film about musician Daryl Daviswho befriends KKK leadersis just so timely and thought-provoking, considering the current climate of race relations in the United States, that it sits with you for days. Its also presented in a fair-minded wayinterviewing all sides of the equation, and even letting them duke it out on camera. Sean (Ty Hickson) is living the hermit lifestyle in a run-down trailer with no one but his cat Kaspar and the occasional supply drop from his friend Cortez (Amari Cheatom). Studying alchemy and practicing magic, hes willing to put everything on the line to achieve his dreams of fortune, but its easier said than done when evil forces are involved and soon he is faced with a terrifying reality. This is Joel Potrykus third film and another excellent example of his ability to balance humor, horror and silence in a way that many filmmakers cannot. While his other films hinted at or utilized horror themes, The Alchemist Cookbook delves deeper into the genre and creates a unique portrait of a man on the fringe of society, and himself. How do you tell the story of a mass murder? While most filmmakers focus on the perpetrator of the violence, director Keith Maitland gives voice to those who are too often forgotten aboutthe victims. His documentary Tower, which won the Grand Jury Prize for best documentary, is a moving look into the University of Texas Tower shootings. Maitland uses a mixture of archival footage, interviews and Rotoscopic animation to weave the untold stories of those who survived and witnessed Americas first mass school shooting. A moving and inspiring film that shows us how one event changed a nation. The Procedure Director: Calvin Lee Reeder An extremely simple premise that keeps the audience equally dreading whats about to happen next and laughing at what does, Calvin Lee Reeder directs this smart and hilarious minimalist short about a man undergoing an unusual and unwelcome procedure. Eat My Shit Director: Eduardo Casanova (Spain) Samantha struggles to be like everyone else, posting selfies on Instagram that get taken down, eating at restaurants, having simple conversations. But its hard to do when everyones laughing at you. Eduardo Casanovas gross-out comedy Eat My Shit has more depth than one might think when they hear its a film about a young woman with an asshole for a mouth. A truly unforgettable film. A Reasonable Request Director: Andrew Laurich What would you do for a million dollars? is a common hypothetical asked at parties. But what happens when its not hypothetical anymore? What do you do when it becomes an actual proposition? Andrew Laurichs extremely uncomfortable black comedy takes this idea to the extreme when a son reconnects with his estranged father to propose a rather unspeakable favor. Jim Hoskings The Greasy Strangler (from Elijah Woods SpectreVision) is a beautiful ode to the weird and outlandish B-movie horror films of years past, with plenty of campy fun and quotable lines to keep viewers coming back time and time again. Its the kind of film that offers nostalgia without losing itself in it. Sure to offend, the film is a natural fit for the midnight cult audience, and while it may be somewhat ignored or dismissed on its initial release, it will have a long shelf life. Its the kind of film passed from friend to friend, discovered by those seeking out the unusual and disgusting. A slow waltz of a play, Unpacking: A Ghost Story Told in the Dark opens in figurative and literal light. To the tinkling of piano keys, we witness an Up-like montage of a couples honeymoon phase: they meet, first digitally (by swiping right) and then in person, pantomime their way through the usual new-couple activities, meet each others friends, andas time slows to its normal pacemove in together. Its a happy sequence, all smiles and cheery music, tinged by the grim knowledge that rarely in art does joy come without sorrow nipping at its heels. Then theres the promise in that titleghosts, darkness, and the unavoidable discord that comes of unzipping another human being and peering in. The rest of the play, written by Marina Tempelsman and Nicco Aeed as part of their 6-month residency at the Peoples Improv Theater in New York, delivers all of these, though not quite as youve seen them before. In fact, in Unpacking, you may not see them at all. Many comedians are satisfied simply to write and perform funny things, and we have them to thank for some of the genres greatest works. Fewer comedians show as much interest in the form their content takes, though I suspect this number is increasing with the influence of high-profile auteurs like Louis C.K. and Eugene Mirman. Count Tempelsman and Aeed, who make comedy under the moniker Marina and Nicco, among these ranks. They gave Unpacking a simple but crucial twist: on the couples first night in their new home, the lights go out. So do the lights in the PITs Striker Stage. In the absence of traditional illumination, it falls to the audience, armed with flashlights, to make visible the plays seven charactersthe central couple and the specters of their past. This is often a frustrating effect, as the democratization of formal decision-making equates to wrong-headed decisions (a well-lit character in what logically must be a shadowy corner) as often as it equates to no decision at all (a congregation of listless beams hovering on the back wall). But the overwhelming atmosphere is a poignant one, a sense of shattering uncertainty in spite and because of great agency: I have this flashlight, this newfound power, this nascent relationship, this new homeand not the damndest clue what to do with any of it. We didnt want it to be a gimmick, Tempelsman reflected, on a recent and unseasonably warm March afternoon. She and Aeed had just wrapped up Unpackings three-night run and were in rehearsals for the third play in their residency, Role Play, in which two actors will play a range of characters involved in a love affair. Its a play about intimacy and seeing things subjectively, she said, and I think it all came together really nicely. The idea for the device was hers, though Aeed has long been interested in the artifice of light in theatrehe recalls a production of Hamlet in which the opening scene was lit only by a flashlight. But both writers (actors, directors) are deeply concerned with form, be it in the web sketches theyve made for Funny or Die, their live sketch work, or the plays theyre writing for the PIT. We generally like writing something for the medium its gonna be in, Aeed said. If youre gonna see something live, it should be worth seeing live. I was surprised how well [Unpacking] workedthe way peoples flashlights bounced and moved felt a little bit underwater. It made the whole thing seem a little dreamlike, which helped you understand the ghost-iness of it. The ghosts in the play, by the by, arent quite traditional ghosts. Yes, theres the leading males departed mother, but then theres his ex-girlfriendshes not dead, shes just in Portlandand his estranged father, as well as the leading ladys ex-boyfriend, whos alive and seems to be a bit of a drunk. Its absurd, but dealt with casually enough that the joke never feels telegraphed. This is characteristic of Marina and Niccos work generally, in which normal enough people confrontor breeze right pasttiny absurdities in daily life. I think someone said Marina is 99% good and 1% deranged, Aeed said of their sensibilities. Theres a sweetness to the sketches, but theyre also pretty messed up situations. He was referring to a favorite of mine, Family Portrait,, in which a woman (Tempelsman) offers to take a picture of a family and inadvertently causes its collapse. Something similar happens in Marina Calls Time Warner, when her complaint about a cable repairman who didnt show is taken, well, rather seriously. These sketches are interested in interrogating relationships that rarely merit interrogation, in the moments after the moments we turn our attention elsewhere. I always think about how stories end, said Aieed. I dont think they ever really do. The great thing about eavesdropping on a conversation is daydreaming about what else could happen after that little bit you heard. Their workparticularly this willowy videothey made for the New Yorkeris often the enactment of these daydreams. Aeed and Tempelsman, who are both talented, radiant actors, have been collaborating for just south of a decade. They met at Swarthmore College, where they wrote and performed with the campus sketch team, and continued working together over breaks and after graduating, when they both moved back to New York City. Their PIT residency is not their first venture into long form comedytheyve co-written pilots and a screenplaybut it is very much the natural product of years experimenting in shorter forms. Sketch prepares you for this question in longer narrativesif just this page or just this scene is all youre seeing, is it worth it? said Aeed, though Tempelsman reflected that narrative work tends to be draped in layers of subjective experience absent in sketch, where every 3-minute video is a painstakingly-calibrated machine. In sketch you talk about a reveal line, or a turn, she said. When something doesnt get the reaction you anticipate, theres some feeling of Oh, I shouldve positioned it differently. But with narrative youre asking people to apply their own perspectives to the thing youre presenting. Theres a lot more room for subjectivity. Unpacking was the second of six plays Marina and Nicco will produce for the PIT. The third, Role Play, will explore the blurry lines between ones true self and the characters one plays; it runs the 21st, the 24th, and the 25th of March. Aprils installment will turn the PITs basement into a nightclub, where a group of comedians revolt against the mobsters who run the place. In May, a group of six black actors will face an existential crisis as they audition for the same token role again and again. Junes play, as well as whats next for the duo, remains uncertain. As Aeed said, with a sly grin: Stay tuned. Seth Simons is a Brooklyn-based writer, performer, and birdwatcher. Follow him @sasimons. Shane Ryan and Josh Jackson review The Walking Dead each week in a series of letters. Shane, When a minor Walking Dead character gets more screen time and becomes both more likable and more capable, he or she needs to be on their guard. In Twice as Far, there were two characters who fit that description, Eugene and Denise. Unfortunately for Dr. Denise Oatmeal Cloyd, her evolution and newfound courage led to her dramatic and shocking death. Merritt Wevers character was in the middle of an inspirational speech when she got a bolt in the back of her head all the way through her eye socket. Before that, shed gone on her first mission beyond the walls of Alexandria, shared knowledge of driving a stick shift, found a bounty of medicine, killed a walker solo, found Tara a can of Orange Crush and vomited up her breakfast (OATMEAL!). Her final act was to put her psychiatry degree to use, trying to inspire Daryl and Rosita even as she self-diagnosed. But in the end, she got T-Dogd. Well miss you Dr. Oatmeal. More fortunate this episode was Eugene, who got a wonderful (and colorfully quotable) scene in the metal shop with Abraham before telling his one-time protector that he no longer needs to be protected. Eugene is no longer the useless fraud we first met. Between the sorghum and the bullets, hes really thinking strategically for Alexandria. He picked a lock easy, peasy, and hes trying his damnedest to be a fighter. He also displayed some more genuine out-of-the-box thinking by biting Dwights dick. Waitwhat? Eugenes attack on Dwight was one of those ridiculous and unexpected scenes that makes the show so funsilly but memorable. He formally called dibsDIBSon killing that metal-headed walker, so I really thought he was selling out Abraham to the Saviors. Butfor the same reason that I thought Denise was vulnerableI was worried that his unorthodox attack was going to be his final act. The episode brought the impending war with Negan one step closer, especially with Carol pulling her stupid, stupid stunt there at the end. The pace of this season hasnt slowed at all. But what did you think of Dr. Cloyds last oatmeal? And Eugene grabbing life by the teeth? And Carols unceremonious exit from Alexandria? Josh Josh, Ive never laughed harder at The Walking Dead than when Abraham dropped this gem: I apologize for questioning your skills. You know how to bite a dick, Eugene. I mean that with the utmost of respect. Im laughing again just-retyping those sentences. Do you mind if I dedicate the next 3,000 words to dissecting them? Yes? FINE, JOSH. FINE. Beyond that line, we had another really weird episode. And before we get to Dr. Oatmeal and Eugene, may I just say that I feel vindicated last week for saying that there is absolutely NO consistency to Carols character? Here we are again, needing something to happen so that Alexandria comes into conflict with Negan, and what do the writers do? Um, lets have Carol go into self-imposed exile. COME ON CAROL!! What do you think is going to happen when you just up and leave with a melodramatic note? Of course people are going to come after you. Particularly Daryl, who looks at you like the mother he always wanted. I feel like Im starting to get angry at Carol, when I really should be mad at the puppetmasters. I mean, the justification was incredibly stupid: I cant kill for you, so I have to leave. Hmmmor, just thinking out loud here, you could stay and not kill? Just do weird stick tai chi with Morgan and go hippie, if you have to. Make cookies and creep out little kids. How does abandoning the town make any sense at all? Were supposed to believe this is a legit reaction to being held hostage for a couple hours, and was triggered somehow by Daryl getting Dr. Oatmeal killed because he didnt kill Dwight earlier, which pretty much just validates Carols entire philosophy about killing anyone that shows the slightest sign of menace, even if that menace is a nagging cough? None of it makes sense. Dr. Oatmeal leaving the compound after shed just refused to do so earlier this season makes no sense. THIS IS WHY YOU DONT BRING YOUR ONLY DOCTOR INTO THE WILDERNESS AND LET HER FIGHT CAR ZOMBIES. And yeah, youre absolutely right, we were in full T-Dog Effect Hyper-Mode with her the entire episode. But especially with that long speech about how Daryl should believe in himself, or something. As she continued and the words began to be even less coherent, you just knew she was a goner. Finishing the speech with an arrow through her head, though? Nice touch. (Side note: Maybe the arrow pierced her brain, but if not, they really should have let her become a zombie. Thats one awesome zombie!) I dont know what else to say about her. I guess she died doing what she loved: Eating, and then vomiting, oatmeal. The best scene, of course, was Eugene biting Dwights penis. Bar none. The gunfight was solid, and it showed that this group, Daryl in particular, is at its most dangerous when they are completely unarmed, out-manned, and with no hope of winning a conflict. When you have Daryl in your sights, totally helpless, with six of your closest friends nearby ready to have your back, thats when youre totally screwed. But Abraham is rightEugene needs to understand his place. The mere fact of his willingness to stop being a total coward wont automatically grant him survival skills, but hes a hugely valuable piece of the puzzle if he can actually manufacture bullets. Provided that its a more concrete plan than that whole DC thing that almost made Abraham kill him. Thats the theme of this episode, I think. Eugene needs to know his role, Dr. Oatmeal should have stayed in her lane, and Carol needs to flitting about wildly from impulse to impulse. Overall, my take on this episode is that I enjoyed it, but also thought it wasnt very good. It was like last week, but a little less compelling, and definitely not up to the standard of the rest of this half season. Is that fair? Also, Josh, where the hell is Negan? Shane Shane, Last week I defended the writers treatment of Carol, that she was complicated, not merely contradictory. But I cant defend their choice to not only turn her into a pacifist, but to have her conclude that that means she must go through life alone and unattached. If Morgans moral quandry was ill-advised, putting his friends in danger, Carols was just utterly stupid. And selfish. How did she think that was going to go down? Of course Daryl is going after her. Of course shes endangering Alexandria by leaving with Saviors are all over the place. And it just doesnt fit with human nature. Self-preservation and the instinct to protect your tribe are enormously strong forces, but two of the dozen or so primary characters on The Walking Dead have become pacifists to an irrational degreeafter showing a greater-than-average natural inclination towards violence. Its a weird choice for the writers to make, but a convenient one to move the plot along, and thats a temptation I wish theyd learn to resist. On the other hand, the more pacifist-minded charactersGabriel, Eugene, Oatmealhave gradually come to accept a need to fight, and thats both more believable when people are constantly trying to kill you and more engaging to watch, especially Phase 2 Eugene. Biting Dwights junk through his pants also seems far-fetched, but thats the kind of suspension of disbelief Ill happily engage in during the course of a massive gun fight. Its ludicrous, but kind of awesome. And yes, the Eugene/Abraham dynamic and encounter with Dwight and his D were what made this episode enjoyable, despite Merritt Wevers significant acting chops. Carols story arc has officially gone off the rails, and its apparent that theyre going to tease out Negan for as long as possible before setting him up as next seasons Big Bad. At what point does that go from being anxious anticipation to impatient annoyance? I know Ill be disappointed if we have to wait until the fall to get a real sense of his character. Ill leave you with this: Daryl has barely been given anything to do this season accept suck at driving a truck and be a strong and silent witness to Oatmeals transition from meek to brave. Im starting to forget why weve loved this character enough to make please dont die Daryl Dixon our standard sign off. Maybe that will change next week as he goes off to rescue Carol, but other than his intriguing friendship with Carol, what other dynamic does Daryl have right now? Who would you most like to see him get to interact with? Care to give me a ranking or do you just want to see more solo adventures of Daryl? Josh Josh, Thats a great point that I hadnt thought about. And the question it made me ask myself was, what did we love about Daryl so much originally? I still enjoy him, but hes turned into a sort of grumpy, naysaying caricature of his former self. Then again, hes always been grumpy and naysaying, but I think at the start there was a sort of vulnerability to himyou knew this guy was a badass who could survive on his own better than anyone else, but he struggled to fit in with a group of people who would probably never, ever socialize with him in any situation other than the zombie apocalypse. Thats what made their acceptance, and his difficult attempts to get past his own defenses, so touching. Its different than someone like Michonne, who had Daryls isolated quality at the start, but could fall back on her middle-to-upper-middle class background to blend in seamlessly with Ricks group once she was over her snarling phase. Daryl was rougher, but he had a good heart, and we could see that on display even as he struggled to incorporate with the group. Of course, that cant last forever. At some point you have to stop playing out the string and understand that Daryl is going to be part of the group. And at that point, how do you continue humanizing him and not pushing him to the periphery? I liked the scene when he attempted to go to the dinner party but just couldnt hack itthis is the consequence of re-civilization for him. Hes incredibly useful when they still need people like Daryl, which they will for a long time, but when that ends, he knows instinctively that hell be re-confined to his previous social strata. Thats the reality of classism in America (and the world), but Daryl has broken through that barrier because of the special circumstances of the entire social order being obliterated by a virus that turns dead people into cannibals. And youre right, he has no real dynamic left. Heres who Id like to see him interact with: 1. Rick Nobody brings out the best in Daryl quite like Rick, because Rick is the bridge. Hes a badass and a mans man, but he has the cachet with normal society to protect Daryl and make him part of the group, while also having his respect. 2. Michonne Why havent we seen more Michonne/Daryl scenes? I could definitely go for a friendship of solo badasses, preferably blossoming in the midst of a huge fight where they turn into whirling dervishes and kill everything in sight. 3. Glenn Like Rick, he has the depth of understanding to get Daryl, and to bring him out of his shell. Like you, I came to enjoy Dr. Oatmeal more by the end of her short time on the show, but I think its a mistake to have these newer characters serve as the engine of enlightening Daryl with motivational speeches just before they die. One of the core qualities of Daryl Dixon is that it takes an awful lot of time to earn his trust, and any epiphanies are going to come from the old guard, not some doctor with a death wish. Sticking Daryl with her and Rositaa character the writers have never even bothered to developis a waste of time, and eventually meaningless. And maybe your other option is right; maybe we need some Daryl solo adventures to get back in touch with the version of the character we loved. Other than the three above, maybe you could give Daryl a girlfriend? Or have him go completely off his rocker and take a zombie wife? I dont know. Im up for anything. And even though we may have lost touch with him to a certain degree, Ill say it once more for old times sake: Please dont die, Daryl Dixon. Shane Before I get to my full review of the episode, I need to talk about the open sequence. It was completely emotionally manipulative, and boy did it work well. Seeing a proud father (an excellent Blair Underwood) lose his daughter in a matter of seconds in the most violent horrific way was devastating. As a parent, it played into my worst fears and left me with a pit in my stomach throughout the episode. It was a brilliant cold open. And I cant say enough good things about Underwood in this episode. His face completely transformed to be the utter personification of grief. And the case was a good one that got to bring back Denis OHare as the quirky Judge Abernathy, make a statement on gun control and put Diane and Cary finally back in court. But now I need to talk about the nonsense that was the rest of the episode. Ill start with Grace. I absolutely refuse to believe that a college would accuse the Governors daughter of plagiarism without irrefutable proof. Nor do I think a college admissions officer would want a showdown with the Governors wife. And was the Director of Admissions coming to the high school to talk to Alicia? I dont think that actually happens. Unless we find that there is some bigger issue going on here (the college purposely targeting the Governors daughter), this whole story line didnt really make sense. Except, yes, Grace has decided to be a lawyer but, you know, who cares? And lets move on to Jason and Alicia, who remain in the throes of heady early days of romance. Theyre having afternoon delights and making googly eyes at each other at work. Basically these two cant keep their hands off each other, which Alicia is completely enjoying until she sees Jason making out with another woman at a bar (of all the gin joints in all of Chicago, he just happened to walk into that one). Shes upset until she realizes that shes married and doesnt actually have a leg to stand on in this one. Im married. If anyone should be explaining, it should be me, she tells Jason. Jason, for his part, does actually feel bad that Alicia saw this and for the first time, we see that Jason may be feeling as invested as Alicia. These days Alicia is fully empowered, taking charge of her own sexuality. Shes no longer wasting time or letting romantic opportunities pass her by. Good on her. However that still doesnt mean she has to give Jason a hand job in the middle of a crowded bar. Alicia is a celebrity in Chicago with a recognizable face. Does she want to be caught? Does she want something else to force her hand so she can divorce Peter? Ill admit the scene was crazy sexy, and the chemistry between Julianna Margulies and Jeffrey Dean Morgan is crackling. But I still dont think Alicia would abandon all sense of decorum. Eli is eavesdropping again (which was funny the first two times, but now maybe not so much). Right now it looks like the case against Peter is all about mega-donor Lloyd Garber asking Peter to help his son. Apparently, Peter exchanged a mistrial for a campaign donation. This lacks shock value since we dont really know or care about Lloyd Garber. I keep hoping theres a bigger story here. Also, when will we find out what Alicia knows or doesnt know? Eli hears that theres one member of the grand jury who is skeptical of the Attorney Generals case and Alicia is advised to play into that skepticism. So, instead of invoking spousal privilege, she answers AUSA Connor Foxs questions which only makes Matthew Morrison angry. I wish he was angry enough to perform a Kanye West song Glee style. That would be fun. Diane is still after Alicia to align with her to form an all-female partner firm. I dont want to hurt Cary, she tells Diane, before realizing aligning herself with Diane will get Lucca a promotion and a better office. Later Cary flat out asks Alicia if Diane has approached her and Alicia lies. So her loyalty to Cary lasted about five seconds long. You know I want to love this show on its way out, but The Good Wife isnt making it easy. Stray Observations: This was Becky Ann Bakers third appearance on the show as Alma Hoff, the lawyer defending the gun store owner. Fun fact: shes married to Dylan Baker. who plays Colin Sweeney on the show. My family needs a full time investigator. Thats not normal. Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal , is a Boston-based freelance writer, a member of the Television Critics Association and a regular contributor to Paste. She wasnt allowed to watch much TV as a child and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow her on Twitter or her blog. I didnt ever expect that in 2016 we would be struggling as a nation with the very idea of the universal brotherhood of Gods family. Of course, I expected that we would still have difficulty rising up to the standards such an idea implies, but we are seeing such naked and bald assertions of hatred of late and many of us understandably are recoiling in a state of shock. Let us not recoil. If we wish to stand for something, let us stand for kindness, decency, and the courage to model civil disagreement. Let us remember how good we have been and still can be. Let us celebrate those moments of light when the idea of the familial nature of all human relationships shines brightly. I recently read these powerful words in Marilynne Robinsons new book of essays, The Givenness of Things. Say that the one earthly thing God did not put under our feet was our own essential nature. The one great corrective to our tendency toward depredation would be recognition of our abiding sacredness, since we are both, and often simultaneously, victim and villain. The divine image in us, despite all, is an act of God, immune to our sacrilege, apparent in the loveliness that never ceases to shine out in incalculable instances of beauty and love and imagination that make the dire assessment of our character, however solidly grounded in our history and our prospects, radically untrue. What she suggests here is that despite our errors, despite what great damage we are capable of doing to one another, there is still something in us that remains lovely and divine and that something is most readily evident in our capacity to imagine. One such moment of shining happened recently at BYU during the visit of Alireza Taghdarreh from Iran. Ali is a man of great affection and wonder, someone who has humbly emerged from his own particular origins to become a voice of hope and peace. You can read about him here. Without anything but the informal education he could obtain from books and from conversations with distant colleagues across the great gulf that separates Iran from the United States, Ali spent 15 years first teaching himself English and then working on the translation of Henry David Thoreaus Walden into Persian. When an opportunity presented itself for Ali to visit the United States, to visit the beloved pond of one of our greatest environmental minds, and to visit universities across our country, Ali jumped at the chance. I heard from a friend about his impending visit, and we were able to arrange his visit to Utah. He spoke at BYU, and you can listen to his presentation here. Something he said in the lecture has stuck with me ever since. He spoke of a dream he had, an image of possibility and of peace, regarding our two nations. He had learned a great deal about the English language and about Thoreau over the course of his work in this translation project, but he had perhaps more importantly learned about the universal brotherhood of humankind, something his religious faith taught him from the time he was young. This was apparent to him because of the ways in which the sensibilities of a young transcendentalist in a country far away resembled the yearnings and the wisdom of one of his cultures greatest souls, Rumi the great poet of the 13th century. But it was also clear that Thoreaus words spoke to Alis particular circumstances in the 21st century. Thoreaus small cabin spoke to his soul in a small room a world away where he and his family began their life together. Thoreaus words made his room the world and made his own humble belongings feel like an embarrassment of riches. He concluded his presentation with these unforgettable words: I am convinced from my experience of reading Walden with so many American scholars over the course of a decade that hostility, anger, and misunderstanding would be unknown between our nations, if we picked up books and read them with each other, the way I did, I and my American friends, for ten years. Let us allow Thoreau to sharpen our eyes on the value of love and friendship. This is a profound insight, one that I believe with all of my heart and one that informs all worthy endeavors in the humanities. It is certainly central to the work of Utah Humanities, a wonderful organization for which I am proud to serve as a board member. I have elsewhere (here and here, for example) written about my belief that the arts and the humanities are essential teachers of the meaning of community and essential enablers of our capacity to forge community in practice with those who are different from us. Community is meaningless if it doesnt extend beyond the very real differences that separate us, differences of nationality, religious belief, of political persuasion, of language, economic status, gender, race or sexuality. I do not see how anyone can adhere to a religion that proclaims the idea of the universal human family and not feel chastened, almost daily, by the clear evidence of our failures to live up to the high ideals implied by this concept. While I believe that I have known an Iranian or two in my life, I have never had an Iranian friend and I have certainly never felt so connected to one as I feel to Ali. When he was here, I thought I should give him a copy of my book, Home Waters, as a gift. I remember traveling to Chile for the first time and it seemed that every Chilean I met had written poetry. Many gave me copies of their work, and I thought nothing seemed to express the hope of solidarity more powerfully than the gift of literature produced from ones own heart. I feel the same way about the other arts. I recently obtained a painting by a former student, Ellie Wilson, of my beloved Provo River and because of our shared loved for this place and our shared experience as teacher and student, the painting seems to me without price (it is the image at the top of this essay). It is also the reason a work of stained glass of the Provo River (seen here below) hangs in my office, a work done by one of the my former students who recently passed away tragically as a young mother, Sarah Walker Judson. I explained to Ali that my book was my local attempt at developing a stronger sense of place here in Utah. Not that I intentionally departed my home for the woods as did Thoreau, but that I too tried to live deliberately in relation to the environment where I live, trying to understand the meaning of my nearest watershed and its place in our economic, cultural, and spiritual lives as a community. My book does involve a small cabin, too, I explained to him, but it also involves the very suburban reality in which I live. Ali took the book into his hands with a reverence that moved me. He recently wrote me after his return to Iran: Tomorrow I am going to meet with a principal of a school in a nearby province who is interested to hear the story of my trip to the US. All the teachers and staff of the school will all be present in the meeting. There are other schools who would like to see me too. People believe that I am taking the whole United States with me there in friendship. I will take your book and the memory of our short, but lasting meeting to them. I want them to touch your book in their hands and taste it with their mind. There are words in this book that I think they will enjoy to read very much. I sacrificed a lot of years of my life only to be able to read your books and bring my heart to you through your poets and writers. I closed my eyes to a lot of lifes comforts in order to study your language and literature alone while I was excluded from our academic circles. In my dreams I see many Iranians and Americans who share their love of poetry and literature and enrich each others life with friendship. He concluded by saying, Please do share my dream with your friends and tell them that in my dream I see the peoples of the world sharing their knowledge of their favorite books with each other in love and friendship. And so I do here. When I was writing Home Waters, I imagined readers of different kinds. I imagined my family and immediate neighbors and my Mormon community, of course, especially since they figured into the story I was telling, but I also imagined people in my community and in my state who did not share my faith or my story. I felt after their stories and hoped that I would speak across whatever divides us. And I thought too of readers elsewhere in the country for whom Utah is a strange land of an odd history. How I wanted everyone to see themselves and to see others more clearly. I wanted us to see our common humanity. I cant pretend to know for sure if I succeeded, but I certainly never imagined a reader in Iran, of Islamic faith and sensibility whose language and customs and reality are so different from my own but with whom I would feel as familiar as I do with my own brother. This is, I suppose, the magic and power of language. Words are cheap and they are so often misused or lazily tossed about; they can do immense harm. But when they are rooted in the particulars of one life, when those words are given the care and attention that come with any serious desire for earnest communication and are then carried across the divide to readers who, through the work of charitable and loving interpretation and translation, render that world into an imagined reality in which they can see themselves, communion becomes possible. Communion can happen through shared experience, of course, but that limits us only to the people we know or with whom we share our lives. But a communion of readers is a communion pieced together by symbols and hence both metaphysical and transcendent, something that touches that which lies beneath or behind words, something that bespeaks our true belonging to and with all people. In this season of tawdry, vulgar, and vicious language, I find great solace in this experience with Ali because of its reminder of the reasons for the hope that is within me. On Friday, the New York Times published a commentary piece by Constance Veit of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Obamacares Birth-Control Exemption Still Tramples on Rights, in which she outlines her orders objections to the administrations implementation of the contraception mandate. She writes, the government has candidly told the Supreme Court that we dont get an exemption at all. Rather, what Health and Human Services is calling an opt-out is really an opt-in a permission slip where we authorize the use of our religious health plan to offer services that violate our beliefs and waive our protections under federal civil rights laws. Thats why they need our signature. In other words, their objection is fundamentally to the fact that the Little Sisters health plan is the mechanism used to deliver contraceptives to its employees, regardless of whether, strictly speaking, another entity funds them. She compares the situation to a case in which a school would be obliged to permit candy vending machines on its property, and be told that its objections are duly noted, but since the vendor is paying for the machines, they have no right to object. And she notes that various major corporations, such as ExxonMobil and Visa, are exempt due to the special provisions for grandfathered plans, and that, when adding in all the exempted plans as well as the uninsured, 1/3 of all women are without contraceptive coverage despite the governments stated objective of universal coverage. Accordingly, she proposes an alternate solution: The obvious alternative to forcing us to offer these services is for the government to allow our employees to access them through its own health care exchanges. This would both protect our religious freedom and better meet the governments own goal of providing contraception coverage to women those in protected religious plans and the millions of American women in exempted secular plans. None of which is anything you or I havent read before. Ive written myself that the law in question, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, poses the test of being able to burden religious freedom only if there isnt a reasonable alternative way for the government to achieve its goal, and here a more direct provision of contraceptives is clearly a feasible and appropritae alternative approach. (See my prior post, An incident at the drugstore, and the answer to the Little Sisters issue.) But note two things: Veit does not object to tax dollars being used to provide contraception. Instead, she specifically proposes this as their preferred solution to the issue. It seems to me that its fairly well-established that paying taxes, even if some of that money is used for morally dubious items, is at a far enough remove that its not considered to be a form of coercion into participating in these activities. At the same time, the exact mechanics of how the contraceptives are funded isnt an issue so much as the fact that they are provided to Little Sisters employees and dependents through the Little Sisters healthcare plan. Exactly how this plays out Im not sure, but I would guess that, as far as the plan participant user experience is concerned, there is no difference and that, for instance, when such an employee consults the benefits information online to see what isnt and isnt covered, its female contraceptive drugs and devices 100% covered just the same as for a secular employer. But of greater interest, really, are the reader comments. Oh, sure, as with anything about the Catholic Church, there those who say, the chuch should be put out of business because of its sexual abuse scandals, but they are the minority, at least here. Some take the approach that access = cost-free provision that is, they defend the Obama administrations stand because they believe that, if a womans health insurance does not cover the cost of contraceptives, she is effectively denied contraception, an unjust violation of her own rights. A minority of readers recognize that direct provision of contraceptives could get pills into womens hands without employer involvement, but mostly its the Sisters dont have the right to deprive their employees of contraception. For instance, sbmd says, If you dont like the abortion and contraception services the government mandates, then dont use them. But dont deny them to your employees who happen not to share your religious beliefs. Alternatively, some take the HHS contraceptive mandate as essentially a declaration of a new legal right that of no-out-of-pocket-cost contraception and therefore object that what the Little Sisters wish to do, denies women of their right to free pills. Other readers claim that, because, even if the Little Sisters health care plan didnt provide contraception, its employees could purchase condoms with money they earned from their jobs, there is no moral difference between paying people who may purchase immoral things with the money they earn, and providing those immoral things directly. In this logic, I suppose, thered be no difference between providing a weekly allocation of pot, and paying people who may choose to smoke pot. Relatedly, some readers say that since contraception is just one of many items that a woman might seek coverage for, so you cant really say that the health plan and the Sisters are paying for contraception. And, yes, beyond that, they do voice the idea that, since contraception would otherwise be paid for with tax money, funding contraception is inescapable so there are no grounds for complaining aobut the specific mechanism. And the majority have some variant of opposition to contraception is just dumb, and, by implication, the government has no need to accomodating dumb religious beliefs. But whats striking is this: every single one of these reasons given why the Sisters must be required to accept contraceptives being included in their health insurance plans, could apply just as well to abortion, or physician-assisted suicide, or pretty much anything to which one might object for reasons of conscience. And, taken in total, this set of claims the objector and all adherents of its religion must be morally pure, the objection must not inconvenience anyone, the moral principle must make sense to the general public, as well as the mechanism of the objection and how it separates the objector would seem to make the requriements for conscientious objection and religious accomodation impossible to meet. The Bridge initiative at Georgetown Universitys Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding chronicles public instances of Islamopohobia. Its website defines Islamophobia and publishes infographics about it. For example, you can see one here that maps attacks on Muslims. But the accounts of Islmamophobia in the 2016 presidential campaign are the most interesting part of Bridges website. The authors compile public statements that exhibit some form of anti-Muslim rhetoric. Put together, these statements, mostly from Donald Trump, paint a disturbing picture. Here, for example, is a summary list of those statements which I copied from Bridge: Trump calls for ban on Muslim immigration Trump refuses to challenge anti-Muslim supporter Trump says US is at war with Islam (later changes his mind) On OReilly show, Trump says there is a Muslim problem worldwide In 2011, Trump told Fox News that he supports Representative Peter Kings hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims Trumps says that he would close some Muslim mosques to fight ISIS In November, Trump told MSNBC that its a good idea to spy on and watch American mosques Trump suggests that databases and other systems are necessary to fight terrorism Congressman Mike Honda explains the Bridge Initiative in this congratulatory message to the group. Obama's Norooz message for Iranians lauds economic potential 03/21/16 Source: Radio Zamaneh The U.S. president issued a video message on the occasion of the Iranian New Year to the Iranian people and all those who celebrate Norooz around the world, heralding better trade relations between the two countries. President Obama's Nowruz Message to the Iranian People In a Norooz message from the Haft Sin table of the White House, Barack Obama said the removal of sanctions will have slow, graduated effects on Iranian economy but he also predicted that Iran's gradual integration into the global economy will improve its economic fortunes, with growing trade and tourism and opportunities for young Iranians. He added that the nuclear agreement is also a "small window" of hope to re-establish U.S.-Iran relations and resolve some of the bilateral differences Obama has sent a Norooz message to congratulate Iranians on the occasion of the New Year ever since he became the U.S. president. The Iranian New Year began with the arrival of the Spring in the northern hemisphere on March 20 at 8:00 AM local time in Tehran. The Israel Project Boosts An Iranian "Terrorist Organization" 03/21/16 By Ali Gharib (source: LobeLog) Perhaps some right-wing Israel lobby groups can be forgiven for taking up the cause of the exiled Iranian opposition group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK). The more ignorant among them might see a group headed by a woman, Maryam Rajavi, who claims to champion a secular, human rights-respecting democracy in Iran. They dont know about Rajavi and the MEKs history: its violence, its cult-like behavior , and its own history of human rights violations. What they do see-however problematic it might be for the rest of us-is a group monomaniacally focused on overthrowing their nemesis, the Islamic Republic, and thats good enough. But the Israel Project (TIP), which featured Maryam Rajavi in an online video earlier this month denouncing the Iranian elections, gets no pass on using the MEK as a bludgeon against Iran. Thats because the Israel Project knows damn well what Rajavi and the MEK are. Consider what TIP head Josh Block had to say about the group in 2011, when he was at the inaptly named Progressive Policy Institute: The MEK is a terrorist organization. Right? Lets not kid ourselves. Yes, lets not. And yet the revisionism required to accept the latest TIP videos promotion of Rajavi seems like a huge joke. Its bad enough that the spot seeks to leverage statements by true defenders of Iranian human rights to suit its agenda-torpedoing the nuclear accord with Iran and, one presumes, eventually toppling the regime by whatever means necessary-but then here comes the MEK. The video holds up Rajavi as an exiled leader. Leader of what? The Israel Project doesnt say, and that itself is deeply problematic. It creates the impression that Rajavi is the head of an opposition movement that extends beyond merely the diehard adherents of the MEK. A History with MEK This isnt the first time a right-of-center pro-Israel group has sought to bolster its anti-Iran messaging with the MEK. As the MEK lobbied to be removed from the US list of terrorist organizations, it enlisted the help of many pro-Israel figures. Perhaps the most anti-Iran Democratic senator, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, a perennial favorite of pro-Israel advocates, became the largest recipient of MEK cash-and worked to promote their interests-after the group was finally delisted in 2012. And during the fight over the Iran deal, the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) relied on the MEK for television ads put out by its anti-deal spin-off, Citizens for a Nuclear Free Iran. Another ad by the group featured a military expert who just adores the MEK and even praised the groups intelligence-gathering capabilities despite its embarrassingly well-known shortcomings. Even the Israel Project, where, again, head honcho Josh Block considers the MEK a terrorist organization, has been playing this game. Just a few short days after the nuclear deal was struck the Israel Projects Facebook page linked to an article from a ridiculously right-wing Jewish website approvingly quoting Rajavis opposition to the deal. Heres the thing: You really dont need the MEK to tell you the Iranian elections are not, to say the least, free and fair. So what purpose does Rajavis inclusion serve here? A symbiotic one where the MEK tells these pro-Israel hawks exactly what they want to hear, and in return the groups portray the ex-terrorists as exactly what they are not: a reliable and respectable voice for shaping the future of Iran. Therein lies an irony. With its assault, earlier in the short video, on the Islamic Republics byzantine and constrictive electoral regulations-where an unelected clerical body approves candidates or, more to the point, rejects them-the Israel Project was on the right track. Unless you are dead-set on regime change, Irans embattled reformers hold the key to ameliorating what ails that ancient land. And thats why the Guardian Council locks them out. That said, Iranians have shown an irrepressible desire for reform even when the capital-R Reformers were locked out. In this election, that meant holding their noses and aligning with less-reform-minded figures, such as those belonging to moderate president Hassan Rouhanis pragmatic conservative camp and even a few conservatives who were still not reactionary. In that, the bid that they played to, Irans reformers had a relatively successful election. Misreading the Green Movement But even this the Israel Project cannot get right. Just after Rajavi fades off screen in the TIP video, an image of a bloody protester appears. When Iran faced true moderates in 2009, blare the block letters in the lower third, referring to the Iranian Green Opposition movement, they slaughtered 36 people in the street. Josh Block might be happy to seize the Green Movements mantle, but only now that it is soaked in blood spilled by the regime. It is a grotesque display. Before the 2009 election, Block was saying the same things about the Reformists that would lead the Green Movement as he is today saying about the Rouhani-style moderates the Reformists have formed a tactical alliance with. In June 2009, when he was the spokesman for AIPAC, Block told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, All the candidates are selected and approved by the Mullah-run Guardian Council, which approves a few and spikes hundreds, so its more like an election in the old USSR than anything else. Maybe, in a few years, Block will be singing Rouhanis praises, claiming his mantle as well. This much is certain: as long as Block and his Israel Project are willing to leverage and boost Maryam Rajavi and the Mojahedin-e Khalq-a group that, again, Block thinks is a terrorist organization-they ought not to be taken very seriously on either Iranian politics or American Iran policy. About the Author: Ali Gharib is a New York-based journalist on U.S. foreign policy with a focus on the Middle East and Central Asia. His work has appeared at Inter Press Service, where he was the Deputy Washington Bureau Chief; the Buffalo Beast; Huffington Post; Mondoweiss; Right Web; and Alternet. He holds a Master's degree in Philosophy and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. A proud Iranian-American and fluent Farsi speaker, Ali was born in California and raised in D.C. In Bid to Save Ailing Son, Political Prisoner's Father Threatens Hunger Strike 03/21/16 Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran The father of ailing political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi Maleki will launch a hunger strike in front of the Tehran prosecutors office unless steps are taken to release his son. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki with his father Ahmad and mother Zolaykhah Mousavi Hossein has been in prison for six years based on an illegal and unjust ruling, Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. I have written to the authorities many times requesting his release, especially considering his illnesses. If he is not freed by the [Persian] New Year [starting March 20, 2016], I will go on hunger strike on March 26, said Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki, adding: Im not asking for furlough for my son for the new year holidays. He has been in prison long enough. Its really enough. The officials have not replied to my numerous requests for his release. I have no other choice but to go on a hunger strike. I hope the officials will listen to me, he told the Campaign. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, 30, was arrested on December 13, 2009 at his fathers home in Malekan, East Azerbaijan Province, and sentenced to 15 years in prison by Judge Yahya Pirabbasi for blogging comments critical of Irans 2009 presidential election. The results of that election were widely disputed in Iran, and peaceful protesters were met with a violent state crackdown that left hundreds arrested and jailed. Maleki was charged with acting against national security and supporting and receiving money from foreign organizations. His 15-year prison sentence was upheld by the Appeals Court. Maleki has been suffering from illnesses affecting his digestion, lungs and kidneys during the past six years he has spent in prison. He has received two medical furloughs for urgent treatment. His second furlough, which began on September 4, 2014, required 1.4 billion tomans in bail (about $463,000 USD). Maleki returned to prison on January 19, 2015 against the advice of his physicians. Political prisoners in Iran are singled out for particularly harsh treatment, which often includes denial of medical care. On the morning of March 15 we had an MRI appointment to scan Hosseins spinal cord. But they didnt bring him out of prison, Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki told the Campaign. When I asked, I learned that Evin Prison officials wanted to bring Hossein to the hospital in prison clothes but he objected, he said. Im really worried about my sons condition, added Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki. Isnt six years of torture and prison enough? Hell never get well this way. Let him come out and recover by his familys side. Following the recent prisoner swap between Iran and the United States, which resulted in the release of four detained Iranian-Americans, Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki asked why Iranian prisoners of conscience who dont hold dual citizenship remained unjustly incarcerated. As a father I want my son to be free, too, he told the Campaign in January 2016. All these years I have been running around shouting for my sons freedom so that someone might hear me. Saudi Arabia's 'Islamic' Coalition: Spin Or Substance? 03/21/16 By Frud Bezhan, RFE/RL Saudi Arabia made a splash when it announced the formation of a 34-country "Islamic" alliance against terrorism in December -- and followed it up with a massive military exercise that ended last week. The mainly Sunni Muslim coalition -- which includes regional power and NATO-member Turkey, the region's most populous state in Egypt, and nuclear-armed Pakistan -- appears formidable. But Riyadh's "Islamic Military Alliance" is missing Muslim powerhouses Indonesia and Iran, and questions remain about the makeup and motives of the coalition. High-Profile Omissions The exclusion of Shi'ite-dominated Iran and Iraq, and their ally Syria, has fueled suspicions that Riyadh is not motivated by the desire to combat terrorism. "The Saudis are motivated by their internal security and grip on power as well as a sectarian and geopolitical rivalry with Iran," says Hayder al-Khoei, an associate fellow at Chatham House, London. Tensions have escalated between Saudi Arabia and Iran in recent months - particularly in January, when Iranian protesters ransacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and set fires inside after Saudi authorities executed an outspoken Shi'ite cleric. Riyadh and Tehran also back opposite sides in ongoing wars in Syria and Yemen. Khoei says it is unclear how the coalition would tackle Islamic State (IS) extremists in Iraq and Syria without the agreement of those governments. Afghanistan and Indonesia have both been invited to join the alliance but have not yet accepted. Ten other countries have been invited to join the alliance but have been dragging their feet. Unlikely Torch-Bearer? The notion that Saudi Arabia -- a country that has been widely accused of exporting Islamic radicalism around the world -- could lead a fight against extremism strikes some analysts as deeply ironic. "In order to really fight terrorism, the Saudis must declare war against themselves and end the support it has been giving to radical groups across the world," says Khoei of Chatham House. The Saudi King (cartoon by Shahram Shirzadi, Iranian daily Ghanoon) Micah Zenko, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, says that a Saudi-led coalition fighting terrorism is like a "[drug] cartel leading a counternarcotics campaign." Riyadh has come under mounting international pressure over its air campaign against Iran-supported Huthi rebels in Yemen, which is widely seen as a sectarian-driven proxy war with Tehran. Saudi Arabia has also been criticized for its failure to go after clerics in the kingdom that spread radical Wahhabism. On top of that, some critics allege that Riyadh supports the IS extremist group. And while some of the biggest Muslim countries are outside the "Islamic" alliance, some of its members do not have Muslim majorities. For example, around 80 percent of the West African state of Gabon's population is Christian. In Benin, the biggest religion is Roman Catholicism, while the majority of people in Togo hold indigenous beliefs. All these countries, however, do have sizable Muslim minorities. Caught Unawares When Riyadh announced the military alliance on December 15, several of the countries listed as joining or invited seemed surprised. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry said it had been invited to join a "center to coordinate against extremism and terrorism," not a military alliance. Lebanon's Foreign Ministry denied having knowledge of Saudi Arabia's creation of an Islamic antiterrorism coalition. Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry was quoted in the daily newspaper Dawn as saying he had been surprised to read of Islamabad's inclusion. Pakistan, which has strong historical ties with Riyadh, later expressed support -- if not much visible enthusiasm -- for the coalition. Pakistan's role will be limited to providing training to troops from the participating countries, sharing intelligence on terrorist groups, and helping member states create counter-radicalization initiatives. Frud Bezhan covers Afghanistan and the broader South Asia and Middle East region. Send story tips to bezhanf@rferl.org. Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org Norooz helps regional states forge closer ties: President Rouhani 03/21/16 Report by Press TV; photos by Islamic Republic News Agency Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Persian New Year or Norooz carries the message of peace and coexistence, stressing that the occasion should be seized to strengthen friendship among neighboring states. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "Norooz is the festival of moderation and the most ancient dynamic tradition in our common history," Rouhani said in separate messages to his counterparts from nine regional countries on the occasion of the New Year. He added that the tradition of Norooz helps the regional countries enhance friendly relations and peaceful coexistence, especially under the climate created by the historic nuclear agreement that led to the removal of anti-Iran sanctions. Iran and the P5+1 group of countries - Russia, China, France, Britain, and the US plus Germany -- signed the nuclear accord, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), last July. After the JCPOA's implementation on January 16, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran, in return, has put some limitations on its nuclear activities. People in Shiraz mark the beginning of new year at the tomb of revered Persian poet Hafez The Iranian president further expressed hope that the new year would be full of prosperity and happiness for the nine Asian nations marking Norooz. Millions of people in Iran and several other countries are celebrating the Persian New Year or Norooz, which marks the advent of spring. Norooz festival in Tebriz, Northwestern Iran In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the Norooz festivities always begin on the first day of spring, which has fallen on March 20 this year. Along with Iranians, millions of others in countries such as Armenia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey also celebrate Norooz. Photos: Norooz celebration at the Kurdish village of Balak in Marivan, Western Iran (photos by Islamic Republic News Agency) The best 2-in-1 laptop 2022: our picks of the best convertible laptops These are the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now Sometimes, the best way to fix deep-seated Windows issues is to burn everything to the ground and start from scratch. Reinstalling Windows refreshes the operating system, which gets rid of most corruption, errors, and viruses. Microsoft has tried to make this process easier with the Refresh and Reset features starting with Windows 8, but power users still might consider a good ol format and clean install. A clean install using a stock Windows disc or flash drive also gets rid of programs and bloatware installed from the factory. If you take advantage of Microsofts free offer to upgrade Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 to Windows 10, the default method is an in-place upgrade. This sounds convenient since its supposed to keep all your files and programs intact, but as an IT professional Ive seen many issues arise from this upgrade method, such as system slowness, errors, and other strange behaviors. A clean install of Windows 10 requires more effort, but eradicates all those potential headaches as well as any lingering bloatware on your PC. Upgrading to Windows 10 via a clean install is much easier since the big Version 1511 November update, which allows you to clean install Windows 10 and activate it using a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 product key. Before this update, you had to do an in-place upgrade in order to get the free upgrade offer from Microsoft, and then you could do a clean install of Windows 10. Now you can skip the in-between step. Performing a clean install the right way takes some pre-wipe prep work in order to preserve your files and other saved data, though. Heres everything you need to know, step-by-step. Get a backup drive To save your files and data, you need some type of backup drive, which could be an external USB hard drive, a USB flash drive if its big enough, or even a secondary internal hard drive if your PC has one. If youre backing up to a secondary internal drive, be sure its physically a different drive than your main drive. Drives can be partitioned so they appear as different drives in Windows but are actually the same physical drive. If you save your data to a partitioned space, you could lose the data when doing the clean Windows install. So if youre unsure what you have, use an external hard drive or flash drive. Back up personal files and documents First, back up the usual user folders, which is where you likely have stored all or most of your personal files and documents. Go to the Users directory of Windowstypically C:Users. Here youll see a folder for each Windows user as well as a Public folder. You may see multiple user folders even though you have one Windows user; check each folder. Here are the usual folders you should see for each Windows user account. Also browse through your main hard drive (typically the C drive) to see if youve saved any personal files or documents in unusual places. Prep programs for reinstall Consider making a list of all the installed programs you want to reinstall later on the clean Windows installation. To refresh your memory on what programs you have currently installed on your PC, take a look at your Start Menu (or Start Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1) or navigate to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features. For each program, figure out how youd reinstall it. Is it offered free via its website? If you purchased it, do you have a disc or can you log in to the site where you purchased it to download again, and do you have any required product key to activate it? Youll want to answer these questions before wiping out the programs during a clean install. For commercial software youve purchased, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop, you may be able to retrieve the product keys stored on your computer using a tool like ProduKey or Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder. After reinstalling Windows, you may be able to download a setup file or a trial of the same version of the software and then activate it using that retrieved product key. Some software, such as Microsoft Office 2013 and later and some antivirus programs, allows you to log into its website to download the setup file and get the product key. Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder allows you to save the product keys for many programs. You can get more details on how to download and reinstall Microsoft Office from the Office website. For each program, check to see if you need to save or export additional data for restoration after you reinstall Windows. Some programs also store data in the cloud, which typically allows you to simply log in to restore your data after reinstalling the software on your clean Windows build. For instance, Chrome and Firefox each allow you to sync your data to an online profile. The syncing stores your bookmarks, saved passwords, and settings online. If you dont use your web browsers syncing option, you may want to manually save your bookmarks before wiping your system. Internet Explorers bookmarks are saved in the Favorites folder of your user directory, which we already discussed how to back up. Also consider exporting your saved passwords if youre not utilizing a browser sync option. WebBrowserPassView is a quick and easy way to round up passwords stored by all the popular browsers. WebBrowserPassView can list and save all the passwords stored by most web browsers. If you have Windows 8, 8.1, or 10, consider signing into a Microsoft account if you havent already. Microsoft accounts let you sync your Windows apps (moderns apps, not traditional applications) and their settings, your Windows theme, your Internet Explorer settings, your saved passwords, and other miscellaneous Windows settings across multiple computers. Signing into Windows after the clean install with that same Microsoft account should restore these settings, making restoration a breeze. If you use a desktop email client program such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozillas Thunderbird, take a look at the server settings of your email accounts. If theyre set up as IMAP, your messages are likely stored on the email server. If theyre setup as POP3, however, the emails are downloaded to your computer and may not be stored on the server. In other words, youll want to save or export the emails for accounts using POP3. For either method, make note of the incoming and outgoing server addresses and settings. If youve forgotten the email server passwords, you can use a utility like Mail PassView to recover them. Mail PassView can quickly reveal your saved passwords for email client applications like Outlook. If you have games and would like to save your settings or games, either search online about how to back up and restore individual games, or use a utility like GameSave Manager to perform backups on multiple games. Back up your drivers After a clean install of Windows, the drivers for your hardware must be reinstalled. In Windows 8 and 10, most drivers are reinstalled automatically by Windows. In Windows 7, youll likely have a couple drivers you must manually reinstall before all hardware is working correctly. Though PC manufacturers typically allow you to download hardware drivers from their websites, sometimes its hard to identify exactly which ones you need. So consider backing up your current drivers before performing a clean install or upgradeespecially if its Windows 7using a utility like DriverBackup!. You can then restore the drivers, if needed, after the clean install, or just utilize the list of saved drivers to identify which drivers you need and download the most up-to-date drivers from the manufacturers website. DriverBackup! can back up/restore all drivers, or those for OEM or third-party hardware only. Download Windows and obtain a product key Before you can do a clean install of Windows you need to create the installation mediaa disc or flash drive you can boot from to run the setupif you dont already have it. You can download Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 directly from Microsoft and and follow the directions to create the disc or flash drive. Currently, Microsoft doesnt appear to offer a download for the first version of Windows 8. If you have a Windows 8 key, remember it wont activate 8.1, so upgrading to Windows 10 might be the easiest option if you dont have a Windows 8 disc. Michael King A product key sticker on a Windows 7 PC. Make sure you have a valid product key for the particular Windows version and edition youre clean installing in order to activate Windows afterwards. For Windows 7 computers, look for the Windows product key on a label physically somewhere on the computer. If you cant find the sticker, the product key recovery tools discussed earlier can also retrieve the Windows product key stored on your computer. Starting with Windows 8, product key stickers arent placed on the computers. For Windows 8 and 8.1, the Windows key is typically stored in the BIOS of the computer, which means Windows should automatically detect and use the stored key even during clean installs. I still suggest retrieving the stored key using a tool, as welljust in case. For Windows 10, the product key or digital entitlement is stored on Microsoft servers and should be automatically downloaded if the computer was running Windows 10 prior to your clean install. As mentioned before, if youre doing the free upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, you can now clean install Windows 10 and activate using your old Windows product key. Even though the installation media for Windows 8 is free, youll still need a valid product key to install it. Thats it! Youre done with the hard part. Now that all the prep work is done, slapping your installation media into your PC and setting up a fresh Windows installation should be an easy-peasy step-by-step process. If your computer doesnt boot into the installation media when you restart it, you may need to dive into its BIOS settings and change its boot order, or press a key during the boot process to access a boot menu and choose a boot device other than your primary hard drive. One final note: If youre prompted for a product key for any reason when clean installing any Windows version, I suggest inputting it then, not skipping to do later. If theres an issue with the keymaybe you chose the wrong Windows edition or an OEM key isnt workingyou want to know before you blow away your current Windows installation. A near miss between a drone and a Lufthansa aircraft landing at Los Angeles International Airport may give impetus to moves to regulate consumer drones more closely, including by using technologies like geofencing. This is one more incident that could have brought down an airliner, and its completely unacceptable. A near-miss of 200 feet should serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by reckless drone use, said Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, in a statement. The senator said the Senate must pass legislation she introduced last year, called the Consumer Drone Safety Act, which would require safety features for consumer drones and strengthen the federal laws that govern their operation. The bill would, among other things, direct the Federal Aviation Administration to require safety features for newly manufactured consumer drones, such as geofencing to govern the altitude and location of flights and collision-avoidance software. The provisions in the legislation were incorporated into the FAA reauthorization bill, which is expected to be debated on the Senate floor next month, Feinstein added. Geofencing of drones uses GPS and other technology to impose geographical limits on their movement. A Lufthansa A380 pilot reported that on Friday a drone passed approximately 200 feet over the aircraft while it was at 5,000 feet altitude at around 1:30 p.m., FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said via email. The agency immediately notified the air support division of the Los Angeles Police Department about the crews report. LAPD could not be immediately contacted for information on the search for the drone and its operator. Pilot reports of drones, also referred to as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), picked up from 238 sightings throughout 2014 to over 650 in a little over seven months of last year, the FAA said in August last year. People using drones for recreational purposes are required to fly their unmanned aircraft, which cannot weigh more than 55 pounds (25 kilograms), at below 400 feet (about 122 meters), within visual sight of the operator and 5 miles (8 kilometers) away from airports. Comparing the increase in drones to an increase in the bird population, a study concluded that the risk to the airspace caused by small drones, such as those weighing up to 2 kg or about 4.4 pounds, flying in solitary formation is minimal. Compared to the enormous population of birds, damaging bird strikes are rare, according to two researchers from George Mason University. The FAA has as yet to finalize rules for the commercial use of drones as it tries to integrate unmanned aircraft into the national airspace. It has introduced some educational, regulatory and safety measures such as a mandatory register for drones weighing more than 250 grams that it rolled out in December, the Know Before You Fly and No Drone Zone campaigns, and the B4UFLY smart phone app, which tells a drone pilot whether its safe to fly in their current or planned locations. The U.S. Supreme Court has given Samsung a last chance to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars to Apple for allegedly infringing its iPhone design patents. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear part of Samsungs appeal of an award of $399 million in damages for infringement of three design patents, which cover the face and rounded bezel design of Apples iPhone and the grid of icons on the phones home screen. Samsung, with support from Google, Facebook and other tech companies, had asked the Supreme Court to take a new look at design patents, even though the rules have remained largely unchanged for more than a century. Samsung asked the court to address two questions, but justices agreed only to address the second: Where a design patent includes unprotected non-ornamental features, should a district court be required to limit that patent to its protected ornamental scope? Where a design patent is applied to only a component of a product, should an award of infringers profits be limited to those profits attributable to the component? This is the second recent setback for Apple in patent litigation against Samsung. Late last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit threw out a $119.6 million award against Samsung related to three iPhone-related patents, including the slide-to-unlock feature. Two of the three Apple patents, including slide-to-unlock, are invalid and a third wasnt infringed by Samsung, the appeals court ruled. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the design patent case during its next term, which begins in October. Court session usually continue until late June or early July. Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday ordered the states flags to be flown at half-staff to honor U.S. Marine Staff. Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, of Temecula, who was killed Saturday in an attack at an Iraqi base. On behalf of all Californians, Governor Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown honor Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, who bravely gave his life in service to our state and nation. The Governor and First Lady extend their deepest condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time, Browns office said in a statement. Staff Sgt. Cardins family will receive a letter of condolence from the Governor. Cardin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, NC. The Chaparral High School graduate, who served three tours in Afghanistan, was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. They all got together for a group photo, one of those that usually features a group of Marines in full gear staring back at the camera with grim visages. Right before the digital shutter clicked, Louis F. Cardin flashed a thumbs up sign. Being around him in a group, you almost couldnt be in a bad mood, recalled James Heygster, a retired Marine who served with Cardin for two tours in Afghanistan, from 2009 to 2012. IRAQ: Temecula Marine killed in Islamic State rocket attack They all got together for a group photo, one of those that usually features a group of Marines in full gear staring back at the camera with grim visages. Right before the digital shutter clicked, Louis F. Cardin flashed a thumbs up sign. Being around him in a group, you almost couldnt be in a bad mood, recalled James Heygster, a retired Marine who served with Cardin for two tours in Afghanistan, from 2009 to 2012. On Saturday, Staff Sgt. Cardin, 27, a graduate of Chaparral High School, was killed by rocket fire in an attack on a base in Makhmour, a town southeast of Mosul, Iraq, by a group that may be affiliated with the Islamic State, or ISIS. His body arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Monday. As news spread of his death which included a tribute by President Barack Obama during his news conference with Cuban President Raul Castro friends and family comforted each other by remembering a man who used humor to help his squad get through intense situations, a man who chose to live close to his buddies in the barracks when he could have moved to a house off-base, a man who offered to baby-sit for friends who needed a date night. Contacted at her San Jacinto home, Mary Pat Cardin declined an offer of condolences over the death of her son, saying any sorrow on her behalf was wasted. I am so grateful for this gift, she said, talking about the years she shared with her son. Born in Riverside in 1988, Louis Cardin lived with his family in a rural haven on the San Diego County/Riverside County border east of Temecula. They moved to Temecula in the mid-2000s so the family, which included eight children, could go to school at what was then a new Chaparral High School. Louis Cardin joined the Marines after graduating in 2006. The military was, and is, a family tradition. He followed in the footsteps of both grandfathers and one of his older brothers, Vincent, who served in the Army. Mary Pat Cardin said her son will be buried at Riverside National Cemetery, where one of his grandfathers was buried 10 years ago. The date for services had not been set. Although there have been numerous eulogies for Louis Cardin state Sen. Jeff Stone, also of Temecula, and Gov. Jerry Brown both paid their respects his mother said he would have deflected attention and shined a spotlight on his fellow Marines. In keeping with that philosophy, Mary Pat Cardin said the two care packages she assembled for her son desert essentials such as baby wipes and over-the-calf socks from Walmart will be sent to two Marines serving overseas. Ive got two names that are going to be put on it because thats what hed want, she said. Before Louis Cardin left for the mission in Iraq, she said, he got to travel around the Mediterranean, visiting Spain, Greece, Italy and Israel. It was a respite from the years when his service involved a lot of sand and trying days when even his upbeat personality was tested. She said he kept re-enlisting because of his friends; the couples who would allow him to crash on their couch when he was in town; and the good times such as the Marine Corps balls and parties when friends had babies. Heygster, a Dallas-area resident who met Louis Cardin during their time at Camp Pendleton, said Cardin stayed at the barracks because he wanted to be available to the Marines. He almost wanted to be in charge of the barracks, he recalled. He was close to his friends, this tight-knit group. He didnt want to leave that. Maj. Patrick Simmons with the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations/Public Affairs Office said Monday that Louis Cardins body should be turned over to the family this week. For pianist Rufus Choi, performing a concerto is almost a duty. I want to communicate my love for music, which gives me a purpose in life, he said in a recent interview. Its my duty to make the composers notes come alive, to help realize the vision of the composer. So I bring something, add something new my own brand, my own character. I work to help the audience see the composers vision through my lens. Choi will be the featured soloist at the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestras Masterwork Melange concert at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts in San Bernardino on Saturday, March 26. Masterwork Melange will feature three master composers: Humperdinck, Shostakovich, and Rachmaninoff. Choi will perform Rachmaninoffs Piano Concerto No. 2. He has won numerous awards and has been featured at the Salzburg Festival, the Great Hall at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and the Los Angeles Music Center among other venues. Chois first award was at age 9, when he won a piano competition to perform a concerto with an orchestra. It was then that I realized this was what I would do with my life, Choi said. Until that time, he had been dividing his practice time between the church organ and the piano. The Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 has so many melodies that are so beautiful and so well-written, Choi said. Most concerti have one, maybe two, melodies that can stand alone, but this one, all three movements can stand on their own as a wonderful piece. Choi acknowledged that Rachmaninoff was a great pianist as well as a great composer. He wrote with long, warm phrases, and a harmonic language that is very intense, Choi said. My own background is with Russian music as my teachers were all Russian. So this music is very close to me and my background. It is very passionate and it speaks to me. San Bernardino Symphony Conductor Frank Paul Fetta described the concert as musical journey from the whimsical to the sublime in a press release. Whimsical could describe the prelude to Hansel und Gretel, an opera written in 1890 by Englebert Humperdinck and loosely based on the fairytale by the Brothers Grimm. The opera was a popular musical work, considered a masterpiece by the likes of Richard Strauss, and in 1923, the Royal Opera House of London chose it for their first complete radio opera broadcast. Dmitri Shostakovich composed Symphony No. 9 in 1945, according to the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, as a grand celebration for the Russian victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. It ended up being a light, jovial symphony which Fetta described in a press release as a visually evocative presentation juxtaposed with strong satiric overtones, as Shostakovich wrestled with making his compositions ideologically appropriate for the Soviet-era government while conveying celebration. The events pre-concert talk will be presented by Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff as portrayed by two members of the Inland Valley Repertory Theatre at 6:30pm. Contact the writer: features@pressenterprise.com WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a complaint from neighboring states that Colorados relaxation of marijuana laws hurts them and undermines federal law. The court without comment turned down the petition from Nebraska and Oklahoma. Those states said that Colorados move to decriminalize certain uses of marijuana increased trafficking into their states, requiring them to expend significant law enforcement, judicial system and penal system resources. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented from the decision not to take the case, saying the court had an obligation to settle such disputes between states. The plaintiffs have alleged significant harm to their sovereign interests caused by another state, Thomas wrote. Whatever the merits of the plaintiff states claims, we should let this complaint proceed further rather than denying leave without so much as a word of explanation. The court also overturned a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Court that upheld a state law prohibiting the possession of stun guns. The justices in an unsigned opinion said the state courts ruling was not consistent with its decision in District of Columbia v. Heller that said the Second Amendment provided an individual right to gun ownership. The decision said the Second Amendment covers all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding. The Supreme Courts order Monday said the reasons the state court offered for upholding the law contradicts this courts precedent and sent it back. The cases are Nebraska v. Colorado and Caetano v. Massachusetts. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a complaint from neighboring states that Colorados relaxation of marijuana laws hurts them and undermines federal law. The court without comment turned down the petition from Nebraska and Oklahoma. Those states said that Colorados move to decriminalize certain uses of marijuana increased trafficking into their states, requiring them to expend significant law enforcement, judicial system and penal system resources. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented from the decision not to take the case, saying the court had an obligation to settle such disputes between states. The plaintiffs have alleged significant harm to their sovereign interests caused by another state, Thomas wrote. Whatever the merits of the plaintiff states claims, we should let this complaint proceed further rather than denying leave without so much as a word of explanation. The court also overturned a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Court that upheld a state law prohibiting the possession of stun guns. The justices in an unsigned opinion said the state courts ruling was not consistent with its decision in District of Columbia v. Heller that said the Second Amendment provided an individual right to gun ownership. The decision said the Second Amendment covers all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding. The Supreme Courts order Monday said the reasons the state court offered for upholding the law contradicts this courts precedent and sent it back. The cases are Nebraska v. Colorado and Caetano v. Massachusetts. With the lights, sounds and crowds of the two-day Beyond Wonderland electronic dance music festival gone from the San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore, authorities on Sunday released some results of stepped-up security efforts. All told, 244 arrests were made 116 on Friday night, March 18, and 128 on Saturday, March 19 on suspicion of trespassing, public intoxication and possession of Ecstasy with intent to sell, among other offenses, said San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department spokesperson Jodi Miller. Twenty people were hospitalized 10 on Friday night and 10 on Saturday, one by helicopter and by Sunday at 4:45 p.m. all had been treated and released, Miller said. Details of the medical incidents were not reported. The number of arrests and hospitalizations from last years event were not immediately available for a comparison. Authorities had stepped up efforts to prevent illegal drug use and other problems at the festival, which is put on by concert promoter Live Nation at the county-owned amphitheater just north of San Bernardino. There have been several deaths at electronic music festivals in Southern California in recent years, including two at the San Manuel Amphitheater. A year ago, John Hoang Dinh Vo, a 22-year-old San Diego resident, fatally overdosed on the drug Ecstasy during the Beyond Wonderland festival, San Bernardino County coroners officials said. He suffered an apparent seizure, went into cardiac arrest and died at a hospital. And in September 2013, Arrel Christopher Cochon, a 22-year-old Los Angeles resident, died after attending the Nocturnal Wonderland festival at the same venue. He had a seizure after taking drugs, officials said. At this weekends event, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department had more than 100 deputies and a handful of drug-sniffing dogs at amphitheater entrances as well as the campground next to the festival grounds, Capt. Steve Dorsey said. Private security and undercover officers also were present. A sheriffs helicopter with a paramedic was on standby, and medical professionals were available for people needing attention, Dorsey said. State Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Temecula, said he will adjourn the California Senate in the memory of Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, a Temecula Marine recently killed in Iraq. I wish to express my sadness to the Cardin family for this tragic event taking the life of our local hero, said Stone, who represents the 28th Senate district. Staff Sgt. Cardin exemplifies the best of America, having served three tours of duty in Afghanistan before recently arriving in Iraq. All Californians are saddened by this senseless loss but remain grateful for Staff Sgt. Cardins valiant and heroic service to our country. During a press conference with Cuban President Raul Castro, President Barack Obama on Monday paid tribute to U.S. Marine Staff. Sgt. Louis Cardin, 27, of Temecula, who was killed Saturday in an attack on an Iraqi base. Obama recognized Cardin, who was reportedly killed by a rocket strike launched by the Islamic State, before starting his prepared remarks during the joint press conference with Castro. Cardins body was flown to Dover Air Force Base on Monday morning. The decorated Marine served three tours in Afghanistan. A senior Iraqi army officer in Makhmour said two rockets landed about 8:20 a.m. Saturday on the U.S. camp, a small, closely guarded facility where American advisers have been based for several months helping Iraqi army and peshmerga forces battle Islamic State fighters nearby and preparing for an offensive to recapture the key Iraqi city of Mosul. Several other Marines also were injured in the rocket attack, according to a Pentagon statement. http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js An afternoon single-car wreck trapped an Arizona motorist near the Riverside freeway interchange, said a California Highway Patrol officer. The gold 2003 Nissan sedan crashed at 2:45 p.m. Sunday, March 20, along Highway 91 just west of Spruce Street. The car was traveling in the slow lane when it veered right, ran down an embankment, and crossed the Spruce Street off-ramp, according to preliminary findings by Officer Miguel Guerrero. As it rolls through the (freeway perimeter) fence, it also knocked down a concrete light pole,coming to rest on its roof, Guerrero said. The driver is a resident of the Phoenix-area city of Tempe. He was taken to Riverside Community Hospital for treatment of what were believed to be minor injuries. La Cadena Avenue was closed for about an hour in both directions while firefighters freed the driver and crews cleaned up the mess. I knew the cost of living was high in the San Francisco Bay Area. Still, I was shocked to learn what babysitters are paid. It made me wonder about the going rate in the Inland region. The Bay Area is a rugged place to live. Not only are residents burdened with two-bedroom apartment rent that can be more than $5,000 monthly, parents also contend with their earnings being severely eroded by the high cost of child care. I became versed in childcare economics during my visit last week to Oakland to help watch my granddaughters, ages six months and nearly three years old. In the Oakland Hills, teens who babysit are paid $15 per hour. Adult babysitting pros, called nannies in San Francisco, earn $22 to $25 per hour. The charge is about $30 for dispatching one on short notice. Days of paying 50 cents an hour to neighborhood babysitters are long gone. The $3 to $5 hourly charge in Palm Springs and Hemet during our kids 1980s childhoods? History. Still, babysitter pay in the land of .coms must be more than the Inland region, where living is decidedly more economical. I am asking readers to tell me how much babysitting costs these days in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. What do you pay? Also, does the escalating charge make it more important than ever for extended family to regularly help out with child care? Houses cost more in Temecula, Corona and Redlands than better-priced towns like Hemet, Beaumont and San Jacinto. Do babysitting fees vary between Inland communities, too? Please let me know by emailing bpratte@pressenterprise.com or writing to me at The Press-Enterprise, 3400 Wentworth Avenue, Hemet, CA 92545. I already know that one babysitting pay scale is the same from Hemet to Riverside to San Francisco. Every boomer grandparent I know is thrilled to do the job for free. My pay last week came in hugs and smiles. FLIPPING ISIS SIGN Practical-minded Hemetian Jana Desrocher offered a solution to curb the abuse Aeran Brent hears daily about her Isis Bridal and Formal shop near Macys in the Promenade mall in Temecula. It was the name of the store when she bought nearly 10 years ago. It was named after the Egyptian goddess Isis, representing motherhood and being a wife. A good concept for a bridal shop. However, in the last several years, the name has come to mean something else entirely due to the terrorist organization ISIS, also known as ISIL and IS. Brent considered ceasing the chatter by renaming the store, but doesnt want to spend the thousands of dollars it would cost for a new sign and to change corporate papers. Desrocher had a thrifty idea. She suggested simply turning the ISIS sign around backwards so it reads SISI. Now it will mean, Yes, yes, I will marry you! she wrote. Contact the writer: 951-368-9078, or bpratte@pressenterprise.com WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court has agreed to referee a pricy patent dispute between Samsung and Apple. The justices said Monday they will review a $399 million judgment against South Korea-based Samsung for illegally copying patented aspects of the look of Apples iPhone. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, and Samsung are the top two manufacturers of increasingly ubiquitous smartphones. The two companies have been embroiled in patent fights for years. The justices will decide whether a court can order Samsung to pay Apple every penny it made from the phones at issue, even though the disputed features are a tiny part of the product. The federal appeals court in Washington that hears patent cases ruled for Apple. None of the earlier-generation Galaxy and other Samsung phones involved in the lawsuit remains on the market, Samsung said. The case involved common smartphone features for which Apple holds patents: the flat screen, the rectangular shape with rounded corners, a rim and a screen of icons. The case, Samsung v. Apple, 15-777, will be argued in the courts new term that begins in October. But the lawsuit isnt Apples only pending court matter. The company has been in a high-drama battle with the FBI over encryption, privacy and law enforcement access to electronic devices. A hearing is set Tuesday in Riverside federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym where Apple will respond to an order to create software that will allow the FBI to bypass encryption protections on the phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the two two terrorists who took part in the ISIS-inspired massacre Dec. 2 in San Bernardino that killed 14 and wounded 22. Dion Lee is Ozs premium international farshan brand that we and the world froth (a lil too much) over. Dion Lee is on the lookout for a farshan fiend of a Store Manager (GC) to manage their fourth store in the freshly renovated Pacific Fair. As Store Manager, you will be delivering sales success by providing exceptional comms skills to lead and inspire a team, as well as apply designer fashion experience, customer service and manage financial performance through budgets, sales targets and stock management. So, if youre stoked on retail biz success, know how to manage a team and would love to work for (and be draped in) an award-winning designer brand then get applying HERE! Paramount Coffee Project is located in the heart of Surry Hills servin up some legit crumbed eggs, brekky burritos & cawfee, in an aesthetically pleasing space thats sure to tickle your interiors-fancy. PCP is on the hunt for a Head Chef (SYD) who is enthusiastic on kitchen lyf, menu design and being a master of managing kitchen service. If you consider yaself the head honcho of the kitchen, take pride in the food you serve and youre prepared to push this already reputable cafe dat lil bit further, then get it, apply HERE! Tree of Life was inspired by a lil hitchhiking, a coupla hippie trails and a life-changing trip to India. The lovely folk at Tree of Life strive to resonate with free spirits and fuel a creative culture full of passionate employees who adore the boho aesthetic. Tree of Life is keen for a Store Manager to lead their Canberra store. As Store Manager, youll be creative and hardworking in nature, be killer at customer service and be a top-notch team player. If youre looking for career progression n growth in a creative and holistic company, then get applying HERE! News Corp Australia is the nations largest media company operating over 150 house-holds names and brands across print, digital and multimedia including The Australian, news.com.au and the Centralian Advocate. An awesome opportunity has opened up for an Editor to join the Centralian Advocate (NT) squad in Alice Springs. As Editor, you will already have some serious editing experience up your sleeve, have a genuine interest in local news and issues, be keen to be responsible for editorial idea generation, story development as well as running efficient publication processes to deliver kick ass content across all platforms erryday. If a sweet lifestyle, amazing landscapes and a strong sense of community sounds like your kinda stint, then apply HERE! All deets courtesy of Pedestrian Jobs. Dont let your dream job slip you by Love your work! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and get yourself signed up to our Daily Job Alerts. Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com We posted "13 Beloved Harrisburg Area Restaurants We'd Love to See Return." You loved it so much, we're following it up with nine more nostalgic restaurants we'd like to see make a comeback. Don't Edit Howard Johnson's restaurant operated along River Road (now Front Street) in Susquehanna Twp. Provided photo Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com Howard Johnson's For more than four decades, Howard Johnson's Restaurant operated along what is now Front Street in Harrisburg with its signature orange roof. It was mostly known for courteous servers as well as 28 flavors of ice cream and menu items such as clam strips and hot dogs served on square buns. Many people recall the Friday fish specials, the HoJo Colas and strawberry ice cream. Here in the Harrisburg region, HoJo's also operated along Eisenhower Boulevard in Swatara Twp. and in Camp Hill. Don't Edit Dutch Pantry Family Restaurants were the Cracker Barrels of their time. Often located right off of highway interchanges, they served homestyle foods in a quirky country atmosphere. Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com Dutch Pantry Dutch Pantry Restaurants operated up and down the East Coast including locations in Camp Hill, Lower Paxton Twp., Carlisle and Gettysburg. Kyle Weaver, co-author of "Diners of Pennsylvania," recalls the apple fritters served as a side dish. "They were deep-fried balls of flour with chunks of apple inside, then coated with confectioners' sugar, if I'm remembering correctly," he said. Here in central Pennsylvania, the restaurant operated at the corner of 32nd and Market streets in Camp Hill where Friendly's now sits, and at the corner of Allentown Boulevard and Mountain Road in Lower Paxton Twp. at what now houses a Comfort Inn. Dutch Pantry also operated in Carlisle and Gettysburg. Don't Edit The Canton Inn operated at this location at 204 Walnut Street in Harrisburg for several decades. Today the building is vacant. Sue Gleiter, PennLive.com Canton Inn The Canton Inn was the first Chinese restaurant in Harrisburg. It was known for its simple Cantonese dishes such as egg rolls, hot and sour soup and beef with broccoli. The restaurant operated for decades at 204 Walnut St. in Harrisburg across the street from the Pep Grill. Don't Edit This is a photo of an unidentified Red Barn restaurant. The restaurants operated in seven locations in the midstate including the Carlisle Pike in Hampden Twp. Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com The Red Barn The fast-food Red Barn Restaurants attracted customers with their grilled burgers, fish and deep-fried chicken dishes. Diners would order at the counter inside the restaurant which resembled a barn with high ceilings and expansive windows. Red Barn was known for its Barnbuster quarter-pound burgers served with special sauce, pickles, lettuce and tomato. The first midstate Red Barn Restaurant opened in 1967 along Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Twp. across from Sears. It was followed by six more Red Barn restaurants located in Carlisle, Palmyra, Lebanon, Carlisle Pike in Hampden Twp., Derry Street in Swatara Twp. and Front Street in Susquehanna Twp. Don't Edit Don't Edit File photo Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com Au Jour Le Jour Au Jour Le Jour sat on Race Street in Shipoke in a quaint brick building that later housed well-known restaurants Politesse and Char's Bella Mundo. Today, it is the site of Los Tres Cubanos restaurant. The restaurant's menu was built around French cuisine such as duck dishes, sweet breads and French-style pasta, seafood and steak Its founders Robert Straub and William Nast patterned Au Jour Le Jour after a French restaurant in Greenwich Village. The two frequently traveled to New York to dine at restaurants. "They used to say 'Why doesn't Harrisburg have a little French bistro restaurant,'" said Chris Straub of Mechanicsburg who is the son of the late Robert Straub in a 2014 story on PennLive. Au Jour opened in 1975 in the former Abe's Grocery. According to a Patriot-News story, while Au Jour Le Jour only sat 43 diners, its reputation quickly spread. Don't Edit Provided Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com Lombardo's Restaurant Everyone from legislators and families would come take a seat in the dark restaurant off of North Seventh Street in Harrisburg for veal, seafood and pasta specialties alongside Old World wines. To many people, Lombardos was the best restaurant in Harrisburg. Owner Joe Lombardo was known as a people person and a classic restaurateur who some said resembled actor Clark Gable. He would join patrons at their table, although, according to a 1986 story in the Patriot-News, he rarely would eat anything other than a dish of spaghetti or a cup of coffee. The story went on to say the restaurant was the place "to see and be seen;" reservations were a must, and tables on Saturday nights especially, could turn over three or four times. Don't Edit A menu from Uncle John's Pancake House. The restaurant operated in Lower Paxton Twp. and served a variety of different pancakes. Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com Uncle John's Pancake House Those who remember Uncle John's Pancake House, recall the vast pancake selection with different flavor syrups. The restaurant sat at the location of what is now the Colonial Park Diner on Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Twp. Uncle John's was a chain with several dozen restaurants throughout the country. It operated under the moniker "The Home of World Famous Pancakes." Here in the midstate, Elsie Mueller Davenport opened the Uncle John's. She was part of the Davenport family which operated Davenport Restaurants and Bob's Big Boys, and today the local Applee's restaurant franchise. Uncle John's menu was plastered with pancake choices and not just the standard plain flapjack. Diners could order Iowa corn, gingerbread, apple or African banana pancakes. Don't Edit The VIP operated in Strawberry Square from 1980-86. It hosted ladies nights with male dancers as well as Best Buns contests. Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com VIP Club The multi-room VIP club and restaurant operated for six years in the 1980s in Strawberry Square in Harrisburg. It attracted singles, lobbyists and legislators, as well as the under-21 crowd who all came for the disco dancing, live bands and high-tech video and light shows. People danced in the back ballroom where there were disco balls, projectors and 16-by-20 foot video screens. Synchronized light shows ran at midnight and included a Harrisburg show with photos of the city coordinated to music. Don't Edit Pappy's Pizza was more than just a pizza place. Kids were given Pappy style hats and paper mustaches to wear to resemble the restaurant's Vaudeville-like character, Pappy. Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com Pappy's Pizza Pappy's Pizza off of Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Twp. was the place for families in the 1970's and 1980's. It sat in what is now the spot of the Old Country Buffet, and dished out pizzas and stromboli along with pitchers of beer and birch beer. Pizzas were made from fresh dough with some creative toppings for the time that included Bermuda onions, Italian black olives and New Orleans shrimp.Some of the fondest memories of Pappy's have nothing to do with the food. Kids were given Styrofoam barbershop style hats along with paper mustaches and bow ties made to resemble the restaurant's Vaudeville-like character, Pappy. A player piano mesmerized kids with its Ragtime tunes, and there was a juke box and video games such as Pole Position. Don't Edit Don't Edit undefined Sue Gleiter | sgleiter@pennlive.com Check out the "13 Beloved Harrisburg Area Restaurants We'd Like to See Return" for a look back at such favorites as the Barbecue Cottage, Blue Pig and Harry's Tavern. MAD Sandwiches MAD Sandwiches will be participating in the First Friday's Food Truck Feasts at the Colonial Park Mall in Lower Paxton Township. (Sue Gleiter, PennLive) Food truck lovers, this is big news. Starting April 1, central Pennsylvania food trucks will be gathering on the first Friday of every month in the parking lot at the Colonial Park Mall in Lower Paxton Township. More than a half dozen trucks will converge for the First Friday's Food Truck Feasts. The feasts will run through September, and will be held on the Colonial Road side of the mall. "I think it's something different. People can actually get out and about instead of going out to a restaurant," said Olivia Madrigal, co-owner of MAD Sandwiches and one of the feast's organizers. The First Friday event is an extension of the Harrisburg Food Truck Feasts which are held as part of 3rd in the Burg in midtown Harrisburg, Madrigil said. That festival kicks off its fourth season at 5 p.m. April 15 at 1601 N. Third St. So far, trucks lined up to attend First Friday's April feast include Up in Smoke BBQ, One Love Cafe, The Chicken Truck, Soul Burrito, Kona Ice, The Perk Up Truck, Taza Truck, Mara-Leos and MAD Sandwiches. The feast will be held 5- 9 p.m. Those in attendance will be charged $1 admission. The money, along with a fee food trucks will pay to participate, will be given to a different local group each month. The April feast will support the Lower Paxton Township Police Department. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited at the feasts. For more information, follow the Harrisburg Food Truck Feast's Facebook page. Sunshine Nut Company Donald Larson is the founder and CEO of The Sunshine Nut Company in Mozambique, Africa. (Provided via Facebook) Don Larson is spreading rays of sunshine through sales of cashews, one nut at a time. The former Hershey Company executive followed a spiritual journey that took him halfway around the world where he started the Sunshine Nut Company, a socially responsible company. Several years ago, Larson uprooted his family from central Pennsylvania and moved them thousands of miles away to Motola, a suburb of Mozambique in Africa. The Sunshine Nut Company's cashews sell at Wegmans in Silver Spring Township as well as some Giant Food Stores. It meant leaving behind luxuries - a home with a swimming pool, a Porsche and a hot air balloon. It meant sinking his life savings and retirement into the start-up. More than five years later, Larson, a Lancaster native, said he has no regrets. More importantly, he said he has found fulfillment through the company, which is making an impact. Sunshine Nut is expected to start being profitable this year, moving it closer to its commitment to return 90 percent of profits toward projects for the poor and orphaned in Africa. At the heart of the company are the nuts. Immediately after being shelled, the cashews are roasted in sunflower oil and seasoned. They sell in four flavors - plain, sea salt, spice and herb - in 7-ounce bags at more than 2,000 stores throughout the United States including Wegmans in Silver Spring Township, Giant Food Stores and Whole Foods. "If I can help people experience the contentment and abundance I have found, I am more than willing to take the time to do so. This is what my life is about these days and I couldn't be happier," Larson said via email. For 13 years Larson worked for The Hershey Company, traveling to cocoa growing regions of the world as part of the company's commodities department. During a trip to Ghana, a young group of college students in an airport remarked to Larson how farmers in Africa were in poverty because of the low prices Hershey was paying for cocoa. It left Larson unsettled. As a result, he took a year off in 2007 and set off on a spiritual journey. "The result of that time of reflection and meditation was a clear mandate to build food factories in third world nations to bring lasting economic transformation," he said. In prayer and isolation, he created the name, business model and philanthropic direction for Sunshine Nut. He calls it The Sunshine Approach. Sunshine brings warmth, growth, life, and light, he said. Following Larson's plan, the company will give back 90 percent of its profits - 30 percent to the cashew growing communities, 30 percent to orphan care centers and 30 percent to create new transformational food companies. Already, Sunshine Nut has planted 2,000 cashew trees. Later this year, it will host a medical team to perform outreach in the villages and train community healthcare workers. "This is what I've created our company to do as well. We are looking to have the good shine through in our business dealings," Larson added. In 2011, Larson and his, wife, Terri, and their then 13-year-old son, William, moved to Africa. They left behind their daughter Cassandra who was in college north of Boston, and son Brent who stayed with friends and finished out his last year of high school. He makes occasional trips back to the United States and will be giving a TEDx Talk at the Hershey Co in mid-April. "It was difficult to leave family and friends behind. But the transformation that has happened in the lives of all of us as we concentrate on making this company work have been amazing and unanticipated," Larson said. Sunshine Nut operates one factory and employs 35 people in its roasting facility. However, the impact is far-reaching. Nearly 1,000 people are needed to shell the cashews in Mozambique and the company sources its cashews from about 50,000 farming families. Farmers are experiencing good pricing because the company is creating competition and a market for them to choose where to sell, he said. Plans are for construction to start on a new, larger facility by the end of the year, and to begin implementing a shelling facility next year, Larson said. In addition, the company plans to build several mini-factories to target some of the poorest growing regions. Each factory will have a community room to offer medical assistance and education to the people. Many of the employees are adult orphans who grew up in children's centers. The production leader, Binario, was either abandoned or orphaned after his mother went into a hospital, and was then beaten regularly by his grandparents, Larson said. "He was being mentored by one of the worst criminals in the city when he was offered a bed at one of the orphanages we support. Binario is one of many employees we are building into a leader," he said. Right now, Larson said the company has its hands full with a small managerial staff handling the increasing growth. Sunshine Nut will stick to its four core products, all flavors Larson said he developed in his home kitchen in Mozambique. At Wegmans in Silver Spring Township, manager Bob Finn said they started carrying the four varieties of the cashews in the fall of 2015. So far, the cashews, priced at $4.99 per bag, are selling well, he added. "They are an amazing product and it's an even more amazing story," Finn said. "He's so much at peace. He's doing so much good." The key to the future of Sunshine Nut is people buying the product, repeat purchases and customers spreading the word and story about the cashews, Larson said. "It is expensive to market and to develop a loyal consumer base and we are hoping that the health benefits of cashews combined with the freshness, flavor, and mission of company will encourage people to put our cashews in their carts as they pass them in the nut aisle." The history of Pittsburgh stretches back much more than 200 years. But it wasn't until March 18, 1816 - 200 years ago last Friday - that it was incorporated as a city. Mayor Bill Peduto and the Bicentennial Committee celebrated the bicentennial with an event in the City-County Building on Friday. Other bicentennial commemorations will occur throughout the year. On July 9, 1816 Pittsburgh's first Mayor, Ebenezer Denny, took office. Peduto is planning a parade and celebration to be held on Saturday, July 9 starting at 1 p.m. on Liberty Avenue at 11th Street, downtown, according to the city's bicentennial's website. Descendants of past mayors will be invited to attend. During 200 years of incorporation, 56 individuals have served as mayor. According to the website, George Washington picked out the site that became Pittsburgh. On Nov. 22, 1753 Washington first visited the region, and remarked: "As I got down before the canoe, I spent some time in viewing the rivers, and the land in the Fork, which I think extremely well situated for a fort, as it has the absolute command of both rivers. The land at the point is twenty, or twenty-five feet above the common surface of the water; and a considerable bottom of flat, well-timbered land all around it, very convenient for building." Pittsburgh was named in 1758 by Gen. John Forbes, in honor of British statesman William Pitt. The city held a 250-year celebration in October 2008 for that occasion. Exhausted from crowds and high prices, Alexandra Jones left New York City about 10 years ago, unaware she was moving into one of the worst neighborhoods in Harrisburg. Her slice of 19th Street is actually considered one of the good sections, seemingly immune to the unmistakable sounds of gunfire that have become common in Allison Hill. But even on this better part of the bluff that overlooks downtown and the state Capitol building, the 35-year-old mother of three doesn't feel safe. "I would allow my kids to go out at midnight in the Bronx before I'd leave them alone out here at 5 in the afternoon," Jones said. Although the green Capitol dome is within view, she doesn't see much help from state government. And while City Hall is about a mile from one of the toughest parts of the Hill, Jones has never seen Harrisburg Police Chief Thomas Carter or Mayor Eric Papenfuse walking these streets. "There's a high crime rate, but you don't see a lot of patrols," she said. While police flooded South Allison Hill on Saturday night, no cops were spotted in the Mercer Street area where a young man was fatally shot this month. Just because city police didn't show up during a four-hour period Saturday night doesn't mean they're never there, but residents who live between 19th and 25th streets say they rarely see the cops. Fatal shooting Seven shootings occurred in a recent eight-day period in the city, including one fatality. Ty'Jerell Curry, 20, was gunned down at about 10 p.m. March 10 when he was being dropped off at home near the 2400 block of Mercer Street. Ty'Jerell Curry Police have not found the shooter who opened fire and killed him. The shooting was an unusual occurrence in this part of the Hill, a working-class neighborhood where homes are well kept and the streets aren't littered with empty heroin packets. A yellow "Watch Children" sign served as the backdrop for a makeshift memorial to Curry, a Harrisburg High School graduate. Colorful balloons were wrapped around a telephone pole, along with personal messages that expressed bonds for life or simply, "Rest Up." Numerous candles, some lit, sprouted from the curb. Many local residents said they thought the memorial came together because someone was hit by a car. They were unaware a young man was fatally shot in their neighborhood, just a block from Harrisburg Catholic Elementary School and a half mile from the laundromat where Jones was washing the family's clothes on Saturday evening. A disconnect and a crisis Jones and her husband both work two jobs. She's a daycare worker, and he drives special needs students to school. Together, they also clean a Laundromat in Steelton for extra income. They're involved in their community, the Harrisburg schools and have voiced their concerns at council and school board meetings. But she hasn't observed much change. Many in the community say too many Allison Hill residents have accepted these conditions as their fate. And city, state and federal officials have accepted the violence as a characteristic of urban neighborhoods. State Capitol The State Capitol Building on Saturday night was lit green for the recent medical marijuana vote and St. Patrick's Day. Those festive, green Capitol lights after a rash of shootings throughout "bad Harrisburg," are part of why Jones feels a disconnect. "People here care about the wrong things. People in Harrisburg should be outraged," she said. But there were no signs of outrage on Second Street Saturday night. People were donning green hats, shirts and whimsical sunglasses while singing and dancing on the sidewalks. "It's OK if it happens here, as long as it doesn't happen there," Jones said. And when it does happen "there," it's usually in suburbs north or east of the Hill, such as Swatara and Susquehanna townships. Phillips said she'd like to see the Dauphin County Crisis Response Team - the county's version of a SWAT team -- in the city more. "The crisis is right here," she said. But it doesn't matter unless the people on Second Street or State Street think it's a crisis. Is seven shootings in eight days a crisis in "bad Harrisburg," or is that just typical urban warfare we've come to accept? How would you feel and react if it happened in the suburbs, if there were seven shootings in eight days in Camp Hill? Would it be a crisis if a Camp Hill resident was afraid to stand on his or her sidewalk at 8:30 p.m.? Would it be a crisis if a suburban mom was afraid to walk her 5-year-old son to school? Would the Capitol still be green? Jones and other Harrisburg residents don't think those questions will be answered or things will change until people with higher incomes and louder voices start to care. "It's all about who you know," she said. "And who do we know? Who can we meet? We're too scared to go outside." pennsylvania capitol building No showdown on Pennsylvania's state budget stalemate Monday. This post was updated at 11:15 p.m., Monday with some comments from Sen. Vince Hughes, D-Philadelphia. Gov. Tom Wolf said Monday he has agreed, at state Democratic legislative leaders' request, not to veto the state budget closure package on his desk "today." That's apparently to provide space for one more, last-ditch effort at a negotiated settlement to the parties' remaining fiscal 2015-16 differences before another outbreak of open budget warfare. Wolf's very short-term pronouncement came after a late-morning meeting with House Minority Leader Frank Dermody and Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, both Democrats from Allegheny County. The pause, the governor said, will "give them (legislative Democrats) time to think about what they want to do, and give me time to do further due diligence" in his review of the plan. Wolf publicly threatened a full veto of the package even before House passage last Wednesday. The leaders apparently told Wolf Monday they are confident they can withstand an override attempt by majority Republicans should Wolf veto the package designed to carry state and school operations through June 30. But they also acknowledged sustaining a veto still leaves public schools under-funded; zero state aid released to Pennsylvania's major public universities; and important agricultural services headed for a summer shutdown. The request for time, said a top House Democratic staffer familiar with the discussions, is an attempt to see if there's an alternate way to meet pressing fiscal needs without another bruising political battle. "If not," the staffer - who is not authorized to speak publicly about confidential talks - said "the governor will do whatever he thinks is best." Meanwhile, other Democrats went public Monday with their hopes for Wolf to use a line item veto that would see the release of additional state funding for cash-strapped public schools. "A lot has been happening in the last 72 hours, lots of conversation, lots of back and forth, lots of urging on our part to do maybe a blue-line of some items, keep things going," Sen. Vince Hughes, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, told the Associated Press. "I think the best way to characterize it is to be more responsible on this." Republicans, however, signalled Monday they are satisfied with their budget package as passed and that they have little interest in moving in a vastly different direction. "We think the governor should sign it," said Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County, "and certainly we've made no commitments to something else, by any stretch. "The bill wasn't perfect," Corman continued. "But it (any problems) pales in comparison to the problems that are being caused by not having a budget." The veto override prospect got new life in GOP offices last week after 13 Democrats broke ranks Wednesday to support a supplemental appropriations bill designed to fully fund schools through the rest of this year and tie up several other budgetary loose ends left by the partial budget adopted in December. The Republican plan would close out current budget year with no tax increases, while adding $200 million in additional state aid to school districts and 5 percent increases in appropriations to Penn State, Pitt and Temple. House Republicans need at least 16 Democrats to join with them to override a Wolf veto, so last week's vote left them tantalizingly close. Barring a breakthrough at the negotiating table, here are the options Wolf must pick from by the end of this week: Sign the GOP-built supplemental appropriations bill that sets final state spending for the current budget year at slightly more than $30 billion, or it let it take effect without his signature. This would effectively keep the trains running while pushing this year's major tax and spending discussions to the 2016-17 fiscal year, which starts July 1. Fiscal conservatives, however, could claim the de facto win of forestalling a major tax increase this year. Use line-item veto powers to let some additional state money to flow - Wolf may want, for example, to allocate some additional funding to public schools or an already-expired Department of Corrections expenditure line. The latter would relieve state Treasurer Timothy Reese from Veto the entire budget, which would tighten the fiscal vise on poorer school districts that have so far received a half-year's funding; the major universities; and other state aid recipients like rural and inner-city hospitals that treat a disproportionate number of uninsured. And, Wolf hopes, legislative Republicans. Those closest to the governor still say a full veto is the leading option, if only because the governor is firm in his belief that majority Republicans in the General Assembly need to do more to close a persistent deficit. Dermody expressed confidence to reporters Monday that his 82-member minority caucus can provide the 67 votes Wolf would need to survive an override. It is one thing, he said, for Democrats to vote for a budget plan that their party's governor hasn't endorsed. It is quite another, Dermody said, for those Democrats to defy a veto. "Several of those votes (for last Wednesday's budget package) will never vote to override the veto," Dermody predicted. But then he added, "We're not there yet, though... We are still talking about other options." Starwood Hotels and Resorts Chief of Latin American Operations Jorge Giannattasio speaks to reporters, in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, March 19, 2016. Starwood says it has signed a deal to renovate and run three Cuban hotels, returning U.S. chains to the island more than 50 years after American hotels were taken over by Fidel Castrois socialist revolution. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) FILE - This Jan. 19, 2012 file photo shows a Broadway street in Times Square, in New York. The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, said Tuesday that box offices reported a record total gross of $1.45 billion _ up from $1.37 million from the previous season. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, File) Election Q&A: Meet the candidates for Emmet County Commission The first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth districts are all contested races on Nov. 8. Great white sharks have about fifty teeth, which is where the Shark Cog's name comes from. The Shark Cage is sold with the Shark 50T Sprocket kit and is required for the system work. Shark Cog Details: Spread: 11, 13, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28, 32, 37, 42, 50 Material: 7075-T6 aluminum (50t), nickel-plated hardened steel (18t) Compatibility: XT M8000 11 - 42 tooth cassette only Freehub requirement: standard freehub driver Cassette range improvement: 19% Colors: grey or green Shark Cage Details: Pulley offset: 50% more than stock Compatibility: Shimano Shadow+ 11-speed derailleurs Crash replacement cages available separately Colors: grey or green MSRP: $125 USD for kit That isn't all, though. The upper pulley wheel's drastically offset position also means that it comes up closer to the small, 11-tooth cog when you're at the opposite end of the cassette. This provides more chain wrap and more security, but it also should help with shift speed at both the high and low ends of the range. The gigantic 50-tooth cog weighs 92 grams, and the OneUp 18-tooth cog comes in at 24 grams, making for a weight increase of 73 grams over the 19-tooth (24 gram) and 17-tooth (19 gram) stock cogs that are getting ditched. OneUp's Shark Cage weighs 6 grams more than the stock, medium length XT cage, so you're looking at a total weight jump of 79 grams. The pulley wheel's large amount of eccentric offset relative to the cage's pivot allows it to clear the large cog while still staying close to the other, smaller cogs. Installation and Setup Installing the Shark derailleur cage is a bit more intimidating, but it's something that can be done in only a few minutes. It's best to do the cage before installing a new chain so you don't end up fighting its spring tension, and take note of which pulley goes on which end of the cage. It also should be said that while Shimano generally remains quiet when it comes to this topic, you can bet your last eleven-speed quick link that they don't want you messing with their stuff. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it or that the OneUp conversion doesn't work well, but only that there are likely some polite Japanese engineers groaning when they see this. Oh, and you can forget about any sort of warranty on the derailleur. The backside of the Shark Cage on an XT Shadow+ 11-speed derailleur. Performance OneUp's 50-tooth cog might sound silly large, but you can easily manage your gearing by going with a larger chainring so that your easiest gear comes close to resembling what you had before, but the opposite end of the cassette becomes taller. So that's what I did. I went from a 30-tooth chainring to a 34-tooth oval ring, which meant that I instantly started using different cogs on the XT cassette than I would have otherwise. You can keep using the same chainring you had on pre-Shark Cog, but it makes far more sense to factor in the price of a new ring so as to adjust your drivetrain to the new, wider ratio. The eight tooth shift from the stock 42-tooth cog to the 50-tooth OneUp cog is a big enough jump that my legs didn't really like that much. It wasn't the shift itself, mind you, but the actual eight tooth difference that just felt a bit odd to me when it came to matching my cadence and effort. Also, the larger chainring means that the gearing is obviously harder when the chain is in the 42-tooth cog, which is something that saw me make that eight tooth jump up on more than a few occasions while making my way up my steep local climbs. Are you a numbers guy? For reference, the final jump on a SRAM XX1 cassette is six teeth (36 to 42), and the last jump on the pre-OneUp'd XT cassette is only five teeth (37 to 42). This means that the percentage of change between two largest cogs for the XX1 cassette is 16.66%, and the gap for the stock XT cassette is 13.51%. The OneUp'd XT cassette sees a much larger jump of 19.047%. Another number to keep in mind is the percentage spread between the highest and lowest cogs: the Shimano XT 11 - 42 is 281.81%, a SRAM XX1 10 - 42 and 320%, and the OneUp'd XT 11 - 50 cassette offers a wider 354.54% range. Shift speeds up to and off of the 50-tooth cog was impressively quick. Pinkbike's Take: Put aside for a moment the idea of such a large cog being only for riders who just need to work on their fitness, even if there might be some truth in that. Am I unhappy with a stock Shimano 11 - 42 cassette? Not in the slightest, and I personally don't feel the need for an easier gear, but remember that the Shark Cog and Shark Cage allow a rider to greatly increase their gearing spread, and not only their low range but also their high range if they decide to go with a suitably larger chainring. This could be a real benefit to a rider with greatly varied terrain. - Mike Levy Cassettes with cogs as big as the large chainring on an old triple crankset have only been a thing since 2012, and while some riders are still unconvinced that a single chainring and cassette with a massive spread is best for them, OneUp is taking things a few steps further. The Squamish, B.C., company's 50-tooth Shark Cog and Shark Cage kit, which are only sold and designed to be used in combination with each other, give your Shimano eleven-speed drivetrain a 19% jump in range. In fact, OneUp says that the Shark Cog creates an 11 - 50 spread cassette with the widest range available when using a standard, non-XD freehub body.The $125 USD kit includes the 50-tooth aluminum Shark Cog, an 18-tooth nickel-plated hardened steel cog, and the required high-offset Shark Cage for Shimano Shadow+ eleven-speed rear derailleurs. The large cog and derailleur cage are both available in either gray or OneUp's customary green color. Did you know that adult great white sharks have about fifty functioning teeth at any given time? The more you know... www.oneupcomponents.com The massive 50-tooth cog is so large that it makes the 42-tooth XT cog right next to it look small in comparison, but the Shark Cog wouldn't be possible if OneUp hadn't designed a new derailleur cage that bolts to Shimano Shadow+ 11-speed derailleurs. This is because the stock Shimano cage puts the upper pulley in a position that's designed to work with a 42-tooth cog, not the much larger 50-tooth Shark Cog, so OneUp's answer was to simply reposition the upper pulley wheel to provide 50% more offset relative to the cage's pivot point. The pulley wheel's new position is much more off-center of the derailleur cage's pivot (much like what SRAM has done on their 1X derailleurs), and it allows the pulley wheel to move further down and out of the way to clear 50-tooth cog when the cage is pulled forward by chain tension. And no, you don't need a different B-tension screw, and you'll likely find that you won't even need to dial your stock screw in all the way.Do you have the tools and knowledge to remove and re-install a cassette? If so, you also have the ability to install the Shark Cog and 18-tooth steel cog onto your XT M8000 11 - 42 tooth cassette.The 50-tooth Shark Cog sits right up against the back of the stock 42-tooth Shimano cog, so you simply slide that down into your freehub and then follow it up with the two Shimano carrier clusters (42, 37, 32, and 28, 24, 21). Now, instead of dropping on the separate 19 and 17-tooth Shimano cogs, you slide the OneUp 18-tooth steel cog and the stock Shimano spacer before the final three Shimano cogs. You've just ditched the stock 19 and 17 in order to run OneUp's 18 and 50-tooth cogs. Easy.Your large cog was a 42 and it's now a 50, and that extra size means that you're going to need to either install a new chain or put a few links into the one you're already using. OneUp would prefer you to do the former, but adding a few links of chain is a pretty easy task. If your chain isn't long enough, and it probably won't be if you leave it at its original length, you risk causing some real carnage (a shark attack?) and incurring a hefty repair bill if you bottom-out your bike's suspension with the chain in the 50-tooth cog and it's not long enough to allow for that to happen. For this reason, always check chain length at bottom-out and when it's in the largest cog.I did run into one setup note that's worth mentioning: I installed a 34-tooth oval chainring with the Shark 50T Sprocket kit, and the drive-side crank does have to be spaced out a bit more than optimal in order for the ring to clear the Ibis Ripley's chainstay. This made for a chainline that was pretty out of alignment, enough so that the chain would drop off of the 42 tooth Shimano cog when I pedaled backward even though it was one in from being the largest cog. Interestingly, the chain wouldn't drop off the Shark Cog when rotating the cranks in reverse, despite it being even more out of alignment with the chainring. This is because the shift gates on the Shimano cog encourage the chain to drop off in order to quicken shift speed when going into a harder gear, whereas OneUp's cog features a different design. This foible is purely down to the chainline of my test bike.I wonder what mountain bikers would say if you could travel back in time by a decade or so and tell them that 50-tooth cogs would be a thing in 2016? Would they call you an idiot, or would they say that they couldn't wait for a drivetrain that offers nearly as wide of a range as a two-ring setup but also one that I'd argue is much less complicated and refined? I think that it'd likely be split pretty evenly because, just like today, there are riders who aren't looking for the easiest possible gearing and enjoy pushing themselves on climbs, and there are just as many (or more) riders who just want to get up those same climbs.I fall into the first category, so the idea of a 50-tooth cog appealed to me about as much as running a triple-ring crankset does, but then I turned down my attitude a bit and actually thought about it.Considering the Shark 50T Sprocket Kit? Decide if you want the 50-tooth as a "Holy shit, I'm dead" bailout gear and keep something close to your original chainring size, or get out that gear calculator and find out what chainring best suits you and your terrain.Somewhat odd feeling gearing jump aside, the shift up to and off of the Shark Cog is remarkably quick and drama free. I was expecting some lag time - all of these conversions seem to be about 80 or 85% as quick as a stock setup - but the Shark 50T Sprocket kit is better than that. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that a lot of riders might never notice the difference in shift speed if they were to do a blind test, which is pretty remarkable given the eight tooth difference that the chain has to span. This is surely down to the Shark Cage and the offset upper pulley wheel that provides clearance but also locates the pulley in just the right spot height-wise. The setup even plays nice under high pedaling loads.And speaking of high pedaling loads, the 34-tooh chainring and 50-tooth cog provided me with the gearing to get up anything that looked even remotely climbable. If you like to challenge yourself on steep, technical climbs and take pride in staying clipped-in when your riding buddies end up on their feet, the Shark 50T Sprocket kit could be ideal so long as you pair it with the correct size chainring. Deputy Carl Koontz (Photo: Indiana State Police) A Howard County, IN, deputy was fatally shot while serving a warrant early Sunday morning, according to Indiana State Police. Deputy Carl Koontz, 27, was hit in an exchange of gunfire around 12:30 a.m. at a trailer park on West Chandler Street in Russiaville. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and later died of his injuries. Koontz had been on the force for nearly three years, WISH TV reports. Howard County Sheriff Department Sgt. Jordan Buckley, 35, was also shot. As of Sunday afternoon, he was in stable condition. Indiana State Police said the suspect died of a gunshot wound. The Howard County Sheriffs Department and the Russiaville Town Marshall were attempting to serve a warrant for drug paraphernalia and an arrest warrant. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print It never ceases to amaze how millionaire and billionaire CEOs, and the boards and shareholders electing them, disregard the fact that without the hard work and dedication of their employees their profitable corporations would be non-existent. It is difficult to fathom exactly when the majority of big businesses embraced a predatory stance toward the people that create their wealth and profits, but it probably goes back to the New Deal when working for slave-wage was virtually abolished and government began enacting workers rights laws and regulations. One of those laws the business world convinced Republicans to work toward eliminating forever is the minimum wage to create greater profits and more poverty. Since they have been unable to abolish the minimum wage thus far, their only option is blocking an increase. When President Obama began calling for a minimum wage hike seven years ago, Republicans were apoplectic; it has only gotten worse since then. Two years ago former House speaker John Boehner said he would commit suicide before he ever vote to raise the minimum wage. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised the Koch brothers that he was not going to waste any time even listening to Democrats talking about gosh darn things like raising the minimum wage. There are plenty of Republicans who still vehemently want the minimum wage abolished, but they lack the votes and control of the White House to make it a reality. Now, the CEO of Carls Jr. fast food franchises is threatening to eliminate the corporations workforce completely because the Democratic candidates for the White House are campaigning on higher wages to combat poverty and income inequality. His idea, one he claims his cohorts in the fast-food industry are ardently behind, is investing in mechanization to be rid of human employees once and for all; he is sick and tired of paying the people that make him and his corporations filthy rich. The CEO, Andy Puzder, is the head of Carls Jr. and Hardees fast food restaurants and he has had it with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and progressive economists who push very hard to raise the minimum wage; something he says is a very serious problem. Puzder doesnt like paying employees a penny over poverty wages, so he plans on eliminating their jobs completely rather than raise the minimum wage. Puzder said, Does it really help if Sally makes $3 more an hour if Suzie has no job? For the record, a higher minimum wage does not kill jobs. Puzder continued that, If youre making labor more expensive, and automation less expensive this is not rocket science. They (machines) are always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, theres never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case. Puzder also contends that customers really hate interacting with other human beings and would much rather deal with a machine that grills a burger and takes an order because the technology is even more precise than human employees. You order on a kiosk, you pay with a credit or debit card, your pre-made order pops up, and you never have to see a living person. Those arguments are pure bovine excrement and a cover for the real motivation behind Puzder and his ilks opposition to human workers; they detest paying employees whether it is poverty wages or not. Puzder made the news a while back for railing against President Obamas crusade to provide overtime pay for so-called salaried employees earning minimum wages. Puzder wrote a couple of op-eds in the Wall Street Journal claiming that managers in name only love working excessive overtime hours for free. His contention is that low wages or not, they prefer the sense of accomplishment that comes from being labeled a salaried manager to being paid for their overtime hours. Now, it is despicable enough that corporate-types like Puzder and Republicans protest they have to pay workers at all, and are violently opposed to a minimum wage hike, but that the American people are subsidizing their workforce to the tune of $153 billion a year while they complain is beyond the pale. Look, Puzder says that hiking the minimum wage is making labor more expensive, but for well over a couple of decades the people have made labor much less expensive by funding food stamps, healthcare, and tax credits for the underpaid and over-worked minimum wage workforce; as Puzder said, this is not rocket science. It is also not rocket science that the American people are weary of watching cretins like Puzder wallow in the wealth created by poverty wage employees and forfeiting their hard-earned tax dollars to support those barely subsisting on slave wage. The truth is that Puzder is not enamored by machines, and if he was able to force his employees to work for 50-cents an hour his love affair with automation would vanish in a heartbeat. Americans should be outraged that low-wage employers, from Walmart to McDonalds to Carls Jr. complain perpetually that government is driving up the cost of labor, when the dirty plutocrats know damn well that government and the taxpayers have kept their cost of labor extremely low and highly profitable for the corporations. It is just not free labor and the only reason why these millionaire and billionaire CEOs pant to replace human workers with machines. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Rabbis dont want Trump giving a speech there. Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, could. But he wont. Hell be campaigning in the West instead. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, along with Ted Cruz, John Kasich and others, is a featured as a speaker at AIPIC this week. In fact, as The Washington Post points out, Sanders will be the only presidential hopeful to not attend AIPIC. Donald Trump is due to speak tonight, trying to explain how he can be pro-Israel while championing an antisemitic movement. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPIC, represents the pro-Israel lobby in the United States, saying, The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel. It regularly invites the presidential candidates to the conference. Salons Ben Norton called Sanders decision a bold move. In a letter to Robert Cohen, President of AIPIC, Sanders explained why he would not be attending: As I mentioned, I would very much have enjoyed speaking at the AIPAC conference. Obviously, issues impacting Israel and the Middle East are of the utmost importance to me, to our country and to the world. Unfortunately, I am going to be traveling throughout the West and the campaign schedule that we have prevents me from attending. Since AIPAC has chosen not to permit candidates to address the conference remotely, the best that I can do is to send you a copy of the remarks that I would have given if I was able to attend. We should be able to get that speech to you on Monday. Any help that you could give us in getting those remarks out to your members would be much appreciated. Thanks very much. Hope the conference goes well. Rob Barkan at the Observer had a few ideas of his own about Sanders absence, writing that Progressives shouldnt give Bernie Sanders too much credit for skipping a major pro-Israel conference tomorrow. He offered to speak on video and was turned down. According to Barkan, He is now, as much as he is a Democratic candidate, the leader of the progressive movement in America, and anyone in that position cant be unequivocally pro-Israel. Many of the grassroots progressives powering Mr. Sanders campaign against Hillary Clinton see Israel as an imperialistic hegemon waging asymmetrical warfare against the Palestinians; the Democratic Party that views Israel as the shining beacon of democracy in the Middle East has little in common with Mr. Sanders most ardent fans. Thats not strictly true. It is not unequivocally pro-Israel that is the issue, but rather an Israel first stance: giving control of American foreign policy to Israel, a gambit embraced by hawks in both countries. What conservatives dont understand is that Democrats can be pro-Israel. They just cant put Israel above the United States. In fact, as has been reported, foreign policy writer Robert Naiman wrote an open letter to Sanders encouraging him to speak at AIPAC urging him to be a truth-teller to the group. Naiman is critical of the groups hard-line pro-Israel stance. There is nothing inherently anti-progressive about addressing a pro-Israel lobby. Sanders is facing an uphill battle against Hillary Clinton and the Utah Democratic caucuses are Tuesday, the last day of AIPIC. He says he will be giving a major foreign policy address on Monday. He was in Vancouver, and then Seattle on Sunday, drawing big crowds in both places and he will be appearing in San Diego on Tuesday. When Barkan writes that His [Sanders] campaign has provided no specific reason for snubbing AIPAC it is important to note that Sanders did in fact explain his absence (he will be campaigning instead) and pointed out that it is AIPIC that will not let him appear remotely, and that Barkan insists on portraying his non-appearance as a snub. Sanders can always shrug and say, I offered to appear remotely. They could have said yes. Bernie Sanders made the correct call when he decided not to attend AIPIC. The people voting for him are not Israelis but Americans. Netanyahu fans among American voters are unlikely to vote for Sanders in any case, and anyone who thinks Israel should control Americas foreign policy are unlikely to be persuaded by anything Sanders says. Republicans will make the most of Sanders non-appearance, but Trump is the guy with the real problem, proving to be the antithesis of the conservative position equating opposition to Israeli policies with antisemitism by proving that loving Israel does not equate with loving Jews. In fact, Max Blumenthal, who is the son of former Clinton adviser Sydney Blumenthal and who happens to be pro-Palestinian, started up a petition that garnered 5,000 signatures urging Sanders not to speak at AIPIC. It is unknown if Sanders was persuaded by Blumenthals position (his petition can be seen here), but his is the right choice regardless. So the Republicans will make hay, yes. Let them. They already claim Sanders is a communist, which is about the worst insult you can hurl in American politics. Democratic voters, on the other hand, will not be persuaded. This election is not about Israel but about the United States, and a second American Revolution can be won in California with its 55 electoral votes, but not in Galilee, which gets 0. In the end, pundits will be hard-pressed to prove Clinton will gain more traction with a speech at AIPIC than Sanders will with a speech in San Diego. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print During her speech to AIPAC, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton decimated Donald Trump and made the Republican frontrunner look like a fool who cant be trusted to run the country. Video: https://youtu.be/QSjwRMvbmCI Former Sec. of State Clinton said: Tonight, youll hear from candidates with very different visions of American leadership in the region and around the world. Youll get a glimpse of a potential U.S. foreign policy that would insult our allies, not engage them, and embolden our adversaries, not defeat them. For the security of Israel and the world, we need America to remain a respected global leader committed to defending and advancing the international order an America able to block efforts to isolate or attack Israel. The alternative is unthinkable. Yes, we need steady hands, not a President who says hes neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who-knows-what on Wednesday because everythings negotiable. Well my friends, Israels security is non-negotiable. Ive sat in Israeli hospital rooms, holding the hands of men and women whose bodies and lives were torn apart by terrorist bombs. Ive listened to doctors describe the shrapnel left in a leg, an arm, or even a head. Thats why I feel so strongly that America cant ever be neutral when it comes to Israels security or survival. We cant be neutral when rockets rain down on residential neighborhoods, when civilians are stabbed in the street, when suicide bombers target the innocent. Some things arent negotiable and anyone who doesnt understand that has no business being our President. What former Sec. of State Clinton was referring to was Trumps comment during his MSNBC Town Hall that he will be neutral towards Isreal: https://youtu.be/R2G5qfeQnPI Trump said, Let me be sort of a neutral guy. It would be so great. I would be so proud if we could do that. I dont know if its doable. I have friends of mine that are tremendous business people, who are really great negotiators, they say its not doable. Of course, Trump has changed his position on Israel on numerous occasions depending on personal whim and whatever suits him at the moment. Hillary Clinton made Donald Trump look like a fool by pointing out that foreign policy is not a business deal. Being President is nothing like running a business. Some may disagree with Clinton on Israel, but unlike Trump, she has a deep understanding of the region and its challenges. The Democratic frontrunner also has a clear policy. One of Sec. Clintons likely general election themes was referenced in her remarks. The Clinton campaign is going to (accurately) portray Donald Trump as someone who cant be trusted to run the country. Hillary Clinton showed both why the Republican Party is desperate to stop Trump, and why the Republican frontrunner will be in way over his head if he is the nominee. Clinton owned Trump, and billionaire could find out that standing on stage with the former Sec. of State is nothing like the collection of fatally flawed also-rans that he has steamrolled through during the Republican primary. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) keeps trying to make the argument that his Obstruct Obamas Supreme Court Nominee strategy is rooted in some deep principle to let the people have a voice. On March 16, he reiterated this in a USA Today op-ed, The next Supreme Court justice could fundamentally alter the direction of the court and our country for a generation, and the American people deserve a voice in such a momentous decision. McConnell is conveniently pretending that the people didnt already have a voice, twice, and in that voice elect and then re-elect President Barack Obama, who won decisively both times. But if McConnell cares so much about the people, why is he ignoring poll after poll showing that the people want McConnell and Grassley to do their jobs? A new Gallup poll released today shows that 52% favor a Senate confirmation of Judge Merrick Garland and just 29% oppose it. (19% had no opinion, which is on par with previous polls on other nominees.) The people have spoken again. But again, McConnell wont listen because the people arent saying what he wants to hear. McConnell would rather trust Donald Trump to appoint the next SCOTUS Justice. Those who say the Senate shouldnt confirm Garland cite McConnells bizarre, unprecedented logic as the reason, saying the next president should fill the vacancy (67%). They dont have concerns so much about Garland as a Justice, but they just believe that Presidents stop working in the fourth year of their terms, per McConnells silly argument. A bit of concerning data for Senator McConnell is that while hes roping in a few Republicans with this sad sack argument, he is only getting 51% of them to support opposing a confirmation whereas 33% support a confirmation and Independents lean toward confirmation as well. The poll was taken from March 18-19, days after President Barack Obama nominated Justice Merrick Garland, who has a long record of being respected and admired on both sides of the aisle. Hes the kind of person who should be on the Supreme Court. As Seung Min Kim pointed out on Twitter, the following Republicans are still serving and voted to confirm Garland in 1997: Coats Cochran Collins Hatch Inhofe McCain Murkowski Roberts: Republicans still serving who voted to confirm Garland in 1997: Coats Cochran Collins Hatch Inhofe McCain Murkowski Roberts Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) March 16, 2016 So thats awkward. McConnell is just making things up, of course. There is no precedent not to confirm a nominee in a presidential election year. There have been six justices confirmed since 1900 and of those six, three have been Republicans, so McConnells excuse for not doing his job is paper thin. Since 1975, the average time from nomination to confirmation has been 67 days. Perhaps the Republican-controlled Senate wont be working for 67 days in the next year. If so, thats an issue they need to be upfront about with the American people. The people have spoken again and again they want the Senators to do their jobs, just like the voters have to do their jobs every day. But Mitch McConnell will ignore the peoples will as he talks out of the other side of his mouth and claims he is doing this unprecedented thing out of concern for the people. In reality, Republicans have already said that if they lose the White House in 2016, they will confirm Garland quickly before the next Democrat gets into the Oval office. So this is all about politics, not people. The politics of delegitimizing this President to cater to the lowest fears of the Republican base. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Thanks to a concerted effort among conservatives, America has been addicted to hate for too long. Like many destructive commodities, as long as hate sells its purveyors will never stop peddling it and in 21st Century America nothing sells like hate. Conservatives thrive on peddling hate because it resonates with their increasingly ignorant racist, sexist, and nativist base. In fact, Republicans have benefitted greatly from selling hate and it was that fact that likely prompted Mormon cultist and then aspiring Republican presidential candidate Willard Mitt Romney to direct his company, Bain Capital, to buy control of Americas leading hate radio network, Clear Channel. Romneys intent was to use his new hate radio network to curry favor with the hate-addicted Republican base to win the White House in 2012. Fortunately, not all Americans were as inclined to buy all the hate Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and others were selling and after a carefully-devised and crowd-sourced boycott effort, iHeart Radio Networks (formerly Clear Channel) is facing an over $20 billion bankruptcy. There is probably something in the Christian bible denoting how horrible it is to take pleasure in the distress of another person, but in the case of the rights hate mongers and for the good of the nation, one cannot help but celebrate the news that Willard Romney likely helped foster the impending demise of hate radio. It was reported late last week that the president of iHeart Media, Bob Pittman, was forced to make an emergency trip to San Antonio to personally grovel before a judge and beg for a restraining order. The order was all that stood between the network staying open and creditors putting the company into bankruptcy for defaulting on its $20 billion debt. The former Clear Channel network owns 850 radio stations across the nation that includes a substantial network of hate radio talk shows hosted by right-wing extremists such as Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. Those four popular, among conservatives, hate-mongers are guilty of propagating fear and hate among their audience by pandering to racists, misogynists, homophobes, and xenophobes that consistently support Republicans. That hate-mongering inspired a substantial group of Americans, 139,000 thus far, to sign a petition to boycott Rush Limbaughs sponsors that helped drive thousands of hate-radio advertisers to flee for fear of their own businesses demise. Limbaugh in particular drew the wrath of decent Americans for his attack on Sandra Fluke that incited a very small group to start the StopRush, among others, movement and organize a potent counter-attack against Limbaughs particularly vile brand of hate. Of course, killing off advertising dollars had a devastating effect on hate radio, but just as devastating was selling the company off to bankruptcy ring operators Willard Romney and Bain Capital. After Romneys plan to use a media giant he owned failed to win the White House, he directed Bain to implement his now-legendary scam to saddle Clear Channel with incredibly massive private loans that Bain and Romney knew in advance the media giant could never repay. With mounting debt piling up, the media giants only hope was a desperate attempt to dig itself out of deep dark hole even while the hate radio industrys profit margins completely collapsed due to advertisers succumbing to intense and well-organized public pressure to bail on hate talk. The effect was that in 2015, iHeart Media posted losses of over $661 million that sent a clear message to creditors that the corporations would never be capable of repaying its debt. Just interest on the wrong-headed loans amounts to $1.74 billion and with advertisers virtually non-existent and mounting revenue losses, iHeart is a two-week restraining order away from bankruptcy. What started the big rush toward bankruptcy court was a deceptive maneuver by iHeart that the corporations creditors claim is a violation of their lending agreement by shifting money from one division of the business to another instead of paying toward the debt. Naturally, iHeart Media contends that the lenders are lying and claimed that the illegal asset transfers constituted a permitted investment under, and fully complied with, our financing agreements. The creditors are furious because instead of at least attempting to make its interest payment, iHeart transferred a $200 million dividend from its Outdoor Holdings corporation to a subsidiary media company to save it. The senior debt holders who have the first claim to assets when the company goes under contend the illegal stock transfer constitutes a default and they intend to call in the debt within 60 days. Calling in the debt iHeart cannot pay would lead to a default that will cascade and trigger defaults on the companies other crushing debts leaving everyone empty-handed; except Bain and Willard Romney. Sadly, decent Americans will have to wait a couple of weeks to find out whether hate radio is bankrupt and unable to pay its purveyors of hate. Whatever iHeart president Pittman said to the judge earned the company a 14-day restraining order although it is highly unlikely less than two weeks is enough time to dig itself out of debt. It is true hate sells, but not enough to cover a $20 billion debt in 14 days. The encouraging news is that the hard work and due diligence of a small number of outraged Americans who organized the various StopRush movements achieved more than just getting advertisers to flee the hate mongers; they may have had a strong hand in dealing a death blow to a major supplier of hate. Portfolio English Edition's premium content is available only for subscribers Learn about the hottest news of the day, along with immediate follow-up analyses and 1000's of exclusive articles with full access to the premium content. Register and apply for a 14 days free trial period. Yes, at the GEC voting center at the Westin. Yes, at one of the satellite voting centers open on Saturdays. No; I'm voting on Nov. 8. No; I'm not voting in the general election. Vote View Results President Obama is proud of his visit to Cuba this week. Hes enjoying himself immensely. I bet he even enjoyed the group photo that captured him standing in front of a mural of Che Guevara in Havana this morning (below). As Jay Nordlinger has never tired of reminding the ignorant, this was Che: He was an Argentinian revolutionary who served as Castros primary thug. He was especially infamous for presiding over summary executions at La Cabana, the fortress that was his abattoir. He liked to administer the coup de grace, the bullet to the back of the neck. And he loved to parade people past El Paredon, the reddened wall against which so many innocents were killed. Furthermore, he established the labor-camp system in which countless citizensdissidents, democrats, artists, homosexualswould suffer and die. This is the Cuban gulag. A Cuban-American writer, Humberto Fontova, described Guevara as a combination of Beria and Himmler. Anthony Daniels once quipped, The difference between [Guevara] and Pol Pot was that [the former] never studied in Paris. Whatever else might be said, Obama doesnt need Jays reminder. Ignorance is not the explanation. Obama knows what hes doing. Hes proud of it. As for me, Ill go with what the man says: Im old enough to remember when US presidents opposed Communism. Via Shoshanna Weissman/Weekly Standard. I hope you read Katherine Kerstens article, presented yesterday by Scott, about the impact of equity in disciplinary action on schools in the Twin Cities. As Kersten explains, equity in this context isnt about fairness that is, the same rules for everyone. Rather, it means that if one groups outcomes on social measures are not identical to all of the others, the cause is presumed to be discrimination and the proper response to be government policies designed to ensure equal statistical results. Thus, the fact that in 2010-11, consistent with national averages, 15 percent of black students in the St. Paul school district were suspended at least once five times more than white students means that standards must be lowered. For example, the district dropped continual willful disobedience as a suspendable offense. As a result, says Kersten, often, kids who misbehave chat briefly with a behavior specialist or are simply moved to another classroom or school where they are likely to misbehave again. This policy has, of course, produced rampant and serious misbehavior. According to Kersten, increasingly, some St. Paul Public Schools resemble a war zone to the point that Ramsey County Attorney John Choi has branded the trend of violence a public health crisis. Teachers have threatened to strike over the dangers they face, and their safety was a pivotal issue in recently concluded contract negotiations. We are afraid, one told the Pioneer Press. Aaron Benner, a veteran elementary school teacher who happens to be black, described the breakdown: In October 2015, Benner writing in the Pioneer Press stated that he witnessed far worse behaviors during the 2014-15 school year. On a daily basis, I saw students cussing at their teachers, running out of class, yelling and screaming in the halls, and fighting. School officials often failed to follow up when he referred kids for misbehavior, he said. I have since learned that this tactic is widely used throughout the district to keep the numbers of referrals and suspensions low, he added. Benner now works at a charter school. Smart move. Since last Fall, things, if anything, have gotten worse: The 2015-16 school year has seen riots or brawls at Como Park, Central, Humboldt and Harding high schools including six fights in three days at Como Park. On March 9, a Como Park teacher was attacked by two students, suffered a concussion and needed staples to close a head wound. News reports paint a grim picture at these and other district schools students fighting in a stairwell as staff struggle to hold a door to prevent dozens more from joining the brawl, uncontrolled packs of kids roaming the halls and classroom invasions by students seeking to settle private scores. Teachers say fights often arent one-on-one but involve roving bands of kids ganging up to attack individuals. No one will be surprised to learn that the Obama administration has pushed for equity in school discipline. In fact, as Kersten reminds us, Team Obama has made it a centerpiece of education policy. It claims that the disproportionately high rate of disciplinary action towards black students is the product of racial discrimination (never mind that, per Jim Scanlan, lower standards almost certainly increase the disparity). However, white male students are disciplined at a higher rate than their Asian Pacific counterparts. Does this mean that teachers are prejudiced against white boys? Of course not. It means that white male students misbehave more frequently. Similarly, higher rates of indiscipline explain the relatively high frequency of misconduct by black students. Kersten points to a 2014 study in the Journal of Criminal Justice that found the racial gap in suspensions is completely accounted for by a measure of the prior problem behavior of the student. The same indiscipline explains why, for example, young black males between the ages of 14 and 17 commit homicide at 10 times the rate of white and Hispanics of the same ages combined. It also explains why the lefts war on standards extends to the criminal justice system. What is the source of the indiscipline? I agree with Kersten that a primary reason is likely dramatic differences in family structure. Nationally, she notes, 71 percent of black children are born out of wedlock with the rate much higher in many inner cities while the rate for whites is 29 percent. Research reveals that children from fatherless families are far more likely than others to engage in many kinds of antisocial behavior. Theres your inequity. Whatever the cause, the price of rampant misbehavior in schools is paid for, disproportionately, by blacks. It is mainly black students whose educational opportunities the ticket to a better life are thwarted when the environment in predominantly black schools comes to resemble a war zone. Students in predominantly white, mostly peaceful schools will continue for the most part to hold their own, while students in predominantly black ones will fall further behind. The achievement gap will likely increase and the income gap will likely widen. Seizing upon these gaps, the left will lodge ever more vehement attacks on alleged American racism and will demand more power for the government and more equity based programs. The war on standards will pull us all down eventually. Right now, its mainly pulling down blacks. Appointment JACOB GYANG BUBA, the Gbong Gwom Jos and chairman of Plateau Council of Chiefs, was on Wednesday, March 16, installed as the 3rd Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka. His investiture was part of activities commemorating the 10th convocation of the institution. Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Julius Okojie, represented President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the visitor to the university. Mr. Buba is one-time Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service. DIKKO RADDA, was on March 14 appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as director-general of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, for a period of five years. Mr. Radda graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural Economics and Extension from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, in 1996. He obtained two Masters Degrees in Agricultural Extension and in International Affairs and Diplomacy; and also doctor of philosophy in Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, all from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, between 1998 and 2015. A former teacher, banker and local government chairman, Mr. Radda was until his new appointment, the chief of staff to the governor of Katsina State. Honoured PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI on Monday, March 14, in far away Equatorial Guinea, received the countrys highest national honour, the Grand Collar of the Order of the Independence. Mr. Buhari dedicated the honour to the people of Nigeria, who, he said, worked tirelessly for peace in the country and Africa. President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea said the honour was conferred on Mr. Buhari for his personal integrity, exemplary leadership style and courage to fight terrorism in order to ensure peace and safety in Africa. Anniversary IMADE COLLEGE, Owo, on Saturday, March 19, marked its 70th anniversary as an educational institution that has produced notable citizens of the country. The college, which was founded in 1946, has the Olowo of Owo, Folagbade Olagbegi, and the late former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Ilemobade, among its many notable products. The first civilian governor of Ondo State, Adekunle Ajasin, was the first substantive principal of the college. The occasion, attended by its alumni from different parts of the country and abroad, featured a N250million appeal fund for further development of the school. Wedded ADEYEYE OGUNWUSI, the Ooni of Ife, on Saturday, March 12, married a new wife, Wuraola Otiti, a daughter of the families of Obanor and Obayuwana in Benin City. The reception of the traditional wedding was held at the Edo Hotel, located at No 4, Okada Avenue in GRA, Benin City, Edo State. The royal father was represented by his father and uncle, who led guests from Osun State and other places to Benin City. Passage JAMES OCHOLI, the late minister of state for Labour and Employment, was on Friday, March 18, laid to rest amidst tears and eulogies from family members, friends, colleagues and associates. He was buried alongside wife, Blessing, and son, Joshua, in their family home in Abocho, Biraidu District, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. The three family members died in an auto crash on March 6, on the Kaduna-Abuja highway. Speaking at the funeral service, the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, described the three deceased family members as saints called home by the Creator. FELIX IBRU, the first civilian governor of Delta State, departed the earth on Saturday, March 12 at the age of 80. He was born into the family of Peter and Janet Ibru on December 7, 1935 at Agbarha-Otor, a rural community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state. He was one of the seven children of the famous Ibru family, renowned for business ventures in the country. Mr. Ibru was educated at Yaba Methodist School. After his secondary school education at Igbobi College, he proceeded to the Nottingham School of Architecture in England where he qualified as an architect in 1962. He served as governor of Delta State between 1992 and 1993 and later as senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District between 2003 and 2007. He was president-general of the Urhobo Progress Union. Opposition candidate, Patrice Talon, has emerged winner of the presidential election in neighbouring Benin Republic after garnering majority of the ballots in the second round of polls, AFP news agency is reporting. Mr. Talon, 57, beat the candidate of the countrys ruling party and prime minister, Lionel Zinsou, in an election to select the replacement for the President of the West African country, Boni Yayi, who has spent the constitutional allowed two five-year terms in office. In a move reminiscent of the action of Nigerias immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Zinsou has called Mr. Talon to congratulate him even before official release of results. Official results are expected to be announced later today (Monday). The provisional results point to a decisive victory for Patrice Talon, Zinsou told AFP by telephone. The difference is significant, (Talons) electoral victory is certain. I have called Patrice Talon this evening to congratulate him on his victory, wish him good luck and put myself at his disposal to prepare for the handover. Mr. Talon, a successful businessman and former ally of incumbent President, Mr. Yayi, who rose from a humble beginning and made his money by running the port at Cotonou, presented himself to voters as the authentic Beninese while attacking his opponents dual French nationality, media reports say. His supporters nicknamed Mr Zinsou, yoyo, which means the white man for his complexion. Mr. Zinsou, 61, is of mixed birth and attended an elite French University. He was the former speechwriter for former prime minister Laurent Fabius. Mr Zinsou, who was the frontrunner after the first round of voting with 27.1 per cent, was favoured to win the second round but 24 of the 32 candidates in the election, including third-placed Sebastine Ajavon, who won 22 per cent in the first round endorsed Mr. Talon, who had won 23.5 per cent in the first round, as their candidate during the second round of voting. Mr. Talon bankrolled Mr Yayis successful campaigns in 2006 and 2011 but fell out with the outgoing President and fled to Paris after he was accused of planning to overthrow Mr. Yayi in a coup. He only returned to the country last October after he was granted a presidential pardon. He endeared himself to young Beninese with his taste for luxury. Many of them look up to him as being able to come up with solution for the countrys high unemployment. More than 70 Al-Shabaab militants were killed and 30 others captured in battle with Somalias Puntland forces in the past four days, Mohamud Hassan, Puntland minister of information, has said. Mr. Hassan, who made the disclosure on Monday in Mogadishu, said the battle took place in Suuj Valley in Nugal region, Northern Somalia. He said government forces overpowered the insurgents. We have killed 70 Al-Shabab fighters and we also arrested 30 of them. This is a military victory against terrorist group, he said. The minister said more than 500 militants, who stormed the region, were surrounded by Puntland forces, adding that those who escaped were being pursued. Al-Shabaab has been facing major onslaught from Somali security forces backed by the African Union Mission to Somalia, AMISOM, troops. Kenyan soldiers have killed more than 50 militants in the past week in Southern Somalia. (Xinhua/NAN) Amnesty International has described the conviction of former Congolese leader, Jean-Pierre Bemba, of war crimes by the International Criminal Court, ICC, as a historic step forward for victims of sexual violence. Mr. Bemba, a former Vice- President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was accused of failing to stop his rebel fighters from mass killings and rapes in the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2002 and 2003. Mr. Bemba had sent 1,000 fighters to CAR to help stop an attempted coup. The court heard horrific accounts of how for five months fighters of Mr Bembas rebel group, Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) killed hundreds of civilians, raped women and looted. In one of such accounts a man, his wife, his daughters and his granddaughter were all gang-raped by militiamen. He will be in custody until he is sentenced, though he is expected to appeal the conviction. Todays unanimous guilty verdict by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Jean-Pierre Bemba is an historic moment in the battle for justice and accountability for victims of sexual violence in the Central African Republic and around the world, said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa. Not only is it the first time that the ICC has convicted someone for rape as a war crime but it is also the first ICC conviction based on command responsibility. The judgment sends a clear message that impunity for sexual violence as a tool of war will not be tolerated. It also makes clear that military commanders and political superiors must take all necessary steps to prevent their subordinates from committing such heinous acts and will be held accountable if they fail to do so. Welcoming the verdict, ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda told the BBC that: While the reality of the crimes is appalling, the significance of this decision is to be celebrated. What this decision affirms is that commanders are responsible for the acts of the forces under their control. The Kaduna State Government on Monday faulted organised labour on threats to proceed on strike if the government failed to stop ongoing verification of workers. A statement by Governor Nasiru El-Rufai through his media aide, Samuel Aruwan, on Monday in Kaduna warned that any worker that failed to participate in the verification exercise would be removed from payroll. It said that the verification was compulsory, as it would aid the administration in updating its pay record. On the threats by labour, the government stressed that public servants first became employees before they became union members. Cooperation with the employer to verify the status of every worker is expected. It cannot be made a reason for industrial action. Refusal to participate in verification will result in the concerned persons being removed from the payroll. The labour leadership seems to be afraid that workers will opt-out of joining unions. If that be the case, the unions should seek ways to increase their attraction to workers, including persuading them to opt for continued membership. Inciting workers against a legitimate process of updating their personnel records is counter-productive. The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress in the state had urged workers to ignore governments directive to indicate whether to belong to unions or not. The labour unions said on Saturday that they regarded the exercise as a deliberate attempt to strangle labour movement in the state. The management of Queens College, Lagos, has thrown its weight behind one of its teachers accused of sexually assaulting a female student. Olaseni Oshifala, a Biology teacher, was purportedly accused by a parent, Chinenye Okoye, of forcefully trying to kiss and touch the private parts of her daughter, a JSS 2 pupil. According to Mrs. Okoye, the teacher cornered her daughter on her way back from relieving herself just before lights out and assaulted her. She started screaming and then students started coming out so he left her and pretended to punish her, she added. The claims went viral on social media last weekend forcing the college alumni to convene an emergency meeting on Sunday. In a statement on the schools website , Lami Amodu, the Principal, said the claims was an attempt to ridicule, not just Mr Olaseni, but the hard-earned reputation of Queens College. (We later realised that the so-called statement was adapted from a series of interviews blogger Mike Ile had with college officials. It was later deleted). When I resumed work as principal here, I was told of a certain matron who housed a person that had attempted to have an affair with a student, Mrs. Amodu began. I was not here when it happened but as soon as I was told, I made sure that the matron was moved out of the school premises. I have zero tolerance for such behaviour. I have a daughter who schools here, even before I began work here. I will not take chances. As I talk to you, no single parent has come to me or any of my Vice-Principals to report Olaseni as a molester. I assure you that if the allegation was true, other parents would have been buzzing our lines non-stop. Children spread gossip fast. They would tell their parents or relations, if anyone was molesting them here. No parent would take such news lightly. When this news reached me, I summoned an emergency meeting of all the critical stakeholders. We all discussed before inviting Mr Osifala. Every one of my staff says positive things about the man. Of course they were all here (Queens College) before me, so they are qualified to assess members of staff properly. Mrs. Amodu said before her resumption at Queens College, a former principal of Kings College, Dele Olapeju, had recommended Mr. Oshilafa as a credible person to work with. Let us not forget that Olaseni worked with five different principals, all of who also told me good words about him, despite the various allegations against him, she said. I have investigated and we are not relenting in our determination to get to the bottom of this case. The man in question has been of impeccable character and committed service since I resumed work here. I can vouch for him. When I resumed work here, I was told a few unsavoury things about him. But investigations showed that each time a new principal resumed at Queens College, these allegations popped up. They would tell every new principal that Mr Olaseni is a molester. But after investigations, nothing concrete came up. My predecessor, whom we just sent forth today, told me the same thing. So it has been a recurring decimal, these allegations. Mrs. Amodu said there was a campaign of calumny against Mr. Osifala who happens to be the best teacher in our school. During World Teachers Day, he bagged five awards. The students all have good things to say about him. Somebody somewhere is up to some mischief and we will uncover this unfortunate drama, the school principal said. We place a premium on the security and welfare of our girls. We are all mothers. We will not allow any staff to endanger girls in this school. The Chairperson of the schools Parents-Teachers Association, B.E Akhetuamen, also said the claims were an attempt to pull down Mr. Oshifala. I have two daughters schooling here, she said. After six years in the school, I should be able to trust them to intimate me about things that happen in the school, especially when I ask. They have made it clear to me, no such thing occurred. Meanwhile, no parent has called me to make any such allegation against the teacher in question and I find it very strange. Mrs. Akhetuamen said if such a thing had happened, the students themselves would have given the matter leverage. It would not have needed a blogger to break the story, she said. There is a policy against use of phones in the college but we hear rumours that some students smuggle in phones. Do you imagine that such students would not have called their parents with the gist? And for all this time that the event allegedly occurred (one month now) do you think that no parent would have raised eyebrows? When I asked my daughter about this story, she said she only started hearing about it today. I am an Edo woman, I speak from my heart because I fear only God. Even if I face anybody now, I can defend him (Olaseni) authoritatively. I have always recommended him to every principal that was posted here. On claims that Mr. Oshifala assaulted the student near the boarding house, D. A Oludinmu, the Senior Boarding House Mistress at the school, admitted Mr. Osifala comes around the hostel because he is the Hostel Maintenance Officer. But there is a procedure for that, she noted. He never comes without the permission of the principal and even during emergencies, he does not come alone. The principal still has to permit him, and he always comes with the maintenance boys. Mr Olaseni does not come to the hostel outside working hours. I can vouch for him. The schools head girl said no male staff lives within the school compound. They also said they saw our teacher with alcohol after lights out. This cannot be true because he speaks against alcohol in class. He is our Biology teacher, not Integrated Science, she said. Knowing him from J.S.S 1 to S.S. 3 now, I can say that the allegations are wrong. No, I just heard the story this morning. My statement cannot be doctored. Yes, we complain to him when we have problems in the hostel. These problems include bad electric bulbs, water problems, etc. The man at the centre of the storm, Mr. Osifala, said theres no truth in the entire incident. I have been accused falsely. Students have openly confessed to being recruited to frame me up in the past, he said. The teachers were there. They can tell you the truth. All I want is to be the best teacher I possibly can. The reason I always win the awards is a function of my drive for excellence. It ensures that I am always busy. My work is not secret. I am an open book. I know that whatever I say now will not matter to those whoade up their minds to judge me. Let God take control. EDITORS NOTE: We later became aware that what Queens College published on its website as press statement by its management was actually a collection of interviews blogger Mike Ile had with college officials. Mr. Ile had earlier published those interviews on his website before Queens College adapted it into a press statement and published on its site. The college has since taken down the statement from its website following complaints by Mr. Ile. We apologise for the mix-up. The Nigerian Army on Monday said its troop engaged in clearing operation at Dalore in Borno State killed 19 Boko Haram terrorists, including a kingpin of the group. The Acting Director of Public Relations at Army Headquarters, Sani Usman, said 67 hostages were freed during the operation while arms and ammunition were recovered. Mr. Usman, a colonel, said in the statement, Elements of 22 Brigade Garrison carried out clearing operation at Dalore camp on Sunday in which they killed 19 Boko Haram terrorists among whom was Ameer of Dalore. The troops also captured 2 AK-47 Rifles, 1 Small Machine Gun and 1 Hand Grenade and recovered 4 pickup vehicles. The troops also rescued 67 hostages from the terrorists. The freed hostages are undergoing screening at Internally Displaced Persons in Dikwa. Unfortunately, during the operation the troops Mine Resistant Anti-Personnel (MRAP) vehicle ran into an Improvised Explosive Device and had a damaged tyre. The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has accused the Federal Government of plotting to kill a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Afolabi Akanni, while in the custody of the State Security Services. The party made the allegation in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti. It held that by not releasing Mr. Akanni from detention despite his failing health, there was a deliberate attempt to kill the lawmaker. The party further stated that the refusal of the federal government to release him in the face of his health, the state governments outcry against the violation of his human rights, there was reason to believe that the aim of his arrest was to ensure he died in detention. It noted that the federal government had exposed itself to ridicule by not disclosing the reason for Mr. Akanis arrest , while citing security breach which was unknown to anybody. The DSS itself failed to explain what the breach was, whether it was something in the make of the Boko Haram insurgency in some parts of the country or the agitation by Biafran people, the party said. The DSS or any other agent of the government owed a lot of explanations on the matter because the arrest of Akanni and his continued detention despite his failing health is wicked. Then we want to ask when and where did he commit the security breach and of what injury does it have on the nation that the Federal Government should arrest and detain him without trial for several weeks and many other questions are crying for urgent and accurate answers. The party urged the federal government to charge the lawmaker to court if it seeks to be responsible. President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the President-elect of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon, on his electoral victory in the presidential run-off on Sunday, March 20, 2015, as announced by the Autonomous National Electoral Commission. Mr. Buhari, according to a statement by the presidency. also commended the government and people of Benin Republic on the peaceful and orderly conduct of the presidential elections. He saluted the courage and statesmanship of Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou and presidential candidate of the ruling coalition, in upholding the democratic process by promptly congratulating his main challenger, Mr Talon, on his electoral victory. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, who signed the statement added, The President also commends President Boni Yayi for his leadership throughout the electoral process and for his invaluable contribution to democratic governance in the sub-region, evidently demonstrated in the successful conduct of the presidential elections. The President is encouraged by the determination and exemplary conduct demonstrated by Beninese in coming out en masse to perform their civic duties. President Buhari believes that the successful conclusion of the electoral process marks an important step in consolidating democracy in the sub-region and a beacon for other African countries to emulate. The President trusts that the Beninese will give the incoming government all the necessary support to succeed and reaffirms that Nigeria, as a beneficiary of the dividends of democracy, will continue to build strong partnerships with her neighbours for the peace, progress and prosperity of our citizens. The German Deputy Defence Minister, Ralf Brauksiepe has said Germany remained on the side of Nigeria to curtail Boko Haram insurgents. A statement by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters quoted the German minister as pledging his countrys total commitment to the Nigerian Armed Forces in their quest to defeat the violent terrorist group in country. According to a statement by the spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, Rabe Abubakar, Dr Brauksiepe disclosed this when he visited the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Abayomi Olonisakin, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja to further boost the GermanNigerian military bilateral relations. Mr. Abubakar, a Brigadier General said, While congratulating the CDS for the tremendous success recorded in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North East of Nigeria, Dr Brauksiepe also observed that the Nigerian Armed Forces had displayed exceptional competence and professionalism in the fight against insurgents and criminal elements in line with global best practices. The Deputy Defence Minister further expressed his countrys determination to explore avenues of common economic and security interest that may benefit both countries especially in the area of curbing sea piracy within the gulf of Guinea. In his welcome address, General Olonisakin noted that the Nigerian military has over the years benefited a lot from the German Government through various military aids and therefore solicited for more support from the German Government in the area of provision of logistic support, intelligence gathering and technical assistance for the Multi-national Joint Task Force established to checkmate terrorists network in the West African sub-region. He said Nigerian military would no doubt continue to partner with German military on defence related matters to enhance the bilateral cooperation which has been in existence for over 5 decades. The German Deputy Defence Minister was accompanied by the German Ambassador to Nigeria, the Defence Attachee and some senior military officials from Berlin, while the CDS received the German delegation in company of his Principal Staff Officers. The current population of about 1.6 billion people living in regions of absolute water scarcity may nearly double over the next 10 years if nothing is done to find and provide more water, High Representative/Vice-President of the EU, Federica Mogherini, has said. Mrs. Mogherini, who was speaking on Monday in Brussels during the 2016 World Water Day, acknowledged water as not just a basic human right, but also a security issue. Access to clean water is not just a basic human right, she noted. In todays world, water is a security issue and the control of water resources is still a major driver of conflicts. According to her, desertification has destabilized a large portion of land, with droughts and floods identified among the causes for the unprecedented levels of human mobility worldwide. One human being in ten does not have access to drinking water. One in three does not have access to adequate sanitation. 1.6 billion people currently live in regions of absolute water scarcity: a figure that will nearly double over the next 10 years. Over 34,000 children under the age of five die each year because of dirty water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Being able to drink clean, safe water; having access to proper sanitation: these are basic human rights for all, not just for those privileged enough to take them for granted, she stated. To contribute to the solution as part of the World Water Day celebration, Mrs. Mogherini said the EU recommitted to the availability and sustainable management of water for all. She said that last September, the international community came together in New York to adopt the 2030 United Nations Agenda apparently in recognition of water as a priority area to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development worldwide. The EU, she pointed out, was already supporting people hit by natural and man-made disasters by providing life-saving access to safe water. With water scarcity and water stress on the rise, Mrs. Mogherini said the only way to deal with the challenge was for people to come together and cooperate beyond borders and political divides to tackle the problem. Apart from trans-national cooperation as well as transparent, rule-based solutions, she pointed out that climate change and the ever-growing population were other global issues that could only be dealt with through global solutions. Annkio Briggs, renowned human rights and minority rights activist on Monday alleged lack of diligent prosecution of Yunusa Dahiru who is standing trial before the Federal High Court in Yenagoa. Mr. Dahiru (alias Yunusa Yellow) was on March 8, 2016 charged with abduction, kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation by the Police. Mr. Dahiru had pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him supported by a fortified legal team of six solicitors. Ms. Briggs, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, shortly after Mr. Dahiru was granted bail in the sum of N3 million wondered why the defence team was more fortified. She charged the police to live up to expectation and draft more lawyers to beef up the legal team to prosecute the case. I am not at all satisfied at the way this matter is going, this is a very sensitive case, if it was someone that went to Kano to abduct a 13-year old, the country would have been on fire by now. The Bayelsa and Delta state governors have not done anything to support the prosecution of this matter, abandoning the prosecution to the Police, who from what I saw in court , is not good enough. How come Yunusa, a Keke driver has a more formidable legal team comprising of good lawyers. I hear the defense team has up to 10 lawyersMs. Is he the one hiring the lawyers?, Briggs asked. PREMIUM TIMES recalls that six lawyers, led by Kayode Olaosebikan, appeared for Mr. Dahiru at the last court hearing. Mr. Olaosebikan, in the arguments over bail application, punctured the points adduced by the prosecution which opposed the bail application.. Speaking after the court session, lead counsel to the accused, Mr. Olaosebikan, said the ruling on his clients bail application was justified as the offence for which he was being tried was bailable. He however declined comments on speculations that he was being retained by powerful interest groups to defend Mr. Dahiru, who ordinarily would not be able to afford the services of six lawyers. I cannot comment on that because it is a confidential information between me and my client, but I can only say that this is not a pro bono case. I was briefed by Yunusa to defend him, that is all I can say, the lawyer said. Yunusa Dahiru (alias Yunusa Yellow), the alleged abductor of Bayelsa teenager, Ese Oruru, who is standing trial at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa was on Monday granted bail for N3 million. He must also provide two sureties in like sum. The sureties, according to the judge must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court while one must be a civil servant of not less that level 12 while the second must be a title holder. The judge further said that the sureties must provide tax clearance for the past three years. While ruling on the bail application, trial judge, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, said the suspect should be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of his bail conditions. Mr. Dahiru was on March 8, 2016 charged with abduction, kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation by the Police. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. His counsel, Kayode Olaoshebikan, who thanked the court for granting bail to the accused, pledged to work to meet the bail conditions. Justice Nganjiwa adjourned the case till April 17 for ruling on the application of the prosecution to obtain the evidence of Miss Oruru in camera. The prosecuting counsel, J.O. Anate, who opposed the bail application, noted that the reasons advanced by the judge were credible. Speaking after the court session, lead counsel to the accused, Mr. Olaosebikan, said the ruling on his clients bail application was justified as the offence for which he was being tried was bailable. He however declined comments on speculations that he was being retained by powerful interest groups to defend Mr. Dahiru, who ordinarily would not be able to afford the services of six lawyers. I cannot comment on that because it is a confidential information between me and my client, but I can only say that this is not a pro bono case. I was briefed by Yunusa to defend him, that is all I can say, the lawyer said. Some of Africas leaders are responsible for instability on the continent because they failed to manage diversity in their societies, a former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said. By the same token, he noted, outside interference in Africa has been responsible for conflicts, citing the NATO air strikes in Libya in 2011 that led to the removal from power of Muammar Gaddafi. The repercussions are now being felt in Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel, Mr. Obasanjo told a press conference on the upcoming Tana High-Level forum on Security in Africa in Ethiopia. Asked whether African leaders were to blame for the conflicts on the continent, he said: Yes and no. He said leaders were failing their people because they had not been able to prevent marginalisation in their societies, prevent injustice, reduce unemployment, reduce poverty, and that they had not embraced democracy and good governance. The theme of this years Forum is Africa in the Global Security Agenda. This is apt, given the continuing fallout from the NATO intervention in Libya, for which US President Barack Obama recently criticised the British and French governments for getting rid of Gaddafi without having plans in place for effective follow-up. On the issue of African peacekeeping operations, he agreed that the lack of funding from African Union member states was a major setback for peace and security on the continent. He said that when he was head of state, he was in charge of a high-level panel to search for alternative sources of funding for the AU, but this came to nothing. He noted that when the AU was looking for funds to counter the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, member states failed to provide the money. The AU eventually had to turn to the private sector and it was able to raise $40 million, said Mr. Obasanjo, who is Chairman of the Tana Forum. He was critical of AU member states for not contributing to the AUs general budget, adding, I think this is down to the lack of political will. Mr. Obasanjo noted that Ebola and migration from Africa had security implications not just for the continent because we now live in a global community whereby if something happens in Africa, it affects the rest of the world. This was why Africa had to take a serious look at its security infrastructure, what Africans could do themselves to deal with these issues, and what should be the continents role in formulating security policies globally. The Deputy Chairman of the Forum, Professor Andreas Eshete of Ethiopia, said Africa had to have not only a stronger voice in the global security architecture but also for its perspectives to be taken into account and incorporated into the global security agenda. The 5th Tana High-Level Forum will take place on 16-17 April 2016 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. More than 150 participants are expected to attend, including current and former heads of state and government, high-ranking government officials, academics, civil society representatives, experts and policymakers from the AU, UN and other international institutions. The National Youth Service Corps has announced the death of a corps member, Okonta Samuel, with call-up number RV/15B/5539, during the re-run elections in Rivers State. A statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday said Mr. Samuel, who served at GCSS Ukpeliede, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Ahoada West Local Government Area. The murder of this patriotic young man, who was an orphan, is primitive, barbaric, and ungodly; and should be strongly condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. The NYSC shall work with relevant agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous act are fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law. We consider Okonta Samuels death as a great loss, not only to his immediate family, but also to all of us in the NYSC family and the entire nation. The service then prayed for the repose of his soul and for the family to have the fortitude to bear the loss. NYSC also said two other corps members that were with the deceased at the time of the incident were rescued by security agents. We also wish to inform that another corps member Anana Aniekan Udoetor (RV/15B/5537), who was earlier reported missing, has been found and is hale and hearty, the statement added. The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has commenced the registration of intending pilgrims for this years pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in all the 23 local government areas of the state. A statement by the Assistant Director, Public Relations of the Board, Yunusa Abdullahi, on Monday advised intending pilgrims to present themselves at the registration centres because registration by proxy will not be allowed. The statement added that intending pilgrims would pay a minimum deposit of N800,000 in a designated bank account, pending the announcement of hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission. The statement quoted the Director of Administration and Finance of the Board, Umar Danraka, as warning that intending females pilgrims would only be registered when they come along with male guardians (Muharam) in line with Saudi Arabias governments regulations. Mr. Danraka, who addressed local government registration officers at the premises of the Pilgrims board, warned them to adhere strictly to the registration guidelines. According to the guidelines, only new pilgrims will be registered, while pregnant women and old people with nobody to accompany them will not be registered. The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday said Saturday`s re-run elections in the State were not credible and should therefore be cancelled. Davies Ikanya, Chairman of the party in the state, made the call at a news conference in Port Harcourt. Mr. Ikanya said the outcome of the elections were not acceptable because the process was not free, fair and credible. The position of Rivers APC is that the entire re-run elections in the state were marred by irregularities, violence and unlawful interference by the State Government. Inadequate security compromised the process, especially with indiscriminate, irregular and untrained ad-hoc staff, he said. Mr. Ikanya said the conduct of the elections fell far below acceptable standard, as it was worse than the 2015 governorship election. He said no credible result would come out of the elections. The APC, therefore, calls on INEC to cancel the entire re-run elections in the state to enable it to correct the pitfalls, he said. The Enugu Maximum Security Prison, built in 1915 for 638 inmates, now houses 1,800 inmates, the Comptroller, Alloy Uchenwa, has said. Mr. Uchenwa stated this when Enugu State Chief Judge, Innocent Umezulike, visited the prison on a decongestion mission on Monday. Due to this problem, the underage inmates are kept with much older and hardened criminals, Mr. Uchenwa added. He said the chief judges mission would contribute to decongesting the three prisons in Enugu, Oji-River and Nsukka. The controller called on government, Non Governmental Organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to re-activate the Institution for Juveniles at Hill-top, Ngwo. Earlier, Mr. Umezuluike explained the annual exercise was aimed at ensuring that criminal cases were not over delayed and to release cases not qualified to be in court. Our mission is to ensure that those who have overstayed are released and we shall try our best to meet the demand, he said. He said similar exercise would be carried out in Nsukka and Oji-River prisons and urged lawyers to ensure that it was orderly, smooth and peaceful. An inmate, Sunday Ezulue, who regained freedom, said he was convicted for killing his brother accidentally. He expressed joy over his release after spending five years awaiting trial. (NAN) The ongoing migration crisis is the most serious problem the EU is dealing with today. I hope that the union will finally assume a serious attitude towards the crisis, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in Budapest on Friday. "I hope that Europe will finally assume a serious attitude towards solving the ongoing migration crisis because if we look, for example, at the situation in which Greece finds itself today, this is the most serious problem the EU is dealing with today," President Duda told a joint press conference with Hungarian President Janos Ader. The Polish president stressed that a lack of concrete decisions regarding migrants would aggravate the crisis. "We want this great value given to our nations by the European Union, namely the freedom of movement and the Schengen area, not to be wasted," he said and added that it would be possible only when the EU as a whole pursued a firm and concrete policy. It is necessary to strengthen the EU's external borders and to support Greece and other countries where camps for refugees, primarily Syrians, are located, according to Andrzej Duda. "This is also a question of dealing with the huge illegal business of people smuggling, of restricting all these trends while taking care of humanitarian issues", the Polish president said. The Hungarian president said that over the last year the Visegrad Group (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) managed to take successful steps regarding the migration crisis. The two heads of state on Friday also discussed specific infrastructure projects, President Duda told reporters. "The railway connection (between Poland and Hungary) leaves a lot to be desired in terms of how modern it is. Things are similar with road connections", he remarked. He added that the energy sector should develop towards diversification of supply and "solidarity regarding energy policy". Economic exchange between Poland and Hungary is good and is worth EUR 8 billion annually, President Duda pointed out, underlining that Hungary was the fourth-biggest partner for Polish exports. President Duda also said that he had invited President Ader to observances of the anniversary of the June 1956 protests in Poznan (western Poland). The year 2016 is special for both countries as the anniversary of the Poznan revolt in Poland and the 1956 revolution in Hungary, President Ader pointed out. The lifting of EU sanctions against Russia should be considered from the point of view of how the Minsk Accords are being fulfilled and not from a "business as usual" position, President Duda said when asked about the German economy minister's recent words that he wanted to get the sanctions lifted this summer. "Sanctions are a legal instrument constituting a response - a relatively gentle and peaceful one - to violations of international law", the Polish president remarked. (PAP) It is the mission of the Polish and Hungarian nations to bring their values to Europe and firmly defend them, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Saturday at the inauguration of Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day celebrations in Budapest. In today's European Union, in today's Europe where there is an undeniable crisis of the values on which European civilisation was built I mean the civilisation that has Latin roots and is based on the stem of Christianity ... all these ideals in today's Europe are being lost, are being forgotten and trampled on by other ideologies that in fact distort the essence of humankind and humanity, the Polish president said. He added that Poles and Hungarians had preserved those good values. I think that today it is our great duty and great mission to bring these values to Western Europe and firmly defend them, also in the face of all the attacks on us, Andrzej Duda said. The events of 1956 in Poland and Hungary showed that neither nation could reconcile itself to bondage, according to the Polish president. The fact that both nations firmly said no testifies to their similarity or even fraternity of spirit, he added, underlining that both countries had managed to regain their freedom calmly but firmly, by holding mass protests and demanding freedom. The nations of Poland and Hungary have a good understanding of each other's thinking and goals, Hungarian President Janos Ader said, adding that Poles and Hungarians believed that the strength of Europe lay in nations that preserved their traditions, roots, historical identity and were proud of their values. In Hungary on an official visit since Thursday, on Saturday President Duda took part in the inauguration of the Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day celebrations. The parliaments of Poland and Hungary established 2016 as the year of solidarity between the two countries in connection with the 60th anniversary of the June 1956 protests in Poznan (western Poland) and the autumn 1956 anti-communist uprising in Hungary. (PAP) 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. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CUPERTINO, Calif.) Over the past year, Apple has introduced super-sized iPhones, but the company's next release could be getting smaller. Apple is hosting invitation-only launch event Monday at the company's Cupertino, California, campus at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. The event comes one day before Apple and the FBI are set to meet in court regarding an ongoing battle over unlocking an iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino shooters. With a court hearing the next day, it's possible Apple executives could use the forum to again comment on the battle, which they have previously said puts the privacy of millions of Americans at risk. However, the star of the show -- and the reason for the event -- is likely to be a new iPhone. Also look out for a few other smaller announcements, which could include new Apple Watch band options and a number of incremental hardware and software updates. ABC News will be live blogging all of the action, so stay with us for the latest updates. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. BELFAST, Northern Ireland, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Smarts Communicate opens new London office Belfast-based global PR and content agency Smarts Communicate today announced the expansion of its international communications business with the opening of a new office in London. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160321/346100 ) (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160321/346101 ) The agency, which currently works with clients across more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, has a client portfolio that includes British Airways, BT, Lidl, Johnnie Walker and Guinness, and has been rapidly growing its international work. Smarts Communicate currently employs 45 people in its Irish base and has seen revenues rise by almost 50% in the past two years as it has grown its global consumer PR division. Last year the company was appointed as the global agency for Johnnie Walker, for whom it also handles PR and social media activity in Western Europe. It has recently overseen the global PR launch of the 'Joy Will Take You Further' campaign, the biggest in Johnnie Walker's 200-year history. The London office will be headed up by Managing Partner Helen Rainford, previously Consumer Creative Director at Good Relations and formerly Associate Board Director at Cake. Rainford is a SABRE award winner and has led accounts for clients including B&Q, Sainsbury's, Samsung, IKEA, Coca Cola, Alton Towers Resort and Tourism Australia. She was the brains behind the award winning B&Q Fifty Shades campaign which had a great impact on the retailer's sales. The announcement also coincides with Smarts' offices in Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh) rebranding as Smarts Communicate in a move designed to provide greater opportunities for businesses seeking a UK networked service. Speaking about the opening of the new office, Pippa Arlow, Joint Managing Director of Smarts Communicate, said: "Our business has been transformed in recent years into a highly competitive international player. With 20 years of in-market experience and a decade of global PR experience behind us, we believe the time is right to extend our operational footprint into London. This is the first in a number of exciting steps for us. We are proud of our record of forging strong, innovative partnerships with key brands - and our hard-earned reputation as an agency that constantly challenges itself to deliver more." Rainford added: "Smarts Communicate already has a great client portfolio and a reputation for delivering brave campaigns. Everyone in the company firmly believes that PR actually has to 'do something' - shift opinion, change behaviours, drive sales. I'm looking forward to growing a team in London that builds on that conviction and opens new avenues for growth. "A lot of agencies do a lot of talking - particularly about themselves. We are going to be doing a lot of listening. I want to be asking our potential clients what they actually want from a London agency, then we'll get on with shaping a business around it." In 2014/15 Smarts Communicate won 21 awards for its global work, including CIPR Excellence and PR Week awards for best global campaign on behalf of Bushmills Irish Whiskey. With more than 70 awards in the past five years alone, Smarts Communicate is one of the UK's most-awarded PR companies. The agency's campaigns have seen them work with a host of international stars including David Beckham, Jenson Button, Snow Patrol, Jake Bugg and The 1975, among others. Smarts Communicate is part of MSQ Partners, a group of creative agencies that includes The Gate, Holmes & Marchant and twentysix. The group has 25 regional and national offices around the world in locations including New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and San Francisco. The new London operation will be based at 90 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 4TJ. smartscommunicate.com http://www.facebook.com/SmartsCommunicate http://www.twitter.com/smartscomm SOURCE Smarts Communicate INDIANAPOLIS, March 21,2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE / Euronext Paris / SIX: LLY) today informs its shareholders that it is holding the 2016 Annual General Meeting of stockholders of Lilly on May 2, 2016 at 11 a.m. at The Lilly Center Auditorium, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. for the following purposes: (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO ) Election of the five directors listed in the proxy statement to serve three-year terms Approval, by non-binding vote, of the compensation paid to the company's named executive officers Ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as the principal independent auditors for 2016 If presented, a shareholder proposal seeking a report regarding how we select the countries in which we operate or invest We have established the close of business on February 26, 2016 as the record date for determining the registered shareholders entitled to attend, vote or grant proxies to vote at the meeting or any adjournments or postponements of the meeting. Lilly makes available free of charge on its website, its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, reports filed pursuant to Section 16 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and amendments to those reports filed with or furnished to the SEC as soon as reasonably practicable after Lilly electronically files these documents with, or furnishes them to, the SEC. These documents are posted on Lilly's website at www.lilly.com - under "Investors." The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. These materials may be obtained electronically by accessing the SEC's home page at www.sec.gov . To obtain copies of Lilly's definitive proxy statement for its 2016 Annual General Meeting, and the necessary documents to vote your shares, please consult Lilly's website at www.lilly.com - under "Investors" or call + 855-731-6026 (toll free) or 317-433-5112. Eli Lilly and Company Investor Relations Lilly Corporate Center Indianapolis, Indiana 46285, U.S.A. This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire. SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company CHENGDU, China, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Honghua Group Ltd. ("HH") (Stock Code: 196.HK), a leading global land drilling rig manufacturer, is pleased to announce that Honghua Golden Coast Equipment FZE ("HH Golden Coast"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group, entered into a sales agreement (the "Sales Agreement") with Kuwait Drilling Company K.S.C ("KDC") on 15 March 2016, with a total amount of approximately US$15 million (approximately HK$118 million). Pursuant to the Sales Agreement, a 7,000 meters cluster well drilling rig is expected to deliver to KDC by the end of 2016. This newly signed drilling rig contract, following the sales agreement of a 9,000-meter ultra-deep drilling rig with KDC on 1 January 2016, marks the breakthrough of HH's cluster well drilling rig entering into Kuwait market for the first time. Mr. Zhang Mi, Chairman of HH commented, "As the national drilling company in Kuwait, KDC has continued to purchase HH products, representing its high recognition of our products and trust in the HH brand. The Sales Agreement marks a solid and strategic step towards enhancing the leading position of new rig sales in the Kuwait market and expanding our influence in the region. It has also laid a significant solid foundation for further in-depth cooperation with KDC and better sales achievement in the future." About HH (Stock Code: 196.HK) HH is one of the largest land drilling equipment manufacturers in the world, which is primarily engaged in manufacturing conventional land drilling rigs, digital drilling rigs, accessories of drilling rigs, as well as the parts and components for the drilling rigs or for the maintenance of the drilling rigs in operation. Based on the existing solid foundation of the drilling rigs equipment, HH will implement diverse development strategies, and expand to become the integrated enterprise which is involved in the interaction development of three major sectors, including onshore and offshore areas, equipment manufacturing and oil and gas resources development (especially the unconventional oil and gas area), as well as engineering services. Honghua Group Limited Ms. Jinny Chen Tel: (86 28) 6817 6881 Fax: (86 28) 8297 1850 Email: ir@hhcp.com.cn SOURCE Honghua Group Ltd. ATLANTA, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Atlantic Trust, the U.S. private wealth management division of CIBC (NYSE: CM) (TSX: CM), today announced the following professionals have assumed expanded leadership roles: Paulina Mejia , managing director, has been named head of Wealth Strategies, where she will lead the Wealth Strategies Group and guide its firm-wide initiatives. , managing director, has been named head of Wealth Strategies, where she will lead the Wealth Strategies Group and guide its firm-wide initiatives. Gabrielle D. Bailey has been named managing director and chief fiduciary officer, where she will head the Trust Committee and oversee the firm's fiduciary activities. has been named managing director and chief fiduciary officer, where she will head the Trust Committee and oversee the firm's fiduciary activities. Judith A. Saxe, managing director, has been named director of research and education for Wealth Strategies, a new role created to lead firm-wide education initiatives concerning various topics in trusts, estates, multigenerational legacy planning and more. This announcement comes as Linda S. Beerman transitions toward retirement. Beerman has been with Atlantic Trust for 15 years, where she served on the firm-wide Operating Committee and was the head of Wealth Strategies and chief fiduciary officer. Beerman's visionary leadership proved instrumental in the development of Atlantic Trust's legacy offering and G2G Impact and Women's CIRCLE initiatives. She will continue working with Atlantic Trust in an advisory role. "With her passion and vision, Linda has made many impactful contributions on behalf of our clients and to the industry throughout her very distinguished career," said Jack Markwalter, chairman and CEO of Atlantic Trust. "On behalf of the entire Atlantic Trust family, I would like to thank Linda for her outstanding leadership. Linda has created a lasting legacy with our clients and our firm. I would also like to congratulate Paulina, Gaby and Judy on their new leadership roles. Each of these talented and dedicated professionals has demonstrated a commitment to serving our clients' wealth management needs with the highest level of professionalism and care. We look forward to deepening our relationships with multi-generational client families through their continued efforts to expand our fiduciary and wealth strategies offerings." Mejia, who joined Atlantic Trust in 2011, will continue to serve as a senior wealth strategist in the firm's New York office. She has been instrumental in developing integrated wealth plans for clients and deepening relationships with key intermediary referral sources. She came to the firm from Brown Brothers Harriman & Co's New York wealth management office, after having practiced law at Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP, bringing more than 15 years of trusts and estates practice and advisory experience working with high net worth clients and related tax-exempt institutions. Mejia graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and received her Juris Doctor degree from the Boston College Law School. With 16 years of industry experience, Bailey has been with Atlantic Trust since 2003 and last year moved from the firm's legal department, where she was very involved in the fiduciary support area, to the Wealth Strategies Group to assume the role of director of Delaware Trust Services. Bailey will continue in this role as she takes on these additional responsibilities for the firm. Prior to joining Atlantic Trust, Bailey was an associate in Alston & Bird LLP's financial services group. She earned a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in history from the University of Richmond and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Saxe will continue to be an integral part of the Boston wealth management team as she assumes broader responsibilities for Wealth Strategies. She has 26 years of experience counseling high net worth individuals, corporate executives, closely held business owners and multinationals on various estate plan designs and strategies. Saxe joined Atlantic Trust in 2003 from Ernst & Young LLP, where she was the New England area director of estate and business succession planning. She currently serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Estate Planning Councils (NAEPC) following a 10-year-long tenure on the executive committee and board of directors of The Boston Estate Planning Council (BEPC), where she served as president in 2013-2014. Saxe earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law. About Atlantic Trust Atlantic Trust is one of the nation's leading private wealth management firms, offering integrated wealth management for high net worth individuals, families, foundations and endowments. The firm considers clients' financial, trust, estate planning and philanthropic needs in developing customized asset allocation and investment management strategies. Experienced professionals deliver a broad range of solutions, including proprietary investment offerings and a robust open architecture platform of traditional and alternative managers. The firm has achieved 35 straight quarters of growthincluding a record $2 billion of net positive client asset inflows in 2015, coming from clients adding assets to their existing accounts and from new business. Atlantic Trust operates in 13 full-service locations throughout the U.S., with 298 employees nationwide and $26.9 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2015. For more information, visit www.atlantictrust.com. About CIBC CIBC is a leading Canadian-based global financial institution. Through our Retail and Business Banking, Wealth Management and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC provides a full range of financial products to individual, small business, commercial, corporate and institutional clients in Canada and around the world. CIBC acquired Atlantic Trust, a premier U.S. private wealth management firm, in January 2014. You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Media Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com. SOURCE Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Brooks Kushman is pleased to announce it has been recognized as the Patent Litigation Contentious Firm of the Year in the Midwest by Managing Intellectual Property (IP) Magazine. In addition to the firm's litigation recognition, Shareholder Frank Angileri has been named Michigan's IP Litigator of the Year for the second consecutive year. The awards were presented at the Managing IP North American Awards dinner on March 17th, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Angileri, who also serves as Co-Chair of Brooks Kushman's Post-Grant Proceedings practice, was recognized for his litigation and Patent Trial and Appeal Board work throughout the year. Under his direction, the firm filed over 30 inter partes review proceedings in 2015. Angileri was also lead counsel for an automotive supplier that received a significant settlement in a patent litigation suit in 2015 (I.E.E. International Electronics & Engineering, S.A. and IEE Sensing, Inc. v. TK Holdings Inc. and Takata-Petri A.G., Case No. 10-cv-1348). . "We couldn't be more thrilled for this recognition and for Frank to receive this prestigious award," said Mark A. Cantor, president, Brooks Kushman. "Frank has been a valuable asset to the development of Brooks Kushman and our post grant proceedings practice, where he continuously demonstrates leadership within our firm as well as in the community. This award is truly a testament to all of those efforts." Managing IP awards national U.S. and Canadian firms, U.S. regional firms and outstanding IP litigators to recognize outstanding in-house teams, individuals and milestone cases of the year. Rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process including reviews from clients, peers, and other law firms. Partners are also able to indicate top practitioners in their respective states through online votes. Additional research is conducted through discussions with clients and leading in-house counsel, and through a review of public information and coverage. Brooks Kushman also ranked amongst the top Trademark Prosecution Firms of the Year both in the Midwest and nationally. About Brooks Kushman P.C. Brooks Kushman P.C. is a leading intellectual property (IP) and technology law firm with offices in Michigan and California, and represents clients nationally and internationally with respect to protection, enforcement and monetization of IP, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. The firm has more than 90 intellectual property professionals specializing in various technical disciplines, and has a reputation for providing leading IP counseling with a focus on the business objectives of their clients. Brooks Kushman counts a number of Fortune 100 companies across a variety of industries among its clients. The firm is also recognized by leading legal publications and rankings, including Corporate Counsel magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Law360, Intellectual Asset Management, Managing Intellectual Property, World Trademark Review, and Intellectual Property Today. For more information, please visit www.BrooksKushman.com. SOURCE Brooks Kushman Related Links http://www.brookskushman.com DALLAS, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Six attorneys from the Dallas-based patent infringement and commercial litigation firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry have earned spots on the 2016 Texas Rising Stars list of the state's top young lawyers based on their work for clients in intellectual property cases. Caldwell Cassady & Curry principals Jason D. Cassady, J. Austin Curry and Justin Nemunaitis are included in the exclusive listing along with firm associates Hamad M. Hamad, Daniel R. Pearson and Chris S. Stewart. To learn more about the firm's work, visit their website at http://caldwellcc.com/. The Rising Stars list is published by Thomson Reuters' legal division and Super Lawyers magazine. It also will be included in Texas Monthly magazine later this year and available online at http://www.superlawyers.com. The list recognizes Texas attorneys who are 40 or younger and those who have been in practice for no more than 10 years. The honorees are nominated by other lawyers before being vetted by the publication's research team. Only 2.5 percent of eligible attorneys earn the award each year. This is the eighth year Mr. Cassady has been recognized among Texas' top attorneys. He focuses his practice on intellectual property and commercial litigation, including patent cases involving such diverse technologies as secure computer networking, integrated circuits, video game controllers, drill bit technology, balloon angioplasty catheters, and computer operating systems. Mr. Cassady has served as trial counsel in numerous cases resulting in nine-figure verdicts for his clients. Mr. Curry earned his third selection to Rising Stars. He provides experience in cases involving electrical engineering and computer science technologies, including claims related to manipulation of document architecture, systems and logic designed to facilitate the creation of secure communications, algorithms for efficient usage of routing cache, and techniques for down-converting carrier RF signals to baseband. He also has helped several clients win nine-figure jury awards in a variety of cases as trial counsel. This is Mr. Nemunaitis' first appearance on the Rising Stars list. His practice focuses on patent infringement disputes and complex commercial litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants. He has helped clients secure multiple multimillion-dollar verdicts and successfully defended similar high-value cases. This is the second time Mr. Hamad has been listed by Texas Rising Stars. His work includes handling depositions of adverse technical expert witnesses, briefing and arguing claim construction and pretrial disputes, and preparing expert witnesses for trial. Mr. Pearson earned his third spot on the Rising Stars list. He represents a wide range of clients involved in patent disputes, including experience in cases involving electronic checking transfers, dynamically configurable computer processors, embedding interactive objects in web pages, methods for improving the speed and efficiency of web servers, systems for facilitating the creation of secure communication links, and systems related to fighting data piracy. This is Mr. Stewart's first time on the Rising Stars list. He focuses his practice on patent and general commercial litigation, including conducting and coordinating discovery in complex cases, handling depositions, drafting pleadings and motions from case inception through post-trial, arguing summary judgment and pretrial motions, and trial preparation/support. Dallas-based Caldwell Cassady & Curry represents clients in intellectual property disputes and commercial litigation claims. The firm is home to trial lawyers who have tried and won some of the biggest verdicts of the past decade against some of the largest companies in the world. Visit http://www.caldwellcc.com. For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or [email protected]. SOURCE Caldwell Cassady & Curry Related Links http://caldwellcc.com Initially, efforts to protect forests will focus on two commodity supply chains: soy in Paraguay and palm oil in Indonesia. Global Forest Watch will be a critical resource for prioritizing action areas and improving transparency. Global Forest Watch combines satellite technology, supply chain information, and new analytical methods to measure forest change. In Paraguay, Cargill works with over 3,000 farmers in the Atlantic Forest to source soy, and has been building a sustainable soy program there since 2009. WRI's analysis will assess deforestation risks in Paraguay and across Latin America to help ensure soy is sourced more responsibly. Cargill has also committed to creating a 100 percent transparent, traceable and sustainable palm supply chain by 2020. Global Forest Watch will be a critical tool for implementing supply chain policies through its tools and methods to assess deforestation risk by looking at individual palm oil mills and concessions. Global Forest Watch's recently released weekly GLAD forest clearing alerts will be useful for informing sourcing decisions and evaluating deforestation risk faster than ever before. In addition to forest protection, WRI and Cargill will work together to identify and reduce water risk. This work will support updates to the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, which uses a robust, peer reviewed methodology offering the best-available data to create high-resolution, customizable global maps of water risk. Companies around the world face operational and supply chain risks such as droughts, floods and water supply variability, which can affect their bottom lines. Working with Cargill will allow WRI to enhance the data and indicators provided in Aqueduct, and improve current measures of water-related business risk. Using open source datasets that describe the origin and fate of freshwater nitrogen and phosphorous fluxes, WRI will also work with Cargill to develop a methodology for evaluating water quality impacts on freshwater systems. This methodology will be pilot tested in the United States, and will identify opportunities to improve water quality in the communities where Cargill operates and sources. Finally, Cargill will join the Skoll Global Threats Fund to support WRI's Water Program in the development of the world's first Global Water-Food Security Analyzer. The project aims to leverage existing information and science to manage environmental and economic risk associated with agriculture globally. The Global Water-Food Security Analyzer will be freely available to the private and public sectors, providing global data on water and climate risks to agricultural production and commodities, as well as the associated economic, environmental, health, and geopolitical impacts. Quotes "This partnership exemplifies our vision for a more sustainable and food-secure future," said Al Johnson, Cargill Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety. "Working in collaboration with NGOs and others on land use and water resources is part of our commitment to be a trusted sustainability partner to our customers and communities. It underscores our ongoing efforts to finding practical solutions to environmental and social challenges." "It is through high-impact partnerships like this that WRI is able to put our world-class tools and expertise to work, scaling impact across global value chains to address today's most vexing issues," said Kevin Moss, Global Director, Business Center, WRI. "There's so much to be gained from better management of water risk and deforestation in company supply chains: better profits and better health for people and ecosystems. By working with Cargill to address deforestation and water risk, we can scale positive change well beyond one value chain. Partnerships such as this are critically important to our shared goals of protecting water resources and ending deforestation." About Cargill Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 150,000 employees in 70 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. (www.cargill.com) About World Resources Institute WRI is a global research organization that spans more than 50 countries, with offices in the United States, China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and more. Our more than 450 experts and staff work closely with leaders to turn big ideas into action to sustain our natural resourcesthe foundation of economic opportunity and human well-being. Our work focuses on six critical issues at the intersection of environment and development: climate, energy, food, forests, water, and cities and transport. (www.wri.org) Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160320/346052 SOURCE World Resources Institute; Cargill Related Links http://www.cargill.com HOLMDEL, N.J., March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage today announced that that Clark Peterson, President, Enterprise at Vonage, has been selected as a 2016 Channel Partners Circle of Excellence award winner by Channel Partners, the leader in providing news and analysis to the indirect IT and telecom sales channels. The Circle of Excellence is an elite group of channel chiefs and executives chosen for their leadership, vision and innovation. Circle of Excellence winners were honored during an awards ceremony at the Spring Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. Inductees will be featured throughout 2016 on a special Channel Partners Immersion Center. "With the indirect channel experiencing unprecedented change, our community depends on visionaries to champion innovative services and products," said Art Wittmann, VP with the Informa Knowledge and Networking group. "Clark Peterson has been instrumental in helping Vonage's partners succeed in growing and creating value for their business, and we're pleased to recognize him with this distinction." "It's an honor to be recognized with this award," Mr. Peterson said. "Throughout my career, the partner channel was always a key part of the successes I have been privileged to experience. And now with Vonage, and one of the largest partner channel programs in the industry, this recognition highlights not only my personal commitment but also Vonage's dedication to providing our partners with the broadest range of cloud products, exceptional service deployment and support, and high quality network delivery, all combined with the strength of the Vonage brand, to help them succeed in their business." Mr. Peterson is president of Enterprise for Vonage, driving Vonage's strategy and growth in the Enterprise segment and leading the Enterprise sales organization. Mr. Peterson's experience in both wireline and wireless areas spans almost 25 years, serving with some of the most respected names in the industry. In 2014, he was recognized as one of the Top 20 CEOs in the Telecom industry nationally and as one of Arizona's Most Influential Business Leaders by AZ Business Magazine. He was also a regional semi-finalist for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award. In 2013, Clark was recognized as "Business Leader of the Year" by the Governor's Celebration of Innovation and the Arizona Technology Council. He was also twice awarded the honor of Top 40 Businessmen Under 40 in the state of Nevada. Currently, Mr. Peterson serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Technology Council; the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale; and the Board of the Boy Scouts of America Grand Canyon District. He is also the founding Chairman of the National Cloud Communications Alliance. Channel Partners editors selected Circle of Excellence winners based on candidates' leadership in the industry, the channel and their companies, with an emphasis on advocacy for partners navigating the intersection of IT and telecom technologies. About Informa Informa is one of the world's leading knowledge providers. We create and deliver highly specialized information through publishing, events, training, market intelligence and expertise, providing valuable knowledge to individuals, businesses and organizations worldwide including the emerging markets of India, China and South Africa. About Channel Partners For more than two decades, Channel Partners has been the leader in providing news and analysis to indirect sales channels serving the business technology industry. It is the unrivaled resource for resellers, aggregators, agents, brokers, VARs, systems integrators, interconnects and dealers that provide network-based communications and computing services, associated CPE and applications as well as managed and professional services. Channel Partners is the official media of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo and Cloud Partners. About Vonage Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of cloud communications services for businesses and consumers. The Company provides a robust suite of feature-rich business and residential communication solutions that offer flexibility, portability and ease-of-use across multiple devices designed to meet the needs of a wide range of customers. Vonage's portfolio of business products covers the full spectrum of business communications needs, serving single-person companies to those with thousands of employees spread over multiple locations. Vonage provides bring-your-own-broadband (BYOB) cloud products and those that offer carrier-grade reliability and Quality of Service (QoS) across BYOB options and the Company's private, national MPLS IP network, as well as integration with industry-leading CRM and business workflow applications. In 2015, Vonage was named a Visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications as-a-Service, Worldwide, and also earned the Frost & Sullivan Growth Excellence Leadership Award for Hosted IP and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) Services. For more information, visit www.vonage.com. Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage America Inc. (vg-a) SOURCE Vonage Related Links http://www.vonage.com PHOENIX, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona Virtual Academy (AZVA), a tuition-free, online public school serving students in grades K-12, is welcoming families to enroll for the 2016-2017 school year. Open to all students who reside in Arizona, AZVA offers online instruction, hands-on curriculum and the support of state-licensed teachers to cultivate an individualized education for each student. "Every student deserves an education as unique as they are," said Kelly Van Sande, Head of School of Arizona Virtual Academy. "At Arizona Virtual Academy we give students the opportunity to design an education plan that works for them so that they can be successful." The online curriculum used at AZVA is rigorous and engaging, including courses in language arts/English, math, science, history, world languages, art and music, as well as over 160 elective and Advanced Placement courses for high school students. College- or career-minded students can choose from a broad range of profession-focused courses in order to gain a competitive edge for the future, discover their path after high school or explore a possible college major. Students are also provided the opportunity to earn concurrent enrollment credit, meaning they can earn college credit while still enrolled in high school, at no cost to the family, as long as the student meets the eligibility criteria. Courses are delivered online with the support of a state-certified teacher and students receive a diploma at graduation. In 2015, AZVA graduates headed to colleges such as Arizona State University, University of Arizona, The Juilliard School, and Brigham Young University. Students who need extra assistance or who are interested in working on small-group projects can also take advantage of the blended learning centers located throughout the state. Students can access their online courses with onsite instructional support at numerous locations in the Phoenix-Metro area, Tucson and Kingman while participating in service learning projects, community services, clubs, and group projects with other students. "AZVA was the best choice for me because it allows me to structure my own schedule," says China Dennington, a student at AZVA. "I can dedicate time for both school and my passionwriting." During the enrollment period AZVA will be conducting online and in-person information sessions throughout the state. Interested families are encouraged to attend to meet teachers, staff and other families and to learn more about the award-winning online curriculum provided by K12. For more information on AZVA and the enrollment process, please visit http://azva.k12.com/. About Arizona Virtual Academy Arizona Virtual Academy (AZVA) is an accredited, full-time online public school that serves Arizona students in grades K through 12. As part of the Arizona public school system, AZVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about AZVA, visit http://azva.k12.com/. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150325/194415LOGO SOURCE Arizona Virtual Academy Related Links http://www.K12.com TORONTO, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. ("iSIGN" or "Company") (TSX-V: ISD) (OTC: ISDSF), a leading provider of interactive mobile proximity advertising solutions and its reseller Dynamic Digital Strategic Solutions ("DDSS") today announced that ScriptRelief ("ScriptRelief") will be entering into a one month trial program that will be running on approximately 225 Smart Antennas in its existing National Mobile Network ("NMN"). ScriptRelief is the largest provider of discount prescription card services in the United States. ScriptRelief partners with a variety of companies and organizations including hospitals, municipalities, charities, debit card companies and membership organizations and has negotiated large volume discounts with the leading pharmacy benefit manager, Catamaran, on over 50,000 medications. This trial is to be a test of public response to their messaging, with a comparison of the acceptance to the messaging from the 25 NMN locations that are closest in proximity to hospitals, medical centers and pharmacies to the other NMN locations. The trial will commence upon the delivery of the advertising content that they want to broadcast. ScriptRelief has the option to expand the trial to a two month period. This will be a paid trial, with payment for the monthly broadcasting once all final impressions and results have been reviewed and evaluated at the conclusion of the trial period. A successful conclusion to the trial would potentially result in installations into a network of locations in the United States at or near drug stores, hospitals, medical facilities, and high traffic locations. There are an estimated 66,000 pharmacies in the U.S alone. These would serve as an adjunctive marketing channel to its current direct-to-consumer and partner centric marketing efforts. iSIGN's Smart Antenna is a commercial quality unit, that is waterproof and fully tested to operate within extreme temperature ranges of -40 to +180 degrees Fahrenheit, that does not involve apps and the related downloads, and the requirement to surrender personal and private information in order for messages to be received, viewed and acted upon. There is no cost to the recipient to connect to or receive messages from the solution, as messages are delivered by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The information gathered by the Smart Antenna and patented technology is completely anonymous, in that it cannot in any way identify the individual that the technology is interacting with. Some of the information gathered includes the make and model of the mobile device; acceptance or rejection of messages; date, time and location of each interaction; and time spent within range of the system. All of this 'Big Data' is of considerable interest to users of the technology, as well as to data integrators. About iSIGN Media iSIGN Media, based in Toronto, is a data-focused, software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that is a pioneering leader in gathering point-of-sale data and mobile shopper preferences to generate actionable data and reveal valuable consumer insights. Creators of the Smart Suite of products, a patented interactive proximity marketing technology, iSIGN enables brands to deliver targeted messaging, personalized offers and loyalty perks to consumers' mobile devices in proximity and with real-time proof of redemption. iSIGN's data gathering capabilities provide analytics on price points, typical purchases, in-store dwell time and other shopper metrics that identify emerging consumer behaviors. These insights enable smarter business decisions and provide increased ROI metrics for more transparent marketing. iSIGN delivers relevant, timely messages on an opt-in basis at no charge to consumers, transmitting rich media to consumer mobile devices via Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity in complete privacy as opposed to iBeacons, apps, downloads and the required surrendering of personal information. Proven to increase brand engagement and customer loyalty, iSIGN generates preference-based, predictive "clean data" without compromising consumer privacy. Partners include: IBM, Keyser Retail Solutions, Baylor University, Verizon Wireless, TELUS and AOpen America Inc. www.isignmedia.com About Dynamic Digital Strategic Solutions Dynamic Digital Strategic Solutions, a subsidiary of Dynamic Digital Sign Solutions has been active in the automated equipment, ATM, and digital signage industry for 18 years. With their affiliation with large scale ATM owner and provider networks as well as the convenience store and hospitality industries they bring exceptional site and brand opportunities to this technology. Integration into static and interactive digital display further empowers the platforms. More recently their value-added services have expanded into prepaid VISA and MasterCard branded Debit card payroll programs, and discount healthcare card platforms for dental, vision, TeleDoc and prescription. Through strategic alliances with multiple North American companies with a customer base exceeding 11 Million, DDSS offers a premier value-added service portfolio to North American companies, particularly in the hospitality, travel, hotel, restaurant, and convenience store sectors. The DDSS suite of turn-key solutions offers companies unique and powerful means to market, attract and retain loyal personnel, and bolster customer base and profitability. DDSS is headquartered in Hamburg, NY. www.DDSSGlobal.com 2016 iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may include certain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations, which involve risks and uncertainties associated with iSIGN Media's business and the environment in which the business operates. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking, including those identified by the expressions "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but reflect iSIGN Media's current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. iSIGN Media assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. 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. SOURCE iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. JOHANNESBURG, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- When Executive Director of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World South Africa Carmen Margro heard of the 2-day Inaugural SEFSA (Socio-Economic Future of South Africa) Leaders Summit to be held in Johannesburg March 11 -12 she decided she had to ensure the work of the Foundation was represented in the program. It seems Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, who called the summit, agreed: He sent her an invitation to attend as one of the 150 most influential leaders of the country. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160321/346164 Archbishop Makgoba called these leaders together to address practical solutions to the deepening socio-economic crisis facing the nation. The purpose of the SEFA initiative was to create a safe and conducive platform for constructive dialogue and consensus-building, with particular reference to what is needed to secure the socio-economic future of South Africa. The SEFSA initiative is faith-based and civil society-driven, based on the growing consensus that the country needs a renewed level of faith and optimism to build a better future. The Foundation's presence in the summit was vital: Drug addiction takes its toll on the economy and so much of South Africa's crime is drug-related. The drug epidemic impacts every aspect of the social spectrum. Over the past two years, Drug-Free World Africa volunteers have distributed 500,000 The Truth About Drugs booklets, delivered more than 700 lectures and events and built a network of 34 drug education teams in South Africa. They also reach more than 100,000 people with their drug prevention message through social media each month. The Church of Scientology supports the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. Scientologists on six continents work in their communities throughout the year to empower others with the truth about drugs. The Church and its members are dedicated to eradicating drug abuse through education and prevention campaigns. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE The Foundation for a Drug-Free World Related Links http://www.drugfreeworld.org GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Michigan Virtual Charter Academy (MVCA), a tuition-free, online public charter school authorized by Grand Valley State University, welcomes families to consider online education for the 2016-2017 school year. Now in its 6th year of educating students who reside anywhere in Michigan, MVCA combines an award-winning online curriculum with hands-on materials and the support of Michigan-licensed teachers. "My son Michael is preparing to graduate this year from MVCA, after enrolling as an 8th grader when we decided that traditional school wasn't the best option for him," said Ann Massey. "As an MVCA student, he has excelled academically, while continuing to train in ballet. The nature of online education has afforded us a level of flexibility that helped him balance education with an exciting career in dance. We're so glad that he didn't have to sacrifice either one of those passions." Students who enroll in MVCA benefit from a rigorous, interactive online curriculum, designed to let them discover the learning style that works best for them. MVCA provides courses in language arts/English, math, science, history, world languages, art and music, as well as elective and Advanced Placement courses for high school students. The program offers advanced learners the ability to progress faster in subjects in which they excel, as well as opportunities for advancement in STEM education. "MVCA families have more control over their children's education than they would in a traditional classroom setting," said Andrei Nichols, Head of School at Michigan Virtual Charter Academy. "Our teachers collaborate with parents, identifying students' individual needs and interests. We offer opportunities for enrichment, as well as for support, and that's what makes our school stand out." In 2015, MVCA graduated its largest class to date. Graduates earn a high school diploma and transcript recognized by colleges and universities around the country. In 2016-2017, MVCA will continue to build on the Family Academic Support Team (FAST) that it launched this school year. FAST staff members and teachers bring a holistic approach to supporting each student's educational progress, working together to meet the needs of the student and family. This includes helping students work through non-academic issues that may be affecting their performance in school. Parents and students are welcome to attend one of the school's online information sessions to learn more about MVCA. Details can be found at http://mvca.k12.com. About Michigan Virtual Charter Academy Michigan Virtual Charter Academy (MVCA) is a full-time online public charter school authorized by Grand Valley State University that serves students in grades K through 12. As part of the Michigan public school system, MVCA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs. Students use web-based lessons and hands-on instructional materials that are shipped to their home. For more information about MVCA, visit http://mvca.k12.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150331/195861LOGO SOURCE Michigan Virtual Charter Academy Related Links http://www.K12.com DALLAS, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnitracs, LLC, a global pioneer of fleet management solutions to transportation and logistics companies, today announced it has reached a significant milestone with its Roadnet Anywhere customer: Kowalski Sausage Company. Since implementing Omnitracs' Roadnet Anywhere Routing & Dispatching in February of 2015, Kowalski Sausage has realized a notable increase in profitability, and has reduced routing expenses by more than an estimated 60 percent. The Roadnet Anywhere platform provides a more holistic view of fleets, consolidating views of routing, dispatching, proof of delivery, telematics, customer notifications and business analytics in one place. An iconic brand across home-state of Michigan and beyond, Kowalski Sausage Company has cultivated a reputation for authenticity, with its food rich in tradition. From its three production locations, Kowalski Sausage Company delivers to est. 500 grocery stores, convenience stores, distributors and warehouse clubs across Mich. and Ohio. The company currently operates a fleet of 10 trucks, and its raw and unprepared foods require refrigeration during transport, making on-time service vital. Direct store deliveries are made via ten daily weekday routes, with service windows ranging anywhere from 30 minutes to six hours. "For a company like Kowalski Sausage dealing with perishable food items, timing, control and transparency is non-negotiable, both for the company itself and its customers. In order to ensure they're operating at optimal performance levels, they require real-time, objective informationunfettered access and visibility to route factors such as distance, time and cost," said Kevin Haugh, general manager of Omnitracs Roadnet Technologies. "Our Roadnet Anywhere SaaS fleet management platform has been able to successfully address each of those needs. In less than a year, we transformed fleet operations at Kowalski, delivering data-driven insights they can then leverage to improve business decisions surrounding fleet size, delivery size, lease lengths and other investments." From a big-picture perspective, Kowalski Sausage uses Roadnet to plan daily routes and uses dispatch tools for reporting and troubleshooting. In fact, Roadnet Anywhere Routing & Dispatching creates the lowest cost routes for each day's deliveries, all while adhering to any rules or variances the Kowalski dispatch team implements based on customer needs. They can now create routes and monitor actual execution throughout the day to spotlight exceptions and proactively address problems. "We've built a 95-year brand heritage around a passion for quality, both in our products and across business operations; implementing Roadnet Anywhere has helped us continue to deliver on that promise to our customers," said Crystal Towery, assistant controller, Kowalski Sausage Company. "In contrast to our past solution, we now have monitoring resources and tools at our fingertips and everything is based on actuals, so there's nothing subjective in the process. That makes a big difference when it comes to running a company effectively and efficiently. We know exactly where we need to improve our performance for the betterment of our customers and ultimately our bottom line." Outside of the tangible growth in terms of profitability, Kowalski Sausage Company has also improved relations with its drivers, leading to improved employee satisfaction and longevity. Towery adds, "With Roadnet, we're able to identify where our driver issues are, sit down with the driver and explain our observations, ultimately troubleshooting to determine what adjustments need to be made to reduce extended travel and service times. Now, drivers are under less stress, which creates better attitudes at customer locations and increases customer satisfaction. We have had more driver compliments over the past three months than we have had over the past three years." Kowalski Sausage Company is also using Mobile Premium, which provides upgraded features such as signature capture, picture notes, and auto arrive/depart. For more information on all of the features and benefits attached to Omnitracs' Roadnet Anywhere platform, please visit: http://www.omnitracs.com/platforms/roadnet-anywhere. About Omnitracs, LLC Omnitracs, LLC is a global pioneer of fleet management, routing and predictive analytics solutions for private and for-hire fleets. Omnitracs' nearly 1,000 employees deliver software-as-a-service-based solutions to help more than 50,000 private and for-hire fleet customers manage nearly 1,500,000 mobile assets in more than 70 countries. The company pioneered the use of commercial vehicle telematics over 25 years ago and serves today as a powerhouse of innovative, intuitive technologies. Omnitracs transforms the transportation industry through technology and insight, featuring best-in-class solutions for compliance, safety and security, productivity, telematics and tracking, transportation management (TMS), planning and delivery, data and analytics, and professional services. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150923/269872LOGO SOURCE Omnitracs, LLC Related Links http://www.omnitracs.com --Intent-to-Treat Analysis Shows Statistically Significant Reduction in Tumour Burden as Measured by CA-125-- CALGARY, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSX: ONC) (OTCQX: ONCYF) (FRA: ONY) ("Oncolytics" or the "Company") today announced an update for a randomized Phase II clinical trial of its lead product, REOLYSIN, in combination with paclitaxel in patients with ovarian cancer (GOG-0186H). The study is being sponsored by the US National Cancer Institute ("NCI"). The update includes data from a Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) study summary report, and follows a presentation made by the principal investigator regarding the study at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology's Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer, which runs from March 19-22 in San Diego, CA. Update Highlights Response Using CA-125 Measurements by Treatment Among all Patients CA-125 Response Treatment Paclitaxel Paclitaxel+REOLYSIN Total Full Response 1 (1.85%) 5 (9.26%) 6 Partial Response 9 (16.67%) 7 (12.96%) 16 Stable Disease 3 (5.56%) 12 (22.22%) 15 Progressive Disease 0 (0.00%) 2 (3.70%) 2 Indeterminate 16 (29.63%) 13 (24.07%) 29 Not Evaluable 25 (46.30%) 15 (27.78%) 40 Total 54 54 108 Source: GOG Study Summary Report The Company performed an intent-to-treat analysis of tumour response, as assessed by CA-125 antigen levels, which showed statistically significantly higher full response rates and stable disease or better rates in the test arm versus the control arm. The rate of full responses in the test arm was 9.26%, compared with 1.85% in the control arm (p = 0.0196). The rate of stable disease or better in the test arm was 44.44%, compared with 24.08% in the control arm (p = 0.0096). The response rates were defined using a modified Rustin's criteria. CA-125 levels are commonly used in clinical practice to assess response in ovarian cancer patients. Response rates as measured by RECIST were performed on patients with measurable disease (n = 68 (of 108)). The proportion responding on the test arm was 17% whereas the proportion responding on the control arm was 20%. An analysis of progression free survival ("PFS") stratified by measurable disease and platinum-free interval (test arm: n = 54, 43 events (progressions), and control arm: n = 54, 48 events) was performed and demonstrated a median PFS of 4.4 months for the test arm, and 4.3 months for the control arm. An interim analysis of overall survival ("OS") (test arm: n = 54, 32 events (deaths), and control arm: n = 54, 32 events) was performed and demonstrated a median OS of 12.9 months for the test arm, and 15.0 months for the control arm. The OS was an interim analysis, as 44 (41%) patients out of a total of 108 patients were alive at the time of analysis. Given the number of patients still alive on the test and control arms with current survival less than the median, final median OS results are expected to change. "This is one of a total of six randomized Phase II studies with REOLYSIN that were designed and sponsored by third parties. The results from these studies will determine clinical targets, endpoints, and study designs for follow on and registration studies conducted by Oncolytics. In the case of this ovarian cancer study, we are pleased that REOLYSIN has demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in tumour burden in ovarian cancer patients as measured by CA-125 levels," said Dr. Brad Thompson, President and CEO of Oncolytics. "This adds to our results in other indications that have shown improvement in tumour responses. In order to further our understanding of how REOLYSIN interacts with the immune system, we hope, in conjunction with the principal investigator, to analyze the PD-1 and CD8+ T lymphocyte levels of patients on entry and correlate these with overall survival and progression free survival." Study Design Summary The study (GOG-0186H) is a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial of paclitaxel versus paclitaxel plus REOLYSIN in patients with persistent or recurrent, ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer. Patients received paclitaxel on days 1, 8 and 15 of each 28-day treatment cycle, with either REOLYSIN (test arm) or placebo (control arm) administered on days 1 through 5. One hundred and eight patients were randomized (1:1, 54 patients in the control arm, 54 patients in the test arm). The NCI study did not stratify on entry according to PD-L1 levels or infiltrating CD8+ T lymphocyte levels, nor were either of those levels measured post-treatment. However, pre-treatment tumour biopsies were taken from the majority of patients. The primary objectives are PFS and toxicity. The secondary objectives are median overall OS by treatment group, median PFS by treatment group, and tumour response as measured by RECIST criteria and CA-125 antigen levels. The study was sponsored by the US National Cancer Institute and conducted by the former GOG, now incorporated into NRG Oncology. Analysis of the Relationship between Ovarian Cancer Patients' Immune Status upon Study Entry and Survival In order to further understand the effects of a patient's immune status prior to treatment with REOLYSIN on PFS and OS, the principal investigator and the Company are working to quantify the levels of PD-L1 and CD8+ T lymphocytes in tumours at the time of enrolment. The Company wishes to conduct this analysis to be able to determine what component of PFS and OS is attributable to PD-L1 and CD8+ T lymphocyte levels on study entry, and what is attributable to REOLYSIN therapy. The basis for this analysis is Hamanishi et al. (2007) (Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 and tumour-infiltrating CD8+ T lymphocytes are prognostic factors of human ovarian cancer. PNAS 104(9):3360-3365), which found that the overall survival rates and progression free survival rates for ovarian cancer patients with high PD-L1 expression on entry were statistically significantly worse than those of patients with low PD-L1 expression on entry. They also noted that the overall survival rates and progression free survival rates for ovarian cancer patients with high intraepithelial CD8+ T lymphocyte counts on entry were statistically significantly better than those of patients with low CD8+ T lymphocyte counts. About Oncolytics Biotech Inc. Oncolytics is a Calgary-based biotechnology company focused on the development of oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics. Oncolytics' clinical program includes a variety of later-stage, randomized human trials in various indications using REOLYSIN, its proprietary formulation of the human reovirus. For further information about Oncolytics, please visit: www.oncolyticsbiotech.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements, including the Company's expectations related to the randomized Phase 2 study in patients with ovarian cancer, future trials in this indication, and the Company's belief as to the potential of REOLYSIN as a cancer therapeutic, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue research and development projects, the efficacy of REOLYSIN as a cancer treatment, the tolerability of REOLYSIN outside a controlled test, the success and timely completion of clinical studies and trials, the Company's ability to successfully commercialize REOLYSIN, uncertainties related to the research, development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, changes in technology, general changes to the economic environment and uncertainties related to the regulatory process. Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Investors should consider statements that include the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "projects", "should", or other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends, to be uncertain and forward-looking. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. SOURCE Oncolytics Biotech Inc. LONDON, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Low-Power Wide Area (LPWA) connections from application-centric, private networks accounted for more than 90% of connections in 2015, but the market is undergoing a drastic transition as it shifts away from private networks in favor of public networks. ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, forecasts public networks to connect nearly 66% of total end-points by 2021. "Standardized cellular LPWA technologies starting with LTE Cat M followed by NB-IoT will witness connections by 2017, as the technologies become commercially available," says Adarsh Krishnan, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. "Public LPWA networks using proprietary technologies will see the strongest surge in connections, boasting an average 56% CAGR through 2021." U.S.-based LPWA network specialist Ingenu recently announced it plans to provide public networks in 25 countries on six continents and will work with one licensed operator partner in each market. Sigfox and LoRa similarly both built up strong ecosystems of network and telco partners across the IoT value chain to build their own public LPWA networks. LPWA network technologies unlock the market potential for new M2M and IoT applications at much lower costs by targeting applications that don't require low-latency networks. Much of the future growth in proprietary LPWA connections is stemming from the smart meter and street lighting segments. Smart gas and water metering will show the most growth, as the meters are battery-operated and power consumption is an essential component to consider when choosing the appropriate connectivity technology. Meanwhile, smart street lighting shows private network leader, Telensa and its PLANet LPWA solution, facing increased competition from public LPWA networks. "Although there is much hype surrounding public LPWA network technologies, the market is still seeing adoption of private networks," concludes Dan Shey, Managing Director and Vice President at ABI Research. "For instance, Swiss Post recently announced it will follow La Poste in its plan to build a nationwide private LoRa network in Switzerland. Though public network will dominate market growth, private networks will not be dead in the water anytime soon." These findings are part of ABI Research's M2M and IoT Modules and Devices Service (https://www.abiresearch.com/market-research/service/m2m-modules/), which includes 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. Contact Info: Christine Gallen Tel: +44.203.326.0142 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151014/276887LOGO SOURCE ABI Research Related Links http://www.abiresearch.com The group of WWP Alumni and their mates enjoyed not only brightening their canvases by using their own talents, but also gamesincluding music triviaand a prize raffle. A unique surprise of the event was the "conjoined" aspect of the paintings so that the paired pieces from each spouse came together to create a whole called a "diptych." The Alumni event provided the perfect opportunity for combat veterans and their spouses to mingle with attendees who share similar experiences. The WWP Alumni program is one of 20 direct programs and services offered to injured service members and their families free of charge. One of WWP's goals is to provide wounded veterans with the opportunity for bonding and camaraderie, where experiences can be shared with those who have endured similar challenges. In the healing and recovery process, these opportunities are essential. Eugene Vecera, retired Army Reserve veteran and WWP Alumnus, said he would do the event again. "To me and my wife's surprise, we enjoyed creating our painting immensely! By following directions, we actually produced a worthy diptych," said Eugene. For Eugene and his wife, the social aspect was a highlight of the night. "We enjoyed meeting the Marine couple next to us, and the interaction with the WWP mentors." Army veteran and WWP Alumnus Tim Stroud immediately felt welcome by the painting staff and was pleasantly surprised by the prizes. "I love the WWP apron," Tim said. "I participated in the music trivia and totally rocked it! I wound up winning a glass for first place. It was a good activity to keep things flowing while everyone was painting." Tim said a high point of the event for him was connecting with other injured service members. "One of them brought his service dog, and I enjoyed their interaction with the group. I met some interesting veterans that I've already reached out to in the Houston area." For Eugene and Tim, WWP represents meaningful chances to personally evolve and connect with other wounded veterans and their families in different stages of transition. Eugene said, "WWP has added a unique dimension to our lives from meeting such outstanding people--both military and civilian. WWP activities have been a great way for us to grow together with other veterans and achieve our highest potential." Tim, who has triumphed with his own personal fitness goals, agreed. "I am very thankful for the opportunity to network with other veterans and see how they are doing on their journey. I'm on a road to recovery, and I need the positive interaction with others who have served," he said. Painting night participants received an overview of the 20 free programs and services WWP offers. One of the programs WWP offers to injured service members free of charge is the Physical Health and Wellness program (PH&W): http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/physical-health-wellness.aspx. Through high-touch, interactive events, wounded veterans and their families engage in impactful programs that lead to positive, active lifestyles. In February 2016 alone, the PH&W program positively impacted 905 injured service members and their families. About Wounded Warrior Project The mission of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. The WWP purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160321/346333 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160321/346334 SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project Related Links http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org Schupfner has more than 20 years of experience leading software development for global automotive suppliers, primarily serving high-end vehicle manufacturers. Based in Karlsruhe, Germany, he will be responsible for driving technology innovation globally across Visteon's technology centers in Europe, the Americas and Asia. He will also lead Visteon's new technology initiatives in the areas of ADAS, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X), and autonomous driving. "Markus has an exceptional track record in the automotive industry in infotainment and ADAS technologies and brings a high level of credibility, having worked successfully with many of the vehicle manufacturers that are driving the technology evolution in this space," said Visteon President and CEO Sachin Lawande. "He has established solid relationships with automakers, suppliers, partners and universities that will contribute to our success in future technology initiatives. We are very pleased to have a technology leader of his caliber joining Visteon as CTO." Schupfner joins Visteon from Elektrobit Automotive GmbH, an international supplier of embedded software solutions and services, where since 2014 he has been executive vice president of operations, after serving four years as vice president of Elektrobit infotainment solutions. As head of operations at Elektrobit Automotive recently acquired by Continental AG Schupfner led innovation, product and service developments for human-machine interaction (HMI), driver assistance, navigation, system integration, connected car and electronic control unit (ECU) solutions. He achieved many successful product launches for high-end vehicle manufacturers and helped turn the company toward a lean development approach. Prior to joining Elektrobit, Schupfner was vice president of navigation for the infotainment division of Harman International Industries, where he led product development and pre-development for high-end navigation. He previously held director-level roles during a 12-year career at Siemens VDO and Siemens, responsible for system architecture and technology development of high-end navigation systems for leading automakers. Schupfner has obtained several patents for embedded navigation software. He has a degree in mathematics from the Technical University of Applied Sciences in Regensburg, Germany. About Visteon Visteon is a global company that designs, engineers and manufactures innovative cockpit electronics products and connected car solutions for most of the world's major vehicle manufacturers. Visteon is a leading provider of instrument clusters, head-up displays, information displays, infotainment, audio systems, and telematics solutions; its brands include Lightscape, OpenAir and SmartCore. Headquartered in Van Buren Township, Michigan, Visteon has nearly 11,000 employees at 50 facilities in 19 countries. Visteon had sales of $3.25 billion in 2015. Learn more at www.visteon.com. Follow Visteon: www.twitter.com/visteon www.youtube.com/visteon http://blog.visteon.com www.google.com/+visteon www.linkedin.com/company/visteon https://www.facebook.com/VisteonCorporation https://www.instagram.com/visteon http://www.slideshare.net/VisteonCorporation https://vine.co/u/1264235937429684224 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160318/345904 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20001201/DEF008LOGO SOURCE Visteon Corporation Related Links http://www.visteon.com NEW YORK, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WGSN, the global trend authority, has released a new digital platform that brings together all of its market-leading products into one place, allowing users to seamlessly navigate between vital information on future consumer trends (up to two years ahead of the market) and up-to-the minute data on what is selling right now. The new platform houses WGSN Fashion, its flagship trend service for the fashion market, WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors, the only dedicated trend service serving the lifestyle and interiors sector, WGSN Instock, a newly enhanced version of its retail analytics website, WGSN Styletrial, a crowd-sourced trend validation product, and WGSN Mindset, its strategic advisory service. All of these products can now be accessed via a single sign-on, enabling users to navigate quickly and easily between them. With the compression of seasons and the evolution of the "direct to consumer" movement, WGSN's move to unite its services on a single platform will help its members who need to react fast to what's happening now, while also anticipating what is next. Within the new single platform, WGSN has also unveiled the latest version of its retail analytics tool, WGSN Instock. Key features of the new site include enhanced personalisation that allows users to track specific retailers, countries, brands and product categories from WGSN's warehouse of over 100 million product SKUs (updated daily). It will also allow users to track specific metrics to understand how different styles of product, colours, prints & graphics, and price points are moving at retail. In an instant, users can now look at trends in Key Performance Indicators such as mark-up %, mark-down %, and frequency of restocks. "Big data is changing the fashion industry. Decisions that once relied on intuition alone can now be backed by shrewd applications of targeted data," says Sansan Chen, EVP of Product at WGSN. "As fashion cycles have significantly sped up evidenced by recent announcements of designers aligning runway collections with retail offerings and as markdowns continue eating away at already low margins, having instant access to valuable, accurate data from a single source becomes critical for both retailers and suppliers to drive their business growth. With this newly launched version of WGSN Instock, client businesses will have a brilliant tool for making pricing and range decisions with more speed and accuracy," she adds. Jose Papa, CEO of WGSN explains: "In the new market, retailers need to respond immediately to changes in consumer preference. The new WGSN Instock doesn't just give our clients data, it enables them to understand the data, and act on what the market is telling them." About WGSN WGSN is the world's leading trend authority, serving fashion and creative-led companies in over 86 countries. Our services cover fashion and lifestyle forecasting, data analytics, crowd-sourced design validation and expert consulting. We help drive our customers to greater success. Together, we Create Tomorrow. WGSN is part of WGSN Limited, comprising of market-leading products including WGSN Instock, WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors, WGSN Styletrial and WGSN Mindset our bespoke consultancy services. WGSN is owned by Ascential plc, a leading international media company that informs and connects business professionals in 150 countries through market-leading Exhibitions and Festivals, and Information Services. Ascential powers the prestigious Cannes Lions festival for the branded communications industry, the world's premier payments and financial services congress Money 20/20, and the global fashion trend forecasting service WGSN. 23 of Ascential's 32 product lines are marketing leading and occupy number one positions. Ascential exists to provide our customers with world class content and connections empowering their businesses to be the best informed and best connected. Our products enable focus, growth and value. Ascential.com Media Contact Emily Spiegel Senior Marketing Manager [email protected] +1 (212) 201 - 2806 SOURCE WGSN Related Links http://www.wgsn.com Name : proftpd Product : Fedora 22 Version : 1.3.5b Release : 1.fc22 URL : http://www.proftpd.org/ Summary : Flexible, stable and highly-configurable FTP server Description : ProFTPD is an enhanced FTP server with a focus toward simplicity, security, and ease of configuration. It features a very Apache-like configuration syntax, and a highly customizable server infrastructure, including support for multiple 'virtual' FTP servers, anonymous FTP, and permission-based directory visibility. This package defaults to the standalone behavior of ProFTPD, but all the needed scripts to have it run by systemd instead are included. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Update Information: Cumulative maintenance release from upstream. Highlights are: * SSH RSA hostkeys smaller than 2048 bits now work properly. * MLSD response lines are now properly CRLF terminated. * Fixed selection of DH groups from TLSDHParamFile (CVE-2016-3125). Various other bug fixes are also included. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - References: [ 1 ] Bug #1317420 - CVE-2016-3125 proftpd: usage of 1024 bit DH key even with manual parameters set https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1317420 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - This update can be installed with the "yum" update program. Use su -c 'yum update proftpd' at the command line. For more information, refer to "Managing Software with yum", available at https://docs.fedoraproject.org/yum/. All packages are signed with the Fedora Project GPG key. More details on the GPG keys used by the Fedora Project can be found at https://fedoraproject.org/keys ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - _______________________________________________ package-announce mailing list package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/package-announce 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 Hong Kong, March 18 : Kitchenware company Masterful Ltd has decided to enter the growing Indian and South American markets and also board the e-commerce train, said a senior official. "We are looking at entering the Indian and South American markets. Barring China and India, markets are stagnating in other countries," Noordin A. Ebrahim, director of Masterful Ltd, told IANS. Ebrahim came to Hong Kong in 1950 from India at the age of 19 to join the family business. "Our family has had a trading business in Hong Kong since 1842, importing yarn, cotton and exporting goods made here and Chinese pulses," Ebrahim said. In 1988, he promoted Masterful to deal in houseware and kitchenware. Some years ago, the company started marketing the products under its own brand Master Chef. The products of the company, which boasts a turnover of $55 million, have a small presence in India through imports from Dubai, Ebrahim said. Masterful has started the process of getting into the e-commerce platform. "We get our items from China and India to our design specifications and export to markets like Europe, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries," he said. "The Indian manufacturers have a good domestic market and hence they are not much bothered about the international market. The Indian companies are not keen on improving their product packaging to the international standards," Ebrahim said. According to him, the safe route to Chinese markets for Indian companies would be to set up base in Hong Kong. "In China, there are two kinds of manufacturers ... those who shifted base from here to China and the originally China-based manufacturers," Ebrahim said. The Chinese-based manufacturers have improved their quality to much higher levels now as compared to earlier years but have yet to reach the quality standards of manufacturers who shifted base from Hong Kong, he added. Ebrahim is of the view that China would not do anything to shake the confidence of the Hong Kong business community and would like to see that peace continued to prevail in the former British colony. (Venkatachari Jagannathan visited Hong Kong at the invitation of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. He can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in) Hyderabad, March 18 : YSR Congress Party legislator R.K. Roja was not allowed to attend Andhra Pradesh assembly on Friday even as the state government filed a petition in Hyderabad High Court, challenging the single judge's interim order, staying her suspension. A day after the high court granted stay on the assembly proceedings for Roja's suspension from the house for one year, she came to the assembly but marshals stopped her from entering the house. Roja said she had a copy of a court order, staying her suspension and the wanted marshals to show if they have any written orders from the speaker not to allow her. The government's action triggered strong protest from the lone opposition party, whose legislators staged at sit-in at Mahatma Gandhi statue in the assembly premises A delegation of YSR Congress leaders led by party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy later went to Raj Bhavan to meet Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and complain against the government's attitude. The leader of opposition said the government had no respect for judiciary as Roja was not allowed to attend the session, despite the court revoking her suspension. Terming the government's action as contempt of court, Jagan, as the leader is popularly known, said they would file contempt of court petition in the high court. He said his party would continue its protest till Roja is allowed to attend the session. The YSRCP members decided to attend assembly session on Saturday in black dress as a mark of protest over the government's action in not allowing Roja to attend the session. The actress-turned-politician, who represents Nagari constituency in Chittoor district, was suspended from the assembly during the winter session for one year for allegedly using "abusive" language against members of ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) including Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. On a petition by Roja, challenging her suspension, Justice Ramalingeswara Rao of High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, had Thursday stayed the operation of the orders of her suspension. However, the TDP government decided not to implement the order and challenge it before the division bench. It filed a petition on Friday before the division bench, headed by the chief justice. The appeal will come up for hearing on Monday. In the assembly, Speaker K. Sivaprasad Rao announced that the house will debate the court order in Roja's case. He said the copies of the court order will be circulated to all members and suggested that they go through it. He said the discussion on the issue will be taken up on Monday. Legislative Affairs Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu hailed the speaker's decision, while Social Welfare Minister Kishore Babu said the speaker has the right to protect the dignity of the house. He told reporters that there are precedents of speaker suspending members for longer periods, noting Congress legislators were suspended from Haryana assembly for six months while six DMK members were suspended from Tamil Nadu assembly for one year. Nairobi, March 21 : Kenya army said its troops serving under the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) killed 13 more Al-Shabaab militants in heavy fighting in southern Somalia on Sunday morning. Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesman Colonel David Obonyo said the soldiers had engaged the militants at Sarira in Lecta Belt, about 30km north of Ras Kamboni area in southern Somalia, Xinhua reported. Obonyo said KDF did not suffer any casualty in the latest attack which saw a middle level Al-Shabaab commander captured and is being detained. "The KDF soldiers pursued them following information of an intended probe attack. Following the incident, a middle level Al-Shabaab commander has been detained, 13 militants were killed, eight AK 47 rifles, two PKM machine guns, two rocket propelled grenades and assorted ammunition were captured," Obonyo said in a statement released in Nairobi. "The assault was a success; the KDF did not suffer any fatality. The KDF soldiers remain vigilant and will continue to target the Al-Shabaab militants that threaten the security and peace in the region," Obonyo assured. The latest incident brings to 34 the number of Al-Shabaab militants who have been killed in the last 24 hours in separate shootout incidents in the Horn of Africa nation. Copenhagen, March 21 : Former Danish Prime Minister Anker Joergensen died on Sunday at 93, local media reported. Joergensen served as the prime minister from 1972 to 1973 and again from 1975 to 1982, Xinhua reported. Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said in a statement that "Denmark has lost a person that we all liked and respected across party lines." Former Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt wrote on her Facebook page that Joergensen was "a man of honour who always fought for justice and equality. He never forgot those who have the least and fewest opportunities." Born into poverty, Joergensen started his political career working for workers' rights and was first elected to parliament in 1964. In 1972, Joergensen succeeded Jens Otto Krag as prime minister of Denmark. He held this position until the 1973 election when he was succeeded by liberal Poul Hartling. After just over a year in opposition, Joergensen returned as prime minister with a Social Democratic minority government until September 10, 1982, when he stepped down without election. Joergensen served in parliament until 1994. New York, March 21 : Actor Bradley Cooper was spotted rushing to help a little girl, who fell over while rollerskating here while he was on his way to the gym. The "American Sniper" star raced over to help after the young girl who fell face down on the blacktop in the West Village here on Saturday as he was going to the gym on Saturday, reports dailymail.co.uk. The 41-year-old hurried to make sure the child was okay, as her father also ran over to help her up. Cooper was dressed in workout gear and appeared to be on his way to the gym. The "Limitless" actor also wore a black jacket and warm navy sweatshirt. He added long black shorts over black compression leggings, and black sneakers. After making sure the girl was fine, Cooper continued on his way. Canberra, March 21 : Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Monday announded the country will hold an early election in July if the Senate fails to pass laws aimed at curbing union corruption. Turnbull will bring back both houses of Parliament for a sitting in April to deal with industrial relations legislation, and said he will call a double dissolution election to be held on July 2 if the bills are not passed, ABC reported. Under Australia's constitution, a double dissolution is used to break a deadlock between the upper and lower houses of parliament. The prime minister said he would also bring forward the federal budget by one week to May 3, saying he had informed his Cabinet colleagues about his decision. "The time has come for the Senate to recognise its responsibilities and help advance our economic plans, rather than standing in the way," he said. "The restoration of the ABCC (Australian Building and Construction Commission) is a critical economic reform." Under the existing schedule, the House of Representatives was set for an extended break until May 10, when the budget was due to be handed down. Now both houses will be sent back to Canberra on April 18 to deal with the ABCC legislation and the registered organisations bill. If the bills are rejected by the Senate during the three-week sitting period, Turnbull is adamant he will call a double dissolution election. The decision for an early poll was taken when the Senate passed voting reforms on Friday after a marathon session. An election is due by January 2017 but had been widely expected by political pundits to be called for the second half of 2016. Jammu, March 21 : The strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway was restored on Monday for one-way traffic after remaining closed for four days. "One-way traffic will be allowed on Jammu-Srinagar national highway," a senior traffic department official told IANS here. "Traffic will be allowed from Jammu to Srinagar. Only light vehicles will be allowed to move on the highway." Incessant rains in the region's Ramban district had triggered landslides forcing the closure of the over 300-km-long road. As weather showed signs of improvement on Sunday evening, landslides were cleared at Sher Bibi, Panthal, Nasri and other places to make the highway traffic worthy. Due to the four-day long closure of the road, mutton, poultry products, vegetables have already run into short supply in the Valley. Chennai, March 21 : Actress Aishwarya Rajesh, who impressed critics and audiences alike with her performance in National Award-winning Tamil drama "Kaaka Muttai", has landed the leading role opposite actor Arjun Rampal in her Bollywood debut. "I play the leading lady in Arjun Rampal's latest production 'Daddy'. It's a very bold, performance-oriented role, and the team had originally cast someone else. However, when Arjun saw my performance in 'Kaaka Muttai', he roped me in," Aishwarya told IANS. It was one of the girls from the production team who suggested Aishwarya's name to Arjun. "This girl recommended my name after she watched 'Kaaka Muttai'. Arjun was thrilled with my performance and immediately got me on board, and didn't mind my language barrier," she said, and added that she's elated with the opportunity. Aishwarya has a little over a month before she joins the sets of "Daddy", and in the interim, she will brush up her Hindi skills. "As much as I'm happy, I know it's not going to be easy in Bollywood. But this is a big opportunity and I want to make the best use of it," she said. In "Daddy", Arjun will be essaying the role of gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli. Aishwarya is currently shooting for a yet-untitled Tamil project with actor Sibiraj. Hyderabad, March 21 : The privileges committee of the Andhra Pradesh assembly has recommended a one year suspension of opposition YSR Congress legislator R.K. Roja from the house. Speaker K. Sivaprasad Rao tabled the committee's report in the house on Monday. The report was tabled even as the legislature challenged the Hyderabad High Court's order, which stayed the assembly proceedings with regard to Roja's suspension. While giving the interim stay last week, a single judge of the high court had made it clear that the speaker is not precluded from taking action based on the recommendations of the privileges committee. Despite the interim orders pronounced on March 17, Roja was not allowed to attend the ongoing budget session. The petition filed by the legislature secretary challenging the single judge's order is expected to come up for hearing before a division bench later on Monday. The YSR Congress, on the other hand, plans to file a contempt of court petition against the government. The lone opposition party has alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government is not respecting the judiciary. Roja, the actress-turned-politician who represents Nagari constituency in Chittoor district, was suspended from the house for one year during the winter session for allegedly using abusive language against ruling party members including Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. A resolution for her suspension was adopted unanimously by a voice vote. The speaker had later referred the issue to the privileges committee. The committee, in its report, said Roja did not appear before it though she was asked to make herself available and clarify her stand. The panel left it to the house to take action against another YSRCP MLA Kodali Nani. It recommended that four other YSRCP legislators be let off with a warning. New Delhi, March 21 : Airline major Jet Airways on Monday announced the launch of daily non-stop flights from New Delhi and Mumbai to its new European gateway of Amsterdam, starting from March 27. According to the company, the new flights to its new European gateway of Amsterdam - Airport Schiphol will enhance connectivity between India, Europe and North America. The move assumes significance, as the airline will shift its European hub from Brussels to Amsterdam. The airline also operates out of Abu Dhabi in partnership with its equity partner Etihad Airways. "We are delighted to announce the launch of our new daily services to Amsterdam. This is a significant step for Jet Airways and demonstrates our continuous endeavour to provide greater choice and better connections for our guests," said Gaurang Shetty, wholetime director, Jet Airways. The airline elaborated that the new flights will be operated under a strategic codeshare agreement with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The airline cited that the new codeshare partnership will provide convenient connections for Jet Airways passengers to and from destinations across Europe and North America via Amsterdam. Under the codeshare agreement, the airline will operate two daily non-stop flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The airline will also operate a daily flight to Toronto from Amsterdam. "The strategic codeshare partnerships with KLM and Delta will enable us to offer wider access, unmatched connectivity and seamless travel from India to key destinations in Europe and North America," Shetty added. The company announced that the strategic partnership will offer one-stop codeshare access to Jet Airways passengers for travel to 30 destinations across Europe and 11 destinations in the United States and Canada. The move is expected to increase travel options for both Indian travellers to Europe and North America and customers of KLM and Delta flights to the Indian subcontinent and Asia. Max Smits, general manager for Indian Sub-Continent with KLM, said: "Together with our joint venture partner Delta we will transfer passengers smoothly and swiftly between three continents and via KLM's home base Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, thus expanding choice and connectivity for our customers." In addition, the airline major added that its new flights to Airport Schiphol will cater to the growing freight demand between India and Europe. "Jet Airways' direct daily flights from Amsterdam will benefit exports from the Netherlands including pharmaceuticals, specialised medical equipment, food and horticultural products, by facilitating access to Jet Airways' network across the vast Indian market," the company said in a statement. Dubai, March 21 : Actor Kartik Aaryan, who shot to fame with director Luv Ranjan's romantic comedy film "Pyaar Ka Punchnama", says he would love to play an anti-hero a la superstar Shah Rukh Khan's character from "Baazigar". "If there is a remake of 'Baazigar', I would love to play a role like Shah Rukh sir. I would love to play an anti-hero. I feel that apart from comical roles, I should also explore romance, action, but slowly," Kartik told IANS on the sidelines of the Times Of India Film Awards (TOIFA) here. Kartik was nominated for the Best Actor in a Comic Role category of TOIFA, but he lost to Deepak Dobriyal, who impressed critics and audiences alike in "Tanu Weds Manu Returns". Making people laugh is "difficult" for actors, believes Kartik, who wants to be a part of content-driven films as well those entertainers which help him connect better with his fans. "If there is more relatability in a film, people or fans like you even more," added the actor, whose henpecked character in "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" and its sequel won him a lot of fans. Talking about his popularity, Kartik said: "My fans mean everything to me. They are the ones who have made me what I am right now. I hope this fan following never stops. It is such a beautiful thing that I have got a fan following of men and female both and that too after an anti-love film." His fans were eager to get themselves clicked with him at TOIFA, and he was happy to pose with them as well as take selfies with them. (The writer's visit is at the invitation of TOIFA organisers. Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in) Mumbai, March 21 : Godrej Properties said on Monday that its dedicated real estate funds management business in India and Singapore - Godrej Fund Management (GFM) has raised $275 million (Rs.1,900 crore) capital though Godrej Residential Investment Programme II (GRIP II). The GFM has raised the capital along with Dutch pension fund asset manager APG Asset Management (APG) as the lead investor, the company informed the BSE in a regulatory filing. "The new GRIP II platform in partnership with APG will help us attract high quality long-term equity investors to partner with us in our developments across India. This fits well with our strategy of deepening our presence across the country's leading real estate markets while maintaining a capital light development strategy," said Godrej Properties MD and CEO Pirojsha Godrej. The GFM will advise GRIP II investors on investments into a residential development platform with GPL in India. GRIP II is a follow on to the $200 million residential development platform GPL had set up with an APG led investor consortium in 2012. "In spite of a general slowdown in the asset class in the country over the last 3 years, our partnership projects have sold well, which is a testament to our partner's execution capability and brand strength. We look forward to deepening the collaboration between our groups and supporting Godrej Fund Management," said Sachin Doshi, managing director and head of private real estate investments, Asia Pacific at APG. New Delhi, March 21 : A Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) committee on taxation of e-commerce has suggested an "Equalisation Levy" of between 6-8 percent for business-to-business digital transactions, as per its report made public on Monday. The committee had already submitted, in February, its report, which had formed the basis of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's Budget 2016-17 proposal for an equalisation levy of 6 percent in order to tax income accruing to foreign e-commerce companies from India. "The committee included officers of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, representatives from the industry, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and tax experts," said a finance ministry statement. The committee has suggested that the levy be imposed on the amount paid to a non-resident by an Indian resident for specified digital services. It also suggested that this levy should not be a part of the Income Tax Act. The specified services would include online advertising or any services, rights or use of software for online advertising, including advertising on radio and TV, designing, hosting or maintenance of websites, digital space for website, e-mails, blogs, facility for online sale of goods or services or collecting online payments. It would also include use or right to use or download online music, online movies, online games and online software applications accessed or downloaded through the Internet or telecommunication networks. The commitee has suggested introduction of the tax based on the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) principle earlier endorsed by G20 countries and the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The budget for the next fiscal has proposed that a person making payment to a non-resident, without a permanent establishment, exceeding in aggregate Rs.1 lakh in a year for online advertisement, will withhold tax at 6 percent of the gross amount paid as an equalisation levy. The levy will only apply to business-to-business transactions. Chandigarh, March 21 : Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh on Monday said the timing of an income tax case involving his son ahead of the assembly elections "smacked of political vendetta" and pointed a finger at union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Amarinder's son Raninder Singh was issued summons on Saturday by a Ludhiana court in a case filed by the income tax department for alleged non-disclosure of foreign bank accounts. Amarinder reiterated the charge that the cases were being put up against his family members at the behest of Jaitley, whom he defeated in the 2014 Lok Sabha election for the Amritsar seat. "Why is the government of India pursuing the case of alleged foreign accounts of my wife Preneet Kaur and son Raninder Singh only, while there are 1,200 others also accused of holding similar accounts. The purported account shown against the name of my wife and son was shown with 'zero balance'. How can it be possible to hold an account, that too in a Swiss bank, without any balance?" Amarinder told the media here. "This is despite the fact that HSBC authorities have already certified five years ago that they did not have any account anywhere with it (HSBC)," the Congress leader said, showing three letters from HSBC authorities certifying that neither Preneet Kaur, a former union minister, nor Raninder Singh had any account in any of the bank branches anywhere in the world. "We cannot take it lying down. We won't allow ourselves to be blackmailed. We will call their (political rivals) bluff. They are deliberately raising the issue from time to time to malign me and my family ahead of the election year and they have nothing against him," Amarinder said. The Congress leader said a higher court will be moved to seek quashing of the income tax department's complaint since, he added, it was without basis. Amarinder produced copies of letters signed by HSBC managing director Robert J. Du Lessis and director Stephen Barney, dated September 6, 2011, certifying that neither Preneet nor Raninder had any account in the bank. He said these documents were submitted to the income tax authorities long back and "they initially stopped pursuing the matter". Moscow, March 21 : Four-time world champion Russian swimmer Yulia Yefimova said on Monday she would challenge her suspension for suspected doping. "Currently we are preparing for hearings of my case. We intend to prove that I have not violated the anti-doping rules," Yefimova said in a video address to her fans, reports Xinhua. Last week, the All-Russian Swimming Federation (ARSF) confirmed that the International Swimming Federation (FINA) has temporarily suspended the sportswoman from competitions due to possible anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for use of banned drug Meldonium. Meldonium, also known as Mildronate, is used to treat various heart diseases, has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from this year. Yefimova said she did not receive any warnings that Meldonium had been included in the banned list from January, neither from Russian or from foreign organisations, in electronic or oral form. "It was legal the last time I used Meldonium for medical reasons," she said, adding that she was surprised that tests conducted more than a month later showed presence of the drug. However, ARSF president Vladimir Salnikov denied the statement. "The Federation has notified in advance all athletes in accordance with the rules. The information has also been published on the official website of the Federation," Salnikov said on Monday. More than 10 Russian athletes, including tennis star Maria Sharapova, have so far been tested positive for Meldonium. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the government to improve the efficiency of doping prevention and to toughen penalties for violations of anti-doping rules. Yefimova said she was optimistic about her fate and would continue training in expectation that she would be able to participate in the Rio Olympic Games. New Delhi, March 21 : A day after a union minister's praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as god's gift, the Congress on Monday took a potshot at Modi and asked if he was god's gift or oligarch's gift to India. "Whether he (Modi) is god's gift or the oligarch's gift to India, the jury is still out," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said. Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday dubbed Modi "god's gift to India" and a "messiah of the poor" and said India is recognised and respected everywhere because of him. "What happened to Rs.15 lakh which you were supposed to get back and deposit in everybody's bank account in 100 days. Why are food prices going through the roof? Why is it that the common man is not able to afford even the basic food items," the Congress leader asked while referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party's promises in the run-up to the 2014 general elections. Tewari also flayed Modi for his comments on caste-based reservation, which he made earlier in the day. "The question to the Prime Minister is: Who raised the issue of revisiting reservation. Was it raised by the Congress? Was it raised by anybody in the opposition? The issue was raised by the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), by its chief Mohan Bhagwat. "So, the prime minister would be well advised if he directs these queries with regard to revisiting reservation to its or to their ideological mentor," Tewari said. The Congress leader was referring to Modi's speech at the foundation-laying ceremony of the B.R. Ambedkar National Memorial here. Lagos, March 21 : At least 27 Boko Haram terrorists were confirmed dead in separate raids over the weekend by the military in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, a military spokesperson said on Monday. Nigerian Army spokesperson Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman told Xinhua that 19 Boko Haram terrorists were killed at Dalore camp in Borno on Sunday. The troops also rescued 67 hostages from the terrorists, the spokesperson said, noting that the freed hostages are undergoing screening at Internally Displaced Persons in Dikwa area of the state. In another operation on Saturday, Usman added that government troops ambushed and killed seven Boko Haram terrorists in Dawashi area. Also on Saturday, the troops also ambushed and killed a Boko Haram terrorist suicide bomber at Kumala and Musafanari villages in the area, according to the spokesperson. Hyderabad, March 21 : A lawyer has been arrested for stealing law books and citations from Hyderabad High Court, police said on Monday. G.G. Venugopala Krishna admitted that he had been stealing law books, journals and citations from the court halls to establish a good looking office to impress clients, police. From his house, police recovered 144 law books which were stolen by him during last one year from the various court halls of the high court. The 49-year-old lawyer told police that since he was not getting clients, he resorted to the theft to display books and citations in his office. "Since his practice was not up to the mark he thought of establishing a good office with sufficient books to attract the clients but he did not have money," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (south zone) V. Satyanarayana. It was on March 17 that police received a complaint about some books and files missing from court hall number 13 of the High Court of Judicature for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The judges and registrar general had taken a serious note of the incident. A case was registered at Charminar police station and investigation was taken up. Police identified the accused after screening the footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the court premises. Krishna, a native of Kakinada town in Andhra Pradesh, was working as a legal advisor in Sirpur Kagaz Nagar Paper Mill in Adilabad district of Telangana but after the lockout in 2012, he shifted to Hyderabad with the family but was not getting clients. Kolkata, March 21 : Thousands thronged the streets of Kolkata to get a glimpse of their favourite leader, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as she undertook yet another walkathon, smiling, waving and interacting with people. Amid the raging controversy surrounding some of her party leaders allegedly caught in a sting operation while taking bribes, Banerjee has been undertaking processions across the city and the adjoining districts canvassing for her party ahead of the assembly polls. Waiting anxiously for Banerjee to start her walk from Ballygunge, people of all ages waited patiently across the Sarat Bose and Ashutosh Mukherjee roads to catch a precious glimpse of her. Sporting her usual saree and rubber sandals and flanked by party leaders -- Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Aroop Biswas and Firhad Hakim -- Banerjee waved, smiled and greeted people with folded hands as thousands of party supporters followed her, waving party flags and chanting catchy slogans. Mobile cameras clicked incessantly, as men and women, young and old, came out in the streets or stood atop rooftops and balconies of their houses waving frantically, hoping to get a reciprocation from their 'Didi' (elder sister). While the sappy and humid conditions seemed to take a toll on Chattopadhyay and Biswas, who found it difficult to keep pace with her, an unfazed Banerjee waved frantically flashing a wide smile. Having a tough time controlling the huge crowd which jostled to get closer to the leader, security personnel had to face Banerjee's chiding for pushing away the crowd. "Don't push like that," said Banerjee after a security man shoved away a man trying to get close to her. As soon as the procession entered Bhowanipore -- her assembly constituency -- innumerable heads and fluttering Trinamool flags met the eyes as far as one could see. Egging on the people to bring the Trinamool back to power again, party activists chanted catchy slogans as people standing across the roads joined in. "This way or that way, Trinamool is the only way," shouted the workers as chants of "Didi, Didi" reverberated all across. Taking brief pauses, Banerjee also interacted with a few of the people and also petted a child who was waving a Trinamool flag. While most of the people were delighted to catch Banerjee's view, there were some who were peeved after being stuck in traffic due to the massive procession. "What is the need for this show of strength? This rally has thrown the entire traffic out of gear and we don't know when will we reach home," said a commuter. Kolkata, March 21 : In what could cause further embarrassment for the Trinamool Congress, Narada News on Monday published a new set of videos of its sting operation in which two prominent leaders of West Bengal's ruling party were purportedly caught on tape -- one of them accepting money, and the other seeking a "benami" stake in a project. The news portal on March 14 had published the first video in which as many as 11 Trinamool leaders were shown accepting bundles of cash in return for favours to a fictitious company. In the latest videos, the website claimed Trinamool Lok Sabha member from Arambagh Aprupa Poddar accepted money, while former party state general secretary Shanku Deb Panda sought a "benami stake" in the fictitious company in return for his help. The authenticity of the videos could not be ascertained by IANS. Incidentally journalist-turned-politician Panda had carried out a sting operation in 2008 in which then CPI-M legislator from Nandigram Muhammad Illyas was seen accepting money. Panda has also been in the news for his grilling by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the multi-crore-rupee Saradha scam. The Trinamool has rejected the allegations claiming the videos to be "doctored" and "manufactured" and threatened to take legal steps against the news portal. Neither of the two leaders could be reached for comment. Havana, March 21 : US President Brack Obama and Cuban President RaAl Castro appeared together on Monday, kicking off the first official talks between their two governments after decades of Cold War hostility. The discussions, to take place after a welcoming ceremony at the Palace of the Revolution, are viewed as a pivotal moment in the thaw that Obama and Castro agreed to set in motion 15 months ago. The leaders were expected to discuss a path toward normalizing relations, and the profound differences that still divide them economically and politically, including the US trade embargo on Cuba and human rights issues, New York Times reported. The encounter was their third face-to-face meeting since they announced the policy shift in December 2014. They met and shook hands in April 2015 at a summit meeting of Western Hemisphere nations in Panama City, and they spoke in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, when Obama told Castro he would like to visit this year if the conditions were right. New Delhi, March 21 : Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday demanded that the central government increase the Haj quota for the city-state. "We request the concerned central ministry to increase the quota for Haj for Delhi. It's the national capital of the country, the number of applications is very huge; the quota must be increased," he said, citing the huge backlog of applications with the state government. Sisodia conducted the draw of lots for Haj 2016 in presence of the officers of union minorities ministry and the Delhi State Haj Committee. The draw of lots was done electronically. Delhi has got a quota of 1,224 seats while receiving as many as 8,987 applications. New Delhi, March 21 : The central government on Monday asked the Delhi High Court to vacate the interim stay on ban on some fixed dose combinations (FDC) medicines sold by pharma majors saying they "endanger patient safety". Defending its decision to ban 344 FDC medicines through its March 10 notification, the government in an affidavit filed before the high court said: "The interim order granted to the Petitioner (pharma companies) would be against the public interest and endanger patient safety." "Their objective is only to gain profits and the petition has been filed only to gain time and obstruct the legitimate functions of the government of India," the affidavit read. Meanwhile, the Delhi high court on Monday deferred, to March 28, the hearing on pleas of pharma companies challenging the ban which means some of popular durgs such as Pfizer's Corex cough syrup, Reckitt's D'Cold and P&G's Vicks Action 500 extra will be available to consumer till next Monday. Justice R.S. Endlaw also directed the government to provide the experts committee report, which recommended the ban, to all the pharma companies that are in court against the ban. The high court had last week stayed operation of the ban on some FDC drugs of around 30 pharma companies including Cipla, Procter and Gamble (P&G), Pfizer, Glenmark, Glaxo Smithkline, Abbott Healthcare, Reckitt Benckiser, Piramal, etc. Justice Ednlaw had asked the government not to take coercive steps against these companies till March 21. In its affidavit, the government said FDC medicines are "new drugs" and require fresh licence from Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). It said licences for FDCs were obtained from state authorities without seeking DCGI approval between 1988 to 2012. A report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on health had said unauthorised FDCs that posed a risk to people need to be withdrawn immediately, the government said. New Delhi, March 21 : Forty percent of India's population may not have drinking water by 2030, if the water crisis in country is not met seriously, a study has warned. With the country facing a grave water crisis and lack of water conservation, the availability of potable water and ground water has decreased over the years which would result in severe situation in the country after a decade, said an activist for water conservation on the eve of World Water Day (March 22) observed to create awareness about water related issues and for action to deal with the global water crisis. "By 2030, 40 percent of the total population in the country will not have drinking water if situation remains same," Jal Jan Jodo Abhiyan's national convenor Sanjay Singh told IANS, quoting a research published recently by the 2030 Water Resource Group (WRG). "The ground water is depleting, the small tributaries have dried up to 90 percent and the flow of rivers has reduced by 60-65 percent. This will lead to a severe situation in the coming years reducing water availability to a great extent," he added. He also said that the per capita demand has increased whereas the availability is very less. In fact, a report on ground water published by PRS Legislative Research --a non-governmental organisation -- says: "Due to increasing population, the national per capita annual availability of water has reduced by 15 percent from 2001 to 2011." It also said that India uses almost twice the amount of water to grow crops as compared to China and the US. "The gap between the availability and demand is increasing at a greater pace. Cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and other metropolitan cities consume water in huge quantities due to changed lifestyle of people. This must be looked into," Singh told IANS. He also said that the efforts done by the government were not enough to meet the crisis. South Asia Network on Dam, Rivers and People coordinator Himanshu Thakkar says water crisis in the country is multidimensional and is aggravating fast because of various factors including mismanagement of the resource. He anticipates big problems based on the water crisis looming large in the country, if the situation continues. "Ground water is the lifeline of the country which is depleting very fast. Water is part of ecological system as every living thing on earth needs water so if not dealt with properly the perennial water crisis may lead to more serious problems like food crisis, livelihood crisis, social conflicts," Thakkar told IANS. He said that social conflicts based on water crisis have already started in the country. Tension between Haryana and Punjab over Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal project and conflicts in Marathwada region of Maharashtra over water are the latest examples. "In terms of water crisis in India things have now come to such a pass that a district collector in Latur district in Maharashtra had to implement section 144 to avoid clashes between people due to water crisis," Thakkar told IANS. Blaming the government in general being the major contributor towards the crisis, Thakkar said the government machinery was solely responsible for failing in water management. "Government is responsible for water crisis in terms of mismanagement. The government does not involve people in the management of water. This year is a drought year so the problem has increased manifold but the efforts of the government does not seem sufficient to deal with the crisis," he said. About the water crisis in Delhi, he said that mismanagement on part of governments can be seen easily as in February, Jat protesters took over Munak canal in Haryana stopping water supply to the national capital and it took over a fortnight to deal with the consequences. Ruwa Shah can be contacted at ruwa.s@ians.in and Ashish Mishra can be contacted at ashish.m@ians.in) New Delhi, March 21 : The Congress on Monday accused the BJP of raising the issue of nationalism to cover up the failures of its government. "The only reason why the bogey of nationalism is being raised, is to cover the inadequacies and the failures of the past 22 months. "It is ironic as to who is raising the question of nationalism -- the political party whose predecessors had apologised to the British imperialists to come out of jail, a party which had no role to play in the national reconstruction of India," Congress spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday had said "nationalism is the country's strength" and freedom of speech does not permit "destruction of the nation". "Nationalism is our strength and it should be further spread," Home Minister Rajnath Singh quoted Modi as saying at the two-day meet of the Bharatiya Janata Party's national executive. Modi also said anti-nationalism would not be tolerated at any cost. Reacting to this, Tewari criticised the BJP leadership for evoking a debate on the use of the slogan "Bharat Mata ki Jai" to express one's patriotism. "When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose said 'Jai Hind', or for that matter Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev said 'Hindustan Zindabad', or even 'Inquilab Zindabad', did that make them less nationalists, than those who say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'," Tewari asked. "Whether it is 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', it is 'Jai Hind', it is 'Mera Bharat Mahaan', 'Hindustan Zindabad', 'Vande Mataram', they are all synonyms of the same emotion," he said. The Congress, however, had sided with the Shiv Sena, BJP and the Nationalist Congress Party in the Maharashtra assembly in getting AIMIM member Waris Pathan suspended for not chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. Shillong, March 21 : A legislator in Meghalaya on Monday alleged that non-indigenous people were marrying tribal girls in the state with the sole intention of evading various taxes. "Non-indigenous people are marrying local girls in order to evade tax," Saleng A. Sangma, an independent legislator, said during Question Hour in the assembly, and asked the government not to count such people as tribals. However, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma informed the assembly that it would be difficult for the government to know the intention of a non-indigenous person marrying a local girl. "It's a question of how to determine the intention of a person. But this issue needs to be discussed at the social level and come up with an acceptable solution," Sangma replied. Legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit of the opposition Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), said people coming from other parts of India should not be given a chance to dictate the political and social affairs of the state by giving them voting rights. "There are those who come to the state for commercial purposes, there are those who come here to stay permanently. Then there are those who marry local girls and assimilate and those who come to the state to commit crimes," he said. Earlier, the chief minister informed the house that 26,426 illegal migrants have been detected in the state in the last 10 years. Sangma said 24,932 have been pushed back directly, 1,429 deported and 1,494 prosecuted from 2006 to 2015. He said the state government has made all efforts to curb infiltration from across the international border as well as across the inter-state borders. Sangma said legislations like the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act 1971, United Khasi-Jaintia Hills District (Trading By Non Tribal) Regulation, 1954 and State Reservation Policy were already in place to protect the indigenous tribals. He said the government has constituted two committees -- headed by Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh and top police official S.K. Jain -- to examine the Benami Act and reframing of the Tenancy Bill and setting up of facilitation centres at the entry and exit points. "Both the committees have completed the assigned tasks and submitted reports," he said. Sangma informed the assembly that the government has decided to create an anti-infiltration directorate to deal with the problem of illegal infiltration. New Delhi, March 21 : To protect the rights of consumers against misleading advertisements, fake and counterfeit products, the consumer affairs department will enter into a partnership with industry associations. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard will be signed on Tuesday in the presence of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, official sources said on Monday. Industry associations Assocham, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry will enter into a partnership on consumer advocacy, sources said. The MoU will broadly cover the collaborative programmes on developing and implementing a self-regulated code of fair business practices, establishing a consumer affairs division within the industry body. The move will ensure partnering with the the National Consumer Helpline and state consumer helplines for grievance redressal among other things. A Joint Working Group will monitor the implementation of agenda, sources said. The consumer affairs department will also celebrate the World Consumer Rights Day 2016 on Tuesday. New Delhi, March 21 : Following the intervention of the NHRC, the Uttar Pradesh government has paid Rs.33.40 lakh to people who were electrocuted when their bus came in contact with an unguarded low-lying high-tension line in the state's Fatehpur district. As per the National Human Rights Commission, the state government was earlier reluctant to pay compensation to the victims, saying the line was drawn in accordance with the prescribed standards. However, not satisfied with this response, the NHRC called for an inquiry by the chief electrical inspector. "Subsequently, the director of electrical security, government of Uttar Pradesh, in his inquiry report, revealed that the height of the overhead transmission line was less than the standard height prescribed under the rules, i.e, 5.8 metres," said a statement from the NHRC. The incident took place when the bus came in contact with the high-tension line while parking at the Amauli Road bus stand in Jahanabad area of Fatehpur on October 23, 2012. The NHRC said the compensation included a total of Rs.28 lakh to the next of kin of 14 deceased and Rs.40,000 to those who suffered injuries. New Delhi/Dehradun, March 21 : The political crisis in Uttarakhand on Monday reached the president's house, with the BJP seeking dismissal of the Harish Rawat government and the Congress accusing the Centre of dismantling opposition governments in states, especially those ruled by the Congress. Meanwhile, the Congress expelled Saket Bahuguna, son of former Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, and state Congress joint secretary Anil Gupta from the party. A delegation of BJP leaders, headed by general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, marched from Vijay Chowk to Rashtrapati Bhavan and met President Pranab Mukherjee and sought dismissal of the Uttarakhand government. However, the nine rebel Congress leaders were not part of the delegation. "We requested the president to direct the governor to dismiss the Uttarakhand government and to give us time to prove our majority on the floor of the house. We have the support of 36 MLAs (in the 70-member house)," Vijayvargiya told reporters after the meeting. He said Rawat had no moral right to remain as chief minister but "he is calling cabinet meetings and taking decisions". Asked about the rebel Congress leaders not joining the delegation, Vijayvargiya said: "They will meet the president separately." Shortly after the BJP delegation met the president, a delegation of Congress leaders also reached the president's house and apprised him of the political situation in the state. "We apprised the president of the situation in Uttarakhand and how the BJP with the help of the central government has been trying to dismantle opposition governments in the states especially Congress-ruled states," Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters after the meeting. The delegation comprised A.K. Antony, Motilal Vora, Ambika Soni, Ahmed Patel and Kapil Sibal. Azad also alleged that in Uttarakhand, Congress leaders, who are now in the Bharatiya Janata Party fold, were held captive by the BJP. "We informed the president that BJP people took Congress leaders into their bus without their consent and presented them before Governor K.K. Paul. Our MLAs have been held captive by them," he said. He claimed that the BJP, with the help of the central government, was now putting pressure on the governor to advance the date fixed by him. "The governor has asked Chief Minister Harish Rawat to prove his majority on March 28 but the BJP with the help of the Centre is now putting pressure on the governor to advance the date fixed to prove majority," he said. Azad also claimed that Rawat will prove his majority on the floor of the house. Earlier on Monday, Rawat accused the BJP of spreading lies and trying to take political advantage of an internal rebellion in the Congress party. "The BJP is trying to topple the democratically elected government as they have been doing it in other states. An all-powerful BJP government at the Centre is clearly misusing its position to murder democracy in Uttarakhand," Rawat said at a press conference. He also termed the BJP a party of "pseudo-nationalists" and accused it of making unverified and malicious allegations against his government for political gain. "The BJP has levelled three allegations against me related to the land allotment for the smart city project and helping the mining mafia. I want to say categorically that all allegations are baseless," he said. Meanwhile, in a crackdown on rebel leaders, the Congress expelled Saket Bahuguna and Anil Gupta from the party. Bahuguna had contested the last Lok Sabha elections from Uttarakhand on a Congress ticket. Sources told IANS that the Congress high command has asked Rawat to go ahead and tackle the rebellion with an iron hand. The action indicated that the Congress leadership was not in a mood to initiate dialogue with the rebels and that it was even willing to sacrifice the government if needed. The nine legislators who rebelled against the Rawat government in the state assembly last week have already been served show cause notice by the speaker. Leader of the rebel group, Harak Singh Rawat has already been sacked as the agriculture minister. New Delhi, March 21 : Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union on Monday protested the killing of two Muslim cattle traders by a mob in Jharkhand and burnt the effigy of the state government. JNUSU general secretary Rama Naga said: "In the name of cow protection, so much politics is happening. The entire JNUSU community has gathered here today to condemn this." Various students groups including All India Students Association (AISA), Democratic Students Federation (DSF), All India Students Federation (AISF), and Students Federation of India (SFI) participated in the event. People from Latehar district, where the crime took place, also joined the effigy burning held at the varsity's administration block. Muhammad Mazloom, 35, and Azad Khan alias Ibrahim, 15 were murdered in the district on last Friday. Catanzaro (Italy), March 21 : Police on Monday seized property with a value of 500 million euros (over $560 mn) from suspects linked to the Calabrian mafia or 'Ndrangheta, including cars, bank accounts, companies and company shares, land and real estate. The assets were impounded from 65 individuals and companies, according to finance police who carried out the operation in and around the Calabrian city of Lamezia Terme. The Due Mari shopping centre in the town of Maida, between Catanzaro and Lamezia Terme and owned by a businessman said to be close to the 'Ndrangheta, Franco Perri, was among the seized assets. Finance police seized the assets on the orders of anti-mafia prosecutors in Catanzaro. Perri is suspected of close ties to the local 'Ndrangheta and of colluding with its boss, Vincenzino Iannazzo. Drug trafficking, extortion and money-laundering rackets have in recent decades made the 'Ndrangheta Italy's wealthiest and most powerful international crime syndicate. Los Angeles, March 22 : "Homeland" star Claire Danes says television is "fun" because of the uncertainty factor that it brings in. "Television is fun too because we're riding this train on tracks that are being laid and, you know, nobody really knows where it's going to go, even the writers are not entirely certain," Danes said in a statement. "And so, it's terrifying and really thrilling and I'm as hungry for the next script as, you know, an audience is going to be for the next instalment, you know, the next episode. We're all kind of biting our nails," she added. Danes, who stars as Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer with bipolar disorder in the American political thriller television series, says she admires the "insane super-human intelligence" of her character in the show, but she is not like her in real life. "I admire her like insane super-human intelligence, her Spidey sense, like, she's so extraordinary and I'm so glad that I get to pretend to be because I'm not, in that way, and she's so. She means so well; she's really earnest, brazen and kind of sexless. I mean, she's not defined by her gender," Danes said. However, Danes said that she doesn't recommend anyone to date her character. "She doesn't have inhibitions that most women are supposed to have and I enjoy and appreciate her brazenness and her chutzpah and her courage and yeah, I think she's actually a pretty good person given how terribly she can behave. She works really, hard and you've got to give her credit for that. But, you know, I don't recommend dating her; not a good idea," she said. "Homeland" airs on weekdays on Star World in India. Los Angeles, March 22 : Rapper Kanye West is reportedly filing legal papers to get his paparazzi conviction erased from his record. The 38-year-old star is now eligible to have his misdemeanour convictions over a July 2013 altercation with paparazzo Daniel Ramos expunged, reports tmz.com. West copped a plea in 2014 for attacking Ramos at Los Angeles International Airport the year before. The "Gold digger" rapper pled no contest to misdemeanour battery and was placed on 24-month probation. He was also ordered to perform 250 hours of community service. He has since put in more than the required number of community service hours at LA Trade Tech's fashion school. While the judge has yet to make decision on West's filing, it's almost guaranteed his criminal record will be erased. Back in February, Kim Kardashian's husband broke up a fist between two paparazzi at the Los Angeles International Airport. At that time, he was seen hugging one of the paparazzi and said, "Come on, man. Come on." Just last week, the rapper got a ride from a paparazzo. "I don't need Uber anymore. I'll just have the paps take me where I want to go," he said. It is clear that the Spanish property market is recovering in terms of sales and even prices but the rental market is not doing as well. The average rent fell by 0.3% in February compared to the same month of 2015, according to the latest data from the National Statistics Institute. Rents have now fallen in Spain for 35 months in a row but the outlook is not too negative as rents are down less than the consumer price index which fell by 0.8% and month on month have been fairly stable lately. A breakdown of the figures show that all regions saw rents fall apart from Galicia, the Balearics, Navarre and Catalonia with slight rises of 0.3%, 0.3%, 0.1% and 0.1% respectively while rents in Murcia were unchanged. The biggest decline was in La Rioja with a fall of 2%, followed by Castilla y Leon and Castilla La Mancha both down 0.9%, Madrid and Extremadura both down 0.8%, the Basque Country down 0.6%, Asturias and Cantabria both down 0.5% and Valencia down 0.4%. Elsewhere in the market is regarded as good news that overseas buyers have returned to Spain. But it may be that some are more interested in older properties rather than new homes. According to data from the Spanish Ministry of Public Works, foreigners bought 69,196 homes in Spain during 2015, up 13% over the previous year, and accounted for almost one in every five of the homes sold in the country last year. Non-resident foreigners purchased a total of 4,846 homes in Spain last year, up 10.1% over a year earlier, while resident foreign buyers bought 64,350 homes last year, an increase of 13.3% compared to the previous year. Valencia was the top region for foreign buyers in 2015 with a total of 20,219 sold to foreign buyers, followed by Andalucia with 14,384 homes being registered to foreign buyers and then Catalonia, with 10,264 homes sold to foreign buyers. Research from boutique overseas real estate agency Ideal Homes International has found that resales now account for 76% of sales to British buyers but there is still interest in new properties from Scandinavian and Belgian buyers. According to director Chris White many British buyers are looking for dual purpose properties. In the immediate term they want a holiday home that also has the potential to earn income as a holiday let. In the longer term, they want somewhere that can act as investment for their golden years, either as somewhere to escape to for a life in the sunshine or as somewhere that will grow their capital so that they can sell it to fund their retirement. There was a time when British buyers flocked to new build developments in Spain. The financial turbulence of the past decade has had an interesting impact on British property purchases in Spain. Confidence is back and the market is growing at a healthy pace, but the type of property that buyers are seeking has definitely shifted, explained White. The attractions of new homes have given way to the warmer appeal of more homely properties. Location is key too and buyers are focused on the closest airport and beach, the nearest shops and other local amenities, he added. Like anything else, technology can become cluttered, and all that clutter can bog down your systems and your team's productivity. Similar to the yearly spring cleaning efforts around one's home, New Jersey's leading tech support company, Quikteks, recommends applying the same annual ritual in the office, specifically with technology. According to Quikteks owner and CEO Andrew Rich, "Like anything else, technology can become cluttered, and all that clutter can bog down your systems and your team's productivity." Some of the worst offenders? "Old data and old permissions," he explained. "You probably need to keep most of your data for compliance purposes, but it shouldn't get in your way day in, day out." With this in mind, here are a few quick tips from Quikteks: Set up an archive system. This can be as simple as setting up a separate network drive for older data or signing up for a cloud-based data archive service. If email systems support email archiving, set it up and start using it. Review user roles and permissions. Do users have the most appropriate permissions for their job roles? Do previous employees still have remote access to your systems or cloud-based services? Test data backups. Are backups executing as planned? Are they backing up ALL of the data you need? Do you have a current backup securely stored offsite or in the cloud in the event of a physical catastrophe such as a fire or flood? Organize digital files and folders. Ideally, everyone in the office is saving their files to a shared network drive that is backed up at least once per day. Does the current folder structure make sense or is it haphazard? Create an intuitive structure and communicate any changes to your team. Review your computer security systems. Ideally, these are constantly being monitored and updated as new updates, hot fixes, and security patches are released. If they're not, immediately update your system and implement a plan to ensure security moving forward. Clean out your inbox. Many knowledge workers use their inboxes as task managers, letting messages pile up until they've been handled. Unfortunately, they rarely get handled, and your inbox can become bogged down with hundreds, if not thousands of messages. A better approach is to use a dedicated task manager and allow your inbox to do its job of alerting you to incoming messages. "Clearly, spring cleaning your office tech is a big undertaking," Rich said. "But if you get it under control now, you'll work more efficiently and sleep better at night knowing your business is protected." About Quikteks Based in Fairfield, New Jersey, Quikteks delivers cutting-edge, reliable and cost-effective business technology solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in the Tri-State area. The company's computer solutions include 24-hour tech support, help desk support, computer support, consulting, and storing valuable and confidential data in a secure cloud. For More Information: Email: info(at)quikteks(dot)com Phone (973) 882-4644 Web: https://www.quikteks.com Hawthorne Cat The entire team is excited to support Joe and Travis as they move into their new positions at the dealership. - Bobby Whitworth, General Manager for the Hawaii and Guam Divisions Hawthorne Cat, the exclusive Cat equipment dealer in San Diego, the Hawaiian Islands and the Pacific Region, has promoted Joe Corbaci to Regional Product Support Manager and Travis Tilton to General Service Manager. Joe Corbaci will oversee all product support operations for Hawaii and Guam from the Waipahu, Hawaii location. Corbaci has been with the company for 12 years, beginning as an Inside Sales Representative for Hawthorne Power Systems. He spent a number of successful years in engine and service sales before advancing into an Account Management role. Corbacis extensive experience and demonstrated leadership skills make him a perfect fit for this new position. According to Kirk Fowkes, Vice President of Hawthorne Power Systems, Joe built a very dynamic, collaborative team. His efforts have been critical in helping us achieve our strategic business objectives. Travis Tilton has been promoted to General Service Manager in Hawaii. He started at the company as a service writer and advanced to become the Engine Service Manager at our Waipahu location. For the past seven years, Tilton has successfully led the service team in its efforts to deliver the best customer service in the Pacific Region. Bobby Whitworth, General Manager for the Hawaii and Guam divisions, says, Travis brings unparalleled knowledge, experience, and dedication to his new position. Whitworth continues, The entire team is excited to support Joe and Travis as they move into their new positions at the dealership. About Hawthorne Cat Hawthorne Cat is the authorized dealer for Cat construction and power equipment in San Diego, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. Hawthorne sells, rents, provides parts and service, training and emission solutions to various industries including general building construction, landscaping, marine, paving and power generation. For more on Hawthorne Cat, visit http://www.hawthornecat.com. StockUnlimited, the worlds first online resource for unlimited creative content, today announces the addition of unlimited stock photos to its innovative subscription service. 12 months ago, StockUnlimited launched the first web resource for unlimited professional stock vector graphics. And today, the service gets a major boost with the addition of over 150,000 high quality, curated stock photos. This brings the total collection to well over 500,000 images, catering to the visual needs of marketers and designers everywhere. StockUnlimiteds unique business model offers content-as-a-service, meaning that clients can download and use as much content as they like for a flat monthly fee. StockUnlimited does away with daily download limits, expiring credits, upsells and upgrades. Despite adding hundreds of thousands of new images since launch, the company has managed to keep the subscription price below the magic $10/month barrier. This is thanks to the thousands of new users who have taken to using StockUnlimited over the established and much pricier alternative providers of stock content. Speaking about the vision behind the StockUnlimited concept, company CEO Christian Toksvig said, Our vision is to make legitimate, professional visuals accessible and affordable for everyone. Millions of people are still unaware of the risk of using copyrighted images downloaded from Google Images in their school or business projects. Whereas you would pay hundreds of dollars to create any sort of company brochure or website with our competition, with StockUnlimited you can do it for less than $10. StockUnlimited also offers a collection of over 50,000 free images. With the new photo service launched, the company now looks ahead to adding unlimited video and audio to its service. ___________________________________________________________________________ About Stock Unlimited LLC StockUnlimited.com is a web service offering unlimited downloads of high quality, unique photos, vectors, clipart and illustrations at one low monthly fee. StockUnlimited is part of the Inmagine Group, a family of design-related companies incorporating Inmagine.com, 123RF.com, StockUnlimited.com, and Designs.net. For more information, visit stockunlimited.com, or contact Christian Toksvig at christian(at)stockunlimited.com. Theodore Josiha Haig, a devoted writer and author, has completed his new book Mindanao: a spellbinding and compelling book that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat to the very end. I have traveled extensively throughout the world, 78 countries and counting, and my journeys provide the inspiration for my story telling. Mystery suspense is my preferred genre. Morgan Freeman in the movie The Magic of Belle Isle (2012) says it best Never stop looking for whats not there. And that is exactly what I do. Mindanao is my second novel published by Page Publishers Inc. I had two extended visits to the Philippines to develop this story. says author Theodore Josiha Haig. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Theodore Josiha Haigs historical mystery will make the reader contemplate and consider. Will the riches be recovered? Who will be set up next? Read to find out! The story takes place in the United States and the Mindanao Region in the Philippines where the Japanese were occupiers during WWII and used the region to bury diamonds, gems and gold that they looted and pillaged as invaders to finance their war efforts. It was the United States military who patrolled the Pacific Ocean preventing the Japanese ships from reaching Japan forcing them to find alternative ways to harbor their spoils. Seven United States Army elite specialists including, Jonathan Watkins Sr. recovered the booty the Japanese had buried. The men became the center of an intense search by Islamic separatists and other scavengers, a term used to identify treasure-hunters, to find the buried treasure that they believed they were entitled to. However, the story takes place around the Islamic Separatists Movement, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and its splinter groups who all seemed to be vying to recover the spoils to finance their separatist movements. They and other scavengers were in pursuit of any information Jonathan Watkins Sr. shared with his eldest daughter, prior to his death. That is, about the location of the spoils while at the same time the drama was used as a backdrop for a conspiracy to frame the socialite-financier, Condolesa Escobar. Ms. Escobar just happened to be in a position to acquire her dead husbands empire only to be the target of her stepson who had vowed to destroy her, hence the conspiracy. It was Roland Cavalier, an award winning investigative journalist for the New York Daily News, who while covering the story of the signing of the accord between one of the splinter Islamic separatist groups, the MILN and the Philippine government, in Manila, had to also investigate the conspiracy. So he hooks up with two private detectives Jonathan Watkins Jr., an American, and Filipino Katrina Chavez to expose the culprits only to find out the person first suspected of being at the center of this conspiracy was being framed. Readers who wish to experience this enthralling work can purchase Mindanao 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. The ASPIRA Association, the nations largest national Latino non-profit organization dedicated to education, today announced the release of its Youth Development Program (YDP) Mobile App, developed with the generous support of the Verizon Foundation. The App, available for both IOs (Apple App Store) and Android devices (Google Play), allows youth across the country to access ASPIRAs award winning, comprehensive Youth Development curriculum and extensive educational resources from anywhere, at any time, from any device. Over the past several years, with the support of the Verizon Foundation, ASPIRA has developed a host of programs to provide low-income Latino youth and families with access to the latest technologies, technology literacy, and technology tools to help increase student educational attainment. As Latino youth increasingly access the Internet through mobile devices, the development of the YDP Mobile App is a major step in broadening access by young people to ASPIRAs signature program. ASPIRAs YDP Mobile App includes educational materials and a curriculum with over 35 modules on topics ranging from leadership, decision-making, and effective communications, to study habits, career selection, selecting a college, and college admissions. It combines text, interactive content, and extensive use of video. Students are able to select the modules they are interested in and complete them at their own pace. We are tremendously proud to have partnered with the Verizon Foundation for so many years to promote access and full use of technology and telecommunications in the Latino community, especially among low income inner-city Latino youth, said Ronald Blackburn Moreno, President and CEO of ASPIRA. Our Aspirantes (ASPIRA youth) have benefitted enormously from the opportunities that technology provides to enhance their education and enrich their lives. Verizons support of ASPIRA clearly demonstrates its strong commitment to the Latino community and to Latino youth. We are very grateful to the Verizon Foundation for enabling ASPIRA to continue being a leader in providing technology tools to our youth, added Blackburn-Moreno. About ASPIRA The ASPIRA Association, a non-profit organization, is a confederation of statewide ASPIRA organizations dedicated to education and leadership development of Puerto Rican and other Latino youth. Founded in 1961, it operates in Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico. Families Participate in Boot Campaign's Pushups For Charity Veterans, current U.S. military, and their families will be cheering on Monday, March 21, when national registration officially opens for Boot Campaigns Annual Pushups For Charity event, the military nonprofits major fundraising challenge. The nationwide initiative officially runs from Armed Forces Day (May 21) through Veterans Day (Nov. 11). Pushups For Charity increases awareness of the challenges military service members and veterans face, and raises money to support their unique needs. The annual campaign gives individuals, gyms, churches, businesses, and clubs across the country a chance to serve those who serve by hosting Pushups For Charity events all summer long, racking up pushups and funds in support of Boot Campaign. For complete details on how to register, visit http://www.Bootcampaign.org/PushupsForCharity. Pushups For Charity 2016 hopes to raise $1 million, which equates to more than 500 individual grants to support veterans, service members, and their families. Boot Campaign assistance grants help veterans with housing, career and education expenses, and PTSD/TBI treatment and are available to military families of all generations. What do you push for? That is the question thousands of participants will answer nationwide, even in Guinness World Record numbers, as they "push" against friends, family, and co-workers by completing as many pushups in 90 seconds as they can. This 90 seconds gives them a first-hand taste of what service members endure their entire military career, and allows them to show their support of the 1.4 million active duty men and women and 22 million veterans. Many will pledge a dollar amount per pushup, others will give an amount that speaks to them, but all donations will change the lives of heroes that protect our freedom. We are calling for people of all ages who can do a pushup to take part in Pushups For Charity to support our nation's heroes and their families, says Boot Campaign CEO Robyn Payne. We need everyones help to raise awareness and enough funds to reach our goals. Every person can make a huge difference just by doing pushups, and has the power to change a life in 90 seconds. Boot Campaigns Pushups For Charity Registration opens March 21, 2016. Boot Campaign encourages all of America to get involved in one of three ways: 1. Lead a team - Plan an event and enlist family, friends, co-workers. 2. Join a team - Teams are organized by city and state. 3. Donate - If you cannot push physically, push financially. In 2015, more than 200 events took place across the country from Miami, Fla. to Anchorage, Alaska, with big "pushes" in Los Angeles, San Jose, Irvine and Huntington Beach, Calif.; New York City and Staten Island, N.Y.; Chicago, Ill.; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Denver, Colo.; Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nevada, among many others. Boot Campaign also has bolstered its program support in 2016 to include: *Virtual / individual participation *Easier registration process through a new customized platform *Simpler and accessible team training *Incentives for team-member fundraising *Increased marketing tools and social media support *Extension to the PUC season, pushing all the way to Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Boot Campaign awards prizes to the leading participants with the most successful events from around the country based on total funds raised. In the Winners Circle last year was Wholesale Capital Corporation (Moreno Valley, Calif.), the top overall fundraiser in its first year as a team. Other winners included: PUC Bay Area (San Jose, Calif.), The Training Spot (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Irvine Police Department/Custom Body Fitness (Irvine, Calif.). Total Quality Logistics (Cincinnati, Ohio) also shattered the Guinness World Record for the most people doing pushups at one time with more than 700 participants. Pushups For Charity is Boot Campaigns largest annual fundraiser, and was a substantial part of the military nonprofits record-breaking year in 2015, where 83 percent of every dollar raised went to its mission. About Boot Campaign Established in 2009, Boot Campaign is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to promoting patriotism for America and our military community; raising awareness of the unique challenges service members face during and post-service; and providing assistance to military personnel, past and present, and their families. Retail sales of combat boots, apparel, and mission-focused merchandise, general public donations, and corporate sponsorships fund programs that support military families. Learn more at http://bootcampaign.org and join the #BootsOn community on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @Bootcampaign. # # # People are increasingly familiar with the hit reality cable show Shark Tank, in which entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a panel of five very wealthy investors in an often brutally dynamic format. Fredericks own Strategic Capital Partners, LLC (SCP) has its own version of Shark Tank, having delivered investment events and professional advisory support over the past 18 months that have already resulted in more than a million dollars of investment for five companies. Angel investors, pitches, capitalization, private equity, portfolios, business plans, convertible notes, valuationthese are all terms savvy entrepreneurs and wise investors quickly become familiar with. Initial SCP efforts revealed the urgent need for regional private equity investment and resulted in a group of SEC-accredited local investors coming together to establish the Mid-Atlantic Angels Corporation. SCP delivers the entrepreneurial companies and angel investment events for Mid-Atlantic Angels. It is widely acknowledged that innovation drives productivity in America. SCP has taken that to heart, finding private investment capital for early-stage companies with the innovative solutions that contribute to our nations productivity and its global domination of patents. But innovation alone wont get you very far. Its what you do with it. Its all about the nexus of passion, commitment, great products, and economic viability. Its about traction. SCP helps entrepreneurs and investors navigate the capitalization waters, connecting the need for capital with the desire for great return on investment. A little more than 2 years ago, Brett Hess, Warren Robold, Mark Greathouse, Phil Flip Lacy, and Phil Minni brought their own entrepreneurial passions together to found the SCP venture. Following a carefully crafted business plan and leveraging the expertise and experience of its partners and associates, SCP has already built a solid portfolio of clients and raised significant private investment capital. From its humble beginnings sharing office space near the Frederick Municipal Airport, SCP is determined to feed and cultivate a thriving economy in the Frederick region. President and managing partner Greathouse noted, I am excited to be part of this initiative to enable the most promising entrepreneurial enterprises in the Mid-Atlantic region to secure the capital needed for the growth that spurs innovation, builds value, creates jobs, and ensures a thriving economy. SCP events are modelled after successful angel investment events in which companies offer a 10-minute pitch to several investors followed by timed rounds of questions and answers. SCP partner and BMC Accounting President Hess adds, While it can be every bit as exciting as Shark Tank, our interested investors negotiate privately with the entrepreneurs after the event. Resulting deals may involve several investors and pursuit of capital from multiple angel groups. Angel investors are defined as high net worth individuals that fill the capitalization space between a companys start-up funding usually referred to as friends and family and the larger fund-based venture capital that serves companies much further along in maturity. As Robold describes them, These angels are often successful entrepreneurs themselves. They share a passion for helping fellow entrepreneurs succeed. Its about relationships. SCP delivers the increasingly popular Capital Cycle format of multiple screening events that enable entrepreneurs to perfect pitches that convince investors of the worthiness of their businesses and importantly how investors will reap a return on their investment. SCP believes in results, not catchy names like sharks, piranhas, speed-pitching, or the like. Mid-Atlantic Angels investors typically make investments of from $25,000 to a quarter million dollars or more, as entrepreneurs generally seek from $100,000 to $1,500,000 in capital. SCP draws most candidate businesses from within a 100-mile radius, including the Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITCI) and extending to universities, business incubators, corporations, and tech centers around the region. Brandon Mason, Counselor and Regional Technology Liaison with the Maryland Small Business Development Center as well as successful entrepreneur, expressed excitement at this new opportunity. Strategic Capital Partners creates an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs with high-growth businesses to take the next step toward commercialization and sustainable growth while simultaneously involving local investors. This combination is poised to enhance the growth, economic development, and job creation in the region. Lacy and Minni share the SCP position that we are entering an age of unprecedented transformation that is ripe for entrepreneurial spirit, risk taking, and charting of innovative new directions. This requires educated, passionate, business savvy entrepreneurs coupled with investors prepared to commit the capital and knowledge essential to their success. Founded in 2013, SCP feeds the lifeblood of the Frederick region, helping to deliver the innovative ventures that ignite economic growth. SCP is actively accepting applications from qualified companies, and Mid-Atlantic Angels seeks to expand its network of angel investors. Businesses in need of private equity capital are invited to the Application page on http://www.StrategicCapPartners.com, while investors may inquire on our Contact Us page. John Muir Muir ascended to the pantheon of the highest individuals in our country; I'm talking about the level of Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, and Thomas Jefferson. - Ken Burns The Life and Legacy of John Muir will be the theme for the 15th annual Tartan Day celebration at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Conservationist, author, and environmental activist, John Muir is renowned as the father of Americas national parks. The exhibition runs from 6 April 5 September 2016 as part of the National Park Centennial. Were proud that the National Park Service/Ellis Island has chosen Tartan Day on Ellis Island to serve as the springboard for their centennial celebration, said Robert Currie, chairman of Tartan Day on Ellis Island. This event provides an important opportunity to recognize the vast contributions of Scots and Scottish-Americans to the development of the United States. The exhibit traces Muirs remarkable life journey from his days exploring the moors, mountains, and shoreline surrounding his childhood home in Dunbar, Scotland, to his lasting legacy as Americas first passionate conservationist and the father of the American national parks. The exhibit is produced by the Clan Currie Society with the support of a Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel including participation from the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA, the John Muir Birthplace Trust in Dunbar, Scotland, the Sierra Club in San Francisco, CA and the John Muir Trust in Edinburgh, Scotland. Tartan Day on Ellis Island is one of the principal Scottish heritage events in the United States. Describing the program, noted Scottish author and editor of Scotland Magazine, Roddy Martine reported that of all the Tartan Day events held in the United States, the Ellis Island observance has, stood out as a beacon of what USA Tartan Day is all about: the emigrant ancestors of ordinary Americans who over three centuries crossed the Atlantic Ocean to create the worlds greatest democracy. Of the approximately 12 million immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954, some half million were Scots. Clan Currie began its successful collaboration with the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in 2002 in the coordination and sponsorship of the first Tartan Day celebration. Clan Currie and the National Museums of Scotland joined forces to host the traveling exhibit, Home and Away: Highland Departures and Returns. The following year, Clan Currie returned to Ellis Island, bringing with them four of Scotlands top crafters for a hands-on demonstration of their unique talents. The 2003 event was captured in the form of a documentary film entitled, The Crafters Song. Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor, Cliff Robertson, The Crafters Song is the first documentary produced in America about National Tartan Day. The video can be viewed on Clan Curries YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/clancurrie. In the following years, the Tartan Day program has presented a wide range of exhibits ranging from the Jacobites and America, to Captain Kidd and the Hangmans Noose. The 2012 program A Celebration of Tartan became the worlds largest Tartan Day program. Organizers are certain the 2016 program will far exceed the 2012 record of over 70 thousand visitors. Tartan Day on Ellis Island is the countrys leading Tartan Day celebration. For additional information, visit: http://www.tartandayonellisisland.com or at http://www.facebook.com/TartanDayonEllisIsland. About John Muir John Muir, the legendary wilderness explorer and writer who served as the first President of the Sierra Club, has achieved something of mythic proportions, over 150 years after his birth. His life, work, and vision have inspired countless Americans to appreciate and protect the natural world. Born in Scotland, April 21, 1838, John Muir immigrated to the United States with his family when he was eleven years old. He traveled to California in the spring of 1868 and explored the high country of the Sierra Nevada, making California his life-long home. He also traveled widely in Alaska and throughout the American West, writing numerous books and articles describing natural wonders and arguing for the need to preserve wilderness. When Muir traveled around the world in his later years, he inspired people all over the globe to protect places of special beauty and wildness. His life is celebrated by the existence of Yosemite National Park, which he was instrumental in establishing in 1890. In 1976, the California Historical Society voted Muir the greatest Californian in the state's history. Geographic place names for Muir exist in Alaska, California, Florida, Washington State, Wisconsin, and in his birthplace, Dunbar, Scotland. Documentary film maker Ken Burns said of Muir, "As we got to know him... he ascended to the pantheon of the highest individuals in our country; I'm talking about the level of Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, and Thomas Jefferson, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jackie Robinson -- people who have had a transformational effect on who we are." About the National Park Centennial and National Park Week The National Park Service is celebrating 100 years of sharing Americas special places and helping Americans make meaningful connections to nature, history and culture. The Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island are playing a meaningful role in honoring the Centennial of the National Park Service by offering many new public programs and exhibits celebrating the first hundred years and connecting with the next generation of leaders so they may lead us well into our next century. The national parks are Americas best idea and we want all Americans to help us celebrate these special places. National Park Week, April 16 to 24, 2016, is America's largest celebration of national heritage. It's about making great connections, exploring amazing places, discovering open spaces, enjoying affordable vacations and enhancing Americas best ideathe national parks! It's all happening in your national parks. The National Park Service is once again partnering with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, to present National Park Week, a presidentially proclaimed celebration of our national heritage About Tartan Day Tartan Day is a celebration of Scottish heritage held on April 6, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in Scotland in 1320. The Declaration is in the form of letters submitted to Pope John XXII intended to ask his support in the preservation of Scotland as an independent state. Letters were written to the pope by King Robert the Bruce, the Scottish Clergy and the Scottish Nobles. Americans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and influential role in the development of the United States. From the framers of the Declaration of Independence to the first man on the moon, Scottish-Americans have contributed mightily to the fields of the arts, science, politics, law, and more. Today, over eleven million Americans claim Scottish and Scots-Irish roots making them the eighth largest ethnic group in the United States. These are the people and accomplishments that are honored in the United States on National Tartan Day, April 6th. Thousands of Scots-Americans found ways to observe the first Tartan Day in churches, on village greens, at Scottish festivals, at social gatherings, and in the home. The first National Tartan Day in the United States (inspired by Canadian National Tartan Day Celebrations) was observed on April 6, 1997. Previously, there had been observances by individual states, counties and other regional entities, but the year 1997 was the first time the observance swept across the nation. The United States Senate Resolution declaring April 6th as Tartan Day appeared in the Congressional Record on April 7, 1997. Intalere, formerly Amerinet, today announced the winners of its eighth annual Intalere Healthcare Achievement Awards. All Intalere members, acute and non-acute, were eligible to submit entries for this awards program, which recognizes successful initiatives providers implement to enhance quality and operations, improve patient satisfaction and increase community awareness and education. The achievement awards truly illustrate the essence of the new Intalere brand, said Brent Johnson, Intalere president and CEO. Customized solutions, in supply chain and other areas,that showcase innovative products, services and technologies, and the best practices of progressive healthcare providers. Each winning facility will receive two complimentary trips to the 2016 Intalere Member Conference which will be held May 17-20 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. In addition to being honored at a special awards dinner, the winning projects will be highlighted in a professional banner session, video features and a best practices compendium. The honorees in each category are: Community Impact and/or Innovation Coastal Carolinas Health Alliance, Wilmington, N.C. Island Hospital, Anacortes, Wash. Northern Arizona Healthcare-Flagstaff Medical Center, Flagstaff, Ariz. The Community at Brookmeade, Rhinebeck, N.Y. Financial and Operational Improvement Peterson Regional Medical Center, Kerrville, Texas Somerset Hospital, Somerset, Pa. Special Tree Rehabilitation System, Romulus, Mich. Quality/Patient Care Delivery and/or Patient Satisfaction Confluence Health, Wenatchee, Wash. Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, Ohio New York City Health + Hospitals/Sea View, Staten Island, N.Y. Supply Chain/Data Management or Supply Cost Efficiencies Crystal Run Healthcare, Middletown, N.Y. Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, Ind. Summit Pacific Medical Center, Elma, Wash. About Intalere Intaleres mission focuses on improving the operational health of Americas healthcare providers by designing tailored, smart solutions that deliver optimal cost, quality and clinical outcomes. We strive to be the essential partner for operational excellence in healthcare through customized solutions that address customers individual needs. We assist our customers in managing their entire non-labor spend, providing innovative technologies, products and services, and leveraging the best practices of a provider-led model. As Intalere draws on the power of our owner Intermountain Healthcares nationally-recognized supply chain expertise and leadership in technology, process improvement, and evidence-based clinical and business best practices, we are uniquely positioned to be the innovation leader in the healthcare industry. Visit http://www.intalere.com o learn more. Contact: Evan Danis Senior Director, Corporate Communications 724-778-3423 evan(dot)danis(at)intalere(dot)com U.S. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas (left) meets with AAEA members Allen Featherstone (middle) and Ani Katchova (right) in Washington, D.C. Overall, the ag sector is coming down from historic highs but is currently in a strong position. Farm income, assets, and equity are all expected to decline nearly three percent in 2016, while farm debt is forecasted to rise about two percent. But these numbers may not tell the whole story. AAEA members Ani Katchova (The Ohio State University) and Allen Featherstone (Kansas State University), along with Jeffrey Hopkins (USDAs Economic Research Service), met with Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. The meeting was part of a day on Capitol Hill focused on Dynamics of Farm Profitability: Factors Influencing the Decline in Income. I felt honored to have the opportunity to share information and present at the Capitol Hill briefing, Katchova said. Overall, the ag sector is coming down from historic highs but is currently in a strong position. Because of the historic highs, Featherstone predicts a downturn, but says the unknown is how long it will last. The financial situation of the farm sector is currently in excellent shape, Featherstone said, but farmers need to begin thinking about restructuring debt and adjusting crop insurance levels. To see the AAEA members presentation, or to schedule an interview with any of the presenters, please contact Jay Saunders in the AAEA business office. Longnecker & Associates, a strategic compensation and corporate governance consulting firm based in Houston, will conduct its third-annual Midstream Industry Compensation Survey on April 1 to determine how market-competitive salaries and targeted incentive compensation affect energy companies. The firms proprietary, two-part survey provides a comprehensive assessment of employee compensation across core midstream competencies. Longnecker & Associates specifically designed the survey for top executive and key technical positions in the midstream industry. It covers compensation philosophy and pay practices, target and actual annual and long-term compensation, and long-term vehicle design and prevalence. Today, many midstream organizations are experiencing tighter budget constraints and prioritized spending due to the current difficulties facing the energy industry. With those restrictions in mind, Longnecker & Associates has decided to invest in the midstream space by conducting the survey free of charge for the participating organizations in 2016. Interested, qualified parties may participate by submitting their entries by April 29. Qualified parties include organizations whose operations include the transportation, storage and wholesale marketing of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The surveys run dates are between April and May, and results will be available to participants in August. Participants are expected to answer questions about their organizations incentives and are asked to provide compensation data associated with specific positions. The survey will be administered through Longnecker & Associates exclusive method thats intuitive and streamlined. Were thrilled to launch our midstream industry compensation survey for the third year in a row. With the recent shifts in the energy industry, as well as changes in the economy and regulations, its paramount for companies to focus on attracting, retaining and motivating top talent, said Brent Longnecker, chairman and CEO of Longnecker & Associates. At Longnecker & Associates, we recognize that the midstream industry has fantastic leaders in management and on boards. We believe this survey will help them lead their companies in even better directions. With nearly 30 years in the compensation consultancy industry, Longnecker & Associates created this survey to help companies discover how strategic compensation can help them maintain a competitive advantage. Given the current state of the oil industry, this detailed information is proving even more valuable. About Longnecker & Associates Established in 2003, Longnecker & Associates is a nationally recognized strategic compensation and governance consulting firm based in Houston, Texas. The firms consultants work with public, private and not-for-profit companies on a variety of complex compensation and governance situations that require strategic solutions. The firm is considered a thought leader on compensation and governance issues, and its consultants have been featured on MSNBC, Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal and other national media, as well as speakers for WorldatWork, the Society of Human Resources Management and the American Management Association. For more information, visit http://www.longnecker.com. Cubic Logo - 2014 The addition of the UVDS node in EUCOM and enterprise transcoding capabilities will ensure users requesting and accessing FMV information will get it from the closest node with reduced latency, increased performance and improved overall user experience. Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced its subsidiary TeraLogics, LLC, which operates within the Cubic Global Defense (CGD) business unit, was awarded a $1.4 million contract from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to expand its existing Unified Video Dissemination System (UVDS) suite of services contract into the European theater to achieve U.S. Africa Commands (AFRICOM) Airborne, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (AISR) requirements. TeraLogics, a developer of agile software, will also support the engineering and implementation of an enterprise-wide transcoding service for the Full Motion Video (FMV) disseminated through the UVDS AISR architecture. The UVDS for DISA is a next-generation FMV processing, exploitation and dissemination (PED) system that provides persistent, focused, real-time, operational information flow to tactical and enterprise end users. UVDS suite of services includes the routing backbone and web-based application portal, which will be installed at DISAs U.S. European Command (EUCOM) Defense Enterprise Computing Center (DECC) to directly support AFRICOM operations in addition to users outside the continental United States (OCONUS). This deployment of UVDS in the European region is the first iteration of the future global UVDS architecture, enabling real-time access to AISR through proximity-based unified video portals and a robust global multicast network. The addition of the UVDS node in EUCOM and enterprise transcoding capabilities will ensure users requesting and accessing FMV information will get it from the closest node with reduced latency, increased performance and improved overall user experience, said Mike Twyman, executive vice president of communications, intelligence and surveillance systems, Cubic Global Defense. This award extends UVDS video integration and dissemination to the edge, while strengthening Command, Control, Communications, Computers, ISR (C4ISR) capabilities for our warfighters. As for enterprise transcoding, TeraLogics will ensure AISR FMV is standardized throughout the architecture and made accessible to bandwidth-constrained users and mobile devices. This capability will also assist new and emerging encoding technologies like high-efficiency video coding (HEVC), which will help reduce overall wide-area network and satellite communication bandwidth consumption while maintaining video quality. TeraLogics has worked with DISA on UVDS since 2008 and was awarded a follow-on contract in 2014. TeraLogics was acquired by Cubic Corporation in December 2015. # # # About Cubic Corporation Cubic Corporation designs, integrates and operates systems, products and services focused in the transportation, defense training and secure communications markets. As the parent company of two major business units, Cubics mission is to increase situational awareness and understanding for customers worldwide. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. Cubic Global Defense is a leading provider of realistic combat training systems, secure communications and networking and highly specialized support services for military and security forces of the U.S. and allied nations. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at http://www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp. Media Contact Laura Chon Corporate Communications Cubic Corporation 858-505-2181 laura.chon(at)cubic(dot)com 40 Fun Fables, written by the award-winning creative team Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, was honored as a 2016 Special Storytelling Resource by Storytelling World. Another year of Storytelling World Resource Awards brings another round of honors for August House authors Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss. 40 Fun Fables: Tales that Trick, Tickle, and Teach, written by the award-winning the creative team Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, known as Beauty and the Beast Storytellers, was honored as a 2016 Special Storytelling Resource for its collection of fables curated to meet Common Core Reading Standards. Whimsical stories from this collection include Aesop Fables such as The Sick Lion and the Sly Fox and The Rabbits and the Frogs, along with unique adaptations of stories from a wide spread of cultures such as The Fussy Mouse and How Momma Mouse Confused the Cat. Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss thoroughly field-tested all of the fables through their extensive work with schools. At the end of each fable, the authors offer The Moral of the Story to help guide student interpretation. Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss also noted that their goals for the book were to make sure that the stories could be easily integrated into lesson plans by teachers. They also simplified the stories to make them fun for students to read aloud in class and to retell in their own words. At the back of the book, the authors included a resource section of learning activities (correlated to specific Common Core Standards) that can be used to help develop students reading comprehension and independent thinking skills. Beauty and the Beast Storytellers, Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, have published fourteen additional picture books and story collections with August House, including Ghost Catcher, Scared Witless, Priceless Gifts: A Tale from Italy, Noodlehead Stories and Hidden Feast: A Folktale from the American South. These books have earned a number of prestigious awards such as the Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, Parents' Choice Award, National Parenting Publications Awards, and Storytelling World Awards. August House is a highly acclaimed and award-winning multimedia publisher of childrens picture books, folktale anthologies, and resource books. Located in Atlanta, GA, August House has developed one of the most highly respected collections of folktales from the worlds great oral traditions. Were really grateful to have reached eight years in business, but really, were just getting started Family First Intervention, a group of specialized addiction interventionists, is celebrating its eighth anniversary this month. The organizations founder, Mike Loverde, had several years of intervention counseling experience and as an owner of a drug rehabilitation facility prior to incorporating the company in March 2008. Family First Intervention has helped stage more than 1,500 interventions for drug- and alcohol-addicted individuals since its founding. Additionally, the group has helped nearly another 1,000 substance abusers find the most appropriate rehabilitation program according to their budget and treatment needs. Were really grateful to have reached eight years in business, but really, were just getting started, said Loverde, who is also the President of the group and either leads or coordinates every intervention with families. Theres much more work to be done on tackling this epidemic, and theres always an addict and family thats going to need help. The thing about every intervention we coordinate is each situation really isnt unique. The addicts we work with cant really get high without the familys help, whether passively or actively. Yes, the person almost always starts using without the family knowing, but he or she cant continue to get high without the family enabling it, either subconsciously or overtly. This is why its important that we keep spreading our message of how the family is accountable in their loved ones addiction and subsequent recovery attempt. In recent years, Family First Intervention has seen a disproportionately high number of calls for individuals struggling with heroin or opioid addiction, a problem thats currently plaguing the country and has caught the attention of news outlets and even the White House. Since 2008, Family First Intervention not only sets up and leads interventions for these struggling individuals and their families, but the counseling group also helps substance abusers find an appropriate treatment program thereafter. This process includes personally reviewing a clients health insurance plan to see which facilities accept his or her benefits, and then making a professional referral. Family First primarily stages interventions and works with clients suffering from drug abuse and alcoholism, but the group also offers intervention services to those addicted to gambling, sex, food, hoarding and even people with eating disorders. Its important to get the entire family to participate in the intervention, not just one or two members. The interventions focus is not on the substance or escape of choice, but on what the person is doing or not doing with his or her life as a result of the addiction. The ultimate goal of the intervention is to convince the loved one into being willing to accept treatment for the addiction. Family First Intervention is based in Arizona, but has a national presence thanks to its talented core of intervention counselors, who can travel to any state. To learn more about the company or to make an intervention inquiry, please visit https://family-intervention.com/. Controlling 2016 This is the fifth year the SAP Controlling community will gather in San Diego. With the growth of SAP S/4HANA and analytics solutions, we expect an even greater turnout this year." The Controlling 2016 conference offers SAP professionals an unprecedented opportunity to obtain SAP Controlling-focused education and take advantage of many networking opportunities to connect with peers and industry experts before, during, and after the conference. Controlling 2016 is the only dedicated conference for SAP professionals working with the management accounting (CO) module of SAP. The conference features four main tracks: SAP Overhead Accounting, SAP Product Costing, SAP Reporting/SAP HANA, and SAP Planning. Speakers are nationally and globally recognized for their expertise in SAP FI/CO. This is the fifth year the SAP Controlling community will gather in San Diego," said John Jordan, conference founder and SAP Controlling author and expert. "With the growth of SAP S/4HANA and analytics solutions, we expect an even greater turnout this year. Case studies will be presented by SAP customers including Mondelez International, Great West Financial, Franke Group, Eli Lilly, and Woodward. The conference will also include key updates from SAP on SAP S/4HANA and panel discussions on trends in change management and SAP careers, training, and salary. To learn more about the conference and how you can increase your knowledge of SAP CO best practices, visit controlling.erpcorp.com. Preview conference tracks and sessions here: controlling.erpcorp.com/tracks-sessions-overview Take advantage of a $100 discount using code PR100, valid until March 31st, 2016. You can join the SAP Controlling Community via social media on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Learn more: controlling.erpcorp.com. The Alarm Guys, a tech company specializing in smart homes, cameras, home automation and security in Brentwood, CA would like to thank its local community for their support by shopping local for home security. As a special thank you, The Alarm Guys will give back to the community in a fun way. From Monday, March 21 through Saturday March 26 there will be a total of 49 golden eggs that will be hidden throughout the city filled with cash. Each egg will have different amounts from $10 all the way to $1,000 with a total amount of $2,500. Without the support from our city, its officials and our community we wouldnt have seen the success of our business in such a short amount of time, said Ryan Brown, President of The Alarm Guys. We are happy to do our part in giving back to the community that has helped to make us one of the fastest growing security companies in the country. We are excited to see who in our local community will find the Easter eggs and encourage everyone to hunt responsibly, says Brown. Eggs will be hidden throughout Brentwood and clues to their whereabouts will be given daily exclusively on The Alarm Guys Facebook page facebook.com/TheAlarmGuysInc. Be sure to like the page and keep an eye out on your feed. Happy Hunting! Please be safe and courteous to others and thank you once again from The Alarm Guys. Contact The Alarm Guys today to find out how they can help to protect what matters most and help turn your home into a smart home: (925) 308-4703; email info(at)thelarmguys(dot)com. # About The Alarm Guys Headquartered in Brentwood, California and founded in 2012, The Alarm Guys is a leading tech company specializing in smart homes, cameras, home automation and security. A proven track record of outstanding customer service, combined with a unique value proposition, has allowed it to become one of the fastest growing companies in the communities it services within California, Arizona and Texas. Download 'NFV, SDN and Cloud: Where, When and How Deep?' While there are significant benefits of the move towards virtualization, there are also significant challenges that need to be surmounted before broader deployments can be supported. RCR Wireless News spoke with more than a dozen companies, including telecom operators like AT&T and Verizon Communications; vendors like Oracle, Sonus, Local Backhaul Networks, Amdocs and Allot; and sought insight from industry analyst firms iGR and Exact Ventures to get a thorough update on the current state of NFV, SDN and cloud deployments in the telecommunications industry. The report, entitled: NFV, SDN and cloud: When, where and how deep? contains insight into the current telecom operator deployment plans for NFV, SDN and cloud platforms, with a focus on which carriers are leading the space and which are following and why. The report also looks at efficiencies being gleaned from the migration of hardware to software; challenges facing the continued evolution and just how far experts think virtualization platforms can be deployed within a mobile telecom environment. This insight comes from speaking with carriers, industry analyst and vendors that are at the center of the telecom markets evolution towards virtualization platforms. Download this report to learn: Financial investment predictions for the NFV, SDN and cloud space Progress of telecom operators deploying NFV, SDN and cloud technologies Which carriers are leading and which carriers are following Benefits and challenges expected for telecom leaders and followers What parts of the telecom network are witnessing virtualization moves Impact standards and interoperability are having on deployment plans Depth of expected deployment in telecom networks Watch the complimentary editorial webinar featuring: Dan Meyer, Editor-in-Chief, RCR Wireless News Iain Gillott, President and Founder, iGR Mykola Konrad, VP Product Management and Marketing, Sonus Kevin Summers, Raymond Chiu, CTO, Local Backhaul Networks The evolution towards NFV, SDN and cloud may take a bit longer than some expect, but there is little doubt it will happen, Meyer explained. There is just too much efficiency to be gained from the move, and operators and their vendor partners are working hard to roll out that evolution. About RCR Wireless News Since 1982, RCR Wireless News has been providing wireless and mobile industry news, insights, and analysis to industry and enterprise professionals, decision makers, policy makers, analysts and investors. Our mission is to connect, globally and locally, mobile technology professionals and companies online, in person, and now on video. Our dedication to editorial excellence coupled with one of the industrys most comprehensive industry databases and digital networks leads readers and advertisers to consistently choose RCR Wireless News over other industry publications. http://www.rcrwireless.com Brown, Gruttadaro, Gaujean & Prato, PLLC (BGGP), a full-service law firm with offices in White Plains, New York City and Rochester, is pleased to announce two additions to the White Plains office. Joan M. Ruddy has been named partner in the firms health care practice group and will focus on medical-malpractice defense. With more than twenty years experience as a litigator, she has successfully defended many medical-care providers before The New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct and The Office of Professional Discipline. Ms. Ruddy has also defended physicians before The Office of Medicaid Inspector General involving allegations of fraud and abuse. She has extensive knowledge of multi-district litigation, AIDS phobia and health law. Before joining BGGP, Ms. Ruddy served as an attorney at Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz P.C. She received her J.D. from the City University of New York, where she was awarded scholarships that enabled her to study International and Comparative Law in Havana, Cuba and Vienna, Austria. She also studied Constitutional Law in Florence, Italy. She received her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Hillel E. Sussman has been named associate attorney at BGGP (awaiting bar admission), where he will focus his practice on corporate and business transactions, construction law, commercial and residential real estate transactions, health care law and municipal law. Mr. Sussman previously served as a law clerk for the City of Long Beach, N.Y., where was instrumental in helping re-draft the Zoning Code to ensure local construction would withstand another major natural disaster in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. He previously worked with the Town of Brookhaven, N.Y., where he was awarded the Cali Award for Excellence for his Civil Practice Externship and was published within several legislative Zoning Board decisions. Mr. Sussman received his J.D. from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law School, where he was the president of the Real Estate Law Society and a founding member and writing contributor of the weekly Real Estate Law Column. He also served as a student member of the New York State Bar Association and the Suffolk County Bar Association. Mr. Sussman received his undergraduate degree from SUNY Binghamton University. About Brown, Gruttadaro, Gaujean & Prato, PLLC Brown, Gruttadaro, Gaujean & Prato, PLLC (BGGP) is a legal professional limited liability corporation serving clients throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. BGGP represents individuals, physicians and their group practices, corporations and municipalities in all matters involving medical malpractice and general litigation, administrative proceedings, health law and business transactions. A firm with a proven track record of success, BGGP attorneys are consistently top-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and the firm was honored as a U.S. World Report Best Law Firm in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The firm has offices in White Plains, Rochester and New York City. For more information, visit http://www.bggplaw.com. AGNITY Global, Inc. (AGNITY) a leading global provider of intelligent business communication applications and infrastructure for telecommunication service providers, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Communications product portfolio. Its new ACONYX IVVR (Interactive Voice and Video Response) Solution, which leverages Radisys market-leading MediaEngine technology, is now available for demonstration and commercial deployment in customers networks. AGNITY specializes in helping Communications Service Providers (CSPs) transition their legacy Intelligent Network (IN) applications to a next-generation IMS/LTE environment. Replacing or upgrading legacy IVR systems is an essential requirement for this evolution. IVRs in legacy networks were designed to support service-specific call flows and are incapable of harmonizing multiple services from a single instance. In addition, legacy IVRs are not capable of supporting IMS network requirements, nor are they designed to be deployed in a cloud virtualized environment. AGNITYs IVVR solution addresses all of these needs and more. The ACONYX IVVR Solution is a high performance, carrier-grade, scalable and cloud-ready solution that runs on the ACONYX Communication Application Server (CAS) service delivery platform. The CAS Service Delivery Platform is designed for multi-tiered provisioning and multi-tenant architecture, allowing CSPs to support IVVR services for multiple enterprise customers on a single platform and to allow these customers to customize the IVVR service to their specific needs. AGNITY has partnered with Radisys to tap into its MediaEngine portfolio of advanced real-time media processing solutions. Radisys MediaEngine provides a common platform which allows CSPs and application developers to deliver IMS compliant voice and multimedia services, including Voice over LTE, Voice over Wi-Fi, and WebRTC-based services. In addition to being at the heart of AGNITYs IVVR solution, Radisys and AGNITY have also collaborated to deliver advanced voice and video conferencing solutions based on the ACONYX MMC and MediaEngine portfolios. The ACONYX IVVR web-based editor allows for the creation of very simple to very complex IVVR call flows as per specific enterprise customers routing rules. Alternately, customers can develop any new IVVR service using the ACONYX SCE (Service Creation Environment), a toolkit that is provided as an integral part of AGNITY CAS. The ACONYX IVVR Solution enables the creation of an optimal end-to-end customer experience and maximizes revenue. Were excited to partner with Radisys, said Sanjeev Chawla, president and CEO of AGNITY. Communication Service Providers today are looking for ways to monetize their IMS/LTE network investment with new services. With the ACONYX IVVR solution, CSPs can create and rapidly deploy new IVVR-based services in a quick and easy environment with a simplified user experience and generate incremental revenue. We are honored to be a trusted solution partner and to have our MediaEngine powering this innovative new application from AGNITY, said Grant Henderson, vice president, MediaEngine and Corporate Marketing, Radisys. This marriage of best-in-class technologies from two market leaders showcases the power of the IMS decomposed network architecture. It extends the suite of applications available to operators deploying a OneMRF strategy to modernize and drive cost out of their service delivery platforms, while accelerating the introduction of new revenue-generating services. About AGNITY Global, Inc AGNITY Global is a leading global provider of intelligent business communication applications and infrastructure to organizations in the telecommunications and healthcare industry verticals. It is headquartered in the Silicon Valley, with Development and Support Operations in Richardson (Texas), and Noida (India). The Communications business of AGNITY Global is branded as AGNITY Communications and powers the networks of global Tier 1 Service providers. The Healthcare business of AGNITY Global is branded as AGNITY Healthcare and offers a comprehensive mobile contextual communication and collaboration solutions for Healthcare service providers. About Radisys Radisys helps communications and content providers, and their strategic partners, create new revenue streams and drive cost out of their services delivery infrastructure. Radisys hyperscale software defined infrastructure, service aware traffic distribution platforms, real-time media processing engines and wireless access technologies enable its customers to maximize, virtualize and monetize their networks. For more information about Radisys, please visit http://www.radisys.com AGNITY Global Contact: Media Relations Team media_relations(at)agnity(dot)com (510) 270-5412 http://www.agnity.com Hyper Wear Inc., (Hyperwear), the leading innovator in functional fitness and health, today announces changes and additions to its leadership team and its first Hyperwear Athlete appearance by American Ninja and Spartan Pro team competitor Rose Wetzel. An accomplished track athlete, she will be competing for a spot for the Olympic Trials Rio 2016 in the 800 meters. Rose will demonstrate Hyperwear products and workouts during #IHRSA2016 at Hyperwear booth #3669 Orlando, Florida March 23rd-24th. Leadership changes begin with Hyperwear President Dirk Buikema, a founder of Hyperwear, being named CEO. Over the past year, Dirk has assembled a new leadership team, led a new funding round, and overseen the development of new products and growth of SandBell group exercise programs. He holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Suffolk University School of Law. Assuming the new role of Vice President, Brand Strategy and Education, is Declan Condron, M.S. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and USAW. Previously he was a manager at Equinox Fitness and Co-founder and creator of PumpOne, LLC, a fitness technology company specializing in multi-platform digital training systems recently acquired by Anytime Fitness. Declan joined Hyperwear as Director of Education in 2015 and has led content creation and expansion of SandBell GX and education programs. During 2015, Pat Miles joined Hyperwear as Vice President of Sales. He has 20 years of sales and management experience with Life Fitness and SPRI Products. A Michigan native, Pat earned a BA in Business Administration from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids and attended Thomas Cooley Law School. New to Hyperwear and reporting to Pat is Jen-Kei Pong, Senior Sales Manager. Jen-Kei has 12 years of experience in sales and was most recently with a fitness technology equipment company in Austin where he gained four years of fitness industry experience in domestic and international sales. Hyperwear also added Kate Doyle, Marketing and Sales Manager in 2015. Kate graduated from the University of San Diego CA with a degree in Graphic Design & Photography. After 9 years in finance at HSBC and Goldman Sachs and 2 years in business development and marketing at a global synthetic turf manufacturer, Kate joined Hyperwears team to pursue her passion for fitness and design. About us: Hyper Wear Inc. was founded to bring innovative products to market in the areas of fitness, health and wellness. Its innovative products include the Hyper Vest PRO weight vest, SandBell sandbag free weight, SteelBell steel shot filled weight, WaterBell water weight for aquatic exercise, SandRope battle rope, and Fit RUCK for sandbag training. Mens Health Magazine described the Hyper Vest as the best weight vest, and the non-profit American Council on Exercise (ACE) awarded the Hyper Vest weighted vest its highest five-star rating in an independent review. Hyperwears products have also been recommended by or seen in Womens Health Magazine, Prevention Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Muscle and Fitness, Mens Fitness, Shape, the Dr. Oz Show, Weight Watchers Magazine, Extreme Weight Loss and the Biggest Loser. More information is at http://www.hyperwear.com or call toll free 888-460-0628. Contact Hyperwear Kate Doyle, Marketing and Sales Manager 888-460-0628 info(at)hyperwear(dot)com One of Creation's Award-Winning High-Tech Design, Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Facilities Worldwide 'This achievement is a reflection of the amazing team of people we have at Creation, and they are delighted that their innovation, expertise, and can-do attitudes are a valued competitive advantage for the customers they serve.' - Bhawnesh Mathur, CEO Creation Technologies, a worldwide leader in creating transformative design and manufacturing solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers, today announced it is the 2016 recipient of the "Highest Overall Customer Rating" Global Service Excellence Award from Circuits Assembly. The award, based solely on third-party customer feedback, has been won by Creation Technologies in both 2015 and 2016 in its category of EMS providers with annual revenues over $500 million. The company, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2016, is focused on providing the best service and value in the EMS industry. Our customers regularly tell us that mindshare and responsiveness are what they need from an EMS partner, said Creation Technologies President and CEO, Bhawnesh Mathur. Winning this prestigious award for a second consecutive year validates that our customers are seeing our commitment to deliver. This achievement is a reflection of the amazing team of people we have at Creation, and they are delighted that their innovation, expertise, and can-do attitudes are a valued competitive advantage for the customers they serve. The Service Excellence Awards recognize companies across the electronics industry that receive the highest ratings, as judged by their own customers, across the categories of Responsiveness, Value for Price, Dependability, Quality, and Technology. The company that is awarded the "Highest Overall Customer Rating" received the highest scores across all of the five individual service categories. In their 24th year, the Service Excellence Awards are sponsored by leading industry analyst, Circuits Assembly. About Creation Technologies Creation Technologies (http://www.creationtech.com) provides total product lifecycle solutions including turnkey design, rapid prototyping, manufacturing and fulfillment to its customers around the world. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Creation is focused on making it easy for OEMs to "Say Yes" to their customers since 1991. The company of approximately 3,000 people operates ten manufacturing locations, two design centers and two rapid prototyping centers in the USA, Canada, Mexico and China. Its OEM customers are leaders in the Industrial & Instrumentation, Medical, Communications, Transportation, Aerospace, Defense & Security, and Energy & Environmental markets. Advantech Wireless, a global leader in satellite broadband communications solutions, today announced the release of the new 2500-G Series 50W Ku-Band GaN (Gallium Nitride) based Airborne Grade SSPB/BUC designed to meet stringent commercial airborne requirements and specifications. The new Airborne Grade Ku-Band GaN based SSPBs/BUCs provide high power density in a compact size and are suitable for use in the rapidly growing market for in-flight connectivity and satellite mobility services. Advantech Wireless solid expertise in Earth Station SSPBs has now been combined with the specific features and operational requirements of airborne operation, said Cristi Damian, VP Business Development at Advantech Wireless. These new advanced GaN based units are ideal for the next generation Airborne SATCOM terminals. They provide high power with extremely high linearity and efficiency, while maintaining very high reliability. The design of the 2500-G Series Ku-Band GaN Based Airborne Grade BUCs is based on Advantech Wireless industry proven reliable solid-state high power amplifiers. The 2500-G Series rugged and conservative thermal design allows operation over an extreme temperature range. These new Ku-Band BUCs are designed to meet DO-160G specifications. About Advantech Wireless Advantech Wireless supports the critical need for High Throughput Satellite communications in a rapidly expanding digital environment. Our proven, low-cost, and highly reliable system solutions are meeting the ever-increasing need for high-bandwidth communications essential to military and government solutions, as well as cellular network providers, broadcasters, robust corporate networks, and security. We integrate award-winning research and development engineering into our designs. The result: custom solutions with lowest overall capital and operating costs, together with an unparalleled commitment to lead the industry in materials, design and reliability. Find out more about us at advantechwireless.com. Its an honor to give back to dogs that help people every day, says Dr. Terah Webb, the Ophthalmologist at MedVet Columbus. MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets is providing complimentary eye exams the entire month of May to service dogs during the 9th Annual ACVO/StokesRx National Service Dog Eye Exam Event. Four of MedVets medical centers are providing these screenings Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton, Ohio plus Lexington, Kentucky. These screenings are by appointment only. Over 45,000 service animals throughout the U.S. and Canada have been examined since the program launched in 2008, with over 7,000 dogs in 2015. More than 150 of those service dogs are examined at MedVet each year. MedVets three board-certified ophthalmologists provide free eye exams the entire month of May to service dogs who dedicate their lives to serving the public. This includes search and rescue dogs, detection dogs, guide dogs, hearing dogs, therapy dogs, police dogs, and handicapped assistance dogs. Its an honor to give back to dogs that help people every day, says Dr. Terah Webb, the Ophthalmologist at MedVet Columbus. Whether its a search and rescue dog helping a community or a disabled persons life-line for independence, I love to interact with these dogs. Its rewarding to detect a potential problem early that may limit their service or their comfort if left untreated. In addition to weekday exams the entire month of May, MedVet Columbus & Cincinnati will also be holding a special screening event on Sunday, May 15, 2016 to facilitate multiple specialty exams to service dogs. On this day, service dogs will receive more than just an eye exam from the ophthalmology department. Their appointment will include being examined by doctors from MedVets other specialty departments and will include a general physical exam. These screenings are by appointment only. How to Register: Online registration for these exams is open April 1-30. To qualify, dogs must be active working dogs that were certified by a formal training program or organization or currently enrolled in a formal training program. The certifying organization could be national, regional, or local in nature. Before calling MedVet to schedule an appointment, first go online to register at http://www.ACVOeyeexam.org. Specific service groups are also listed on the website. Once registered, please call MedVets ophthalmology department to schedule your appointment Columbus, OH (614) 846-5800, Cincinnati, OH (513) 561-0069, Dayton, OH (937) 293-2714, or Lexington, KY (859) 276-2505. Complimentary eye screenings are held the entire month of May at these four MedVet locations. MedVet is joining the approximately 280 ACVO board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists across the U.S and Canada to provide free sight saving eye exams to improve the health and avert potential diseases for thousands of service animals. About MedVet: MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets, with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, is a widely recognized and growing group of emergency, critical care and specialty referral veterinary hospitals for companion animals. MedVet is employee owned, veterinary led, and is leading specialty healthcare for pets. MedVet provides specialty referral services for in-depth care and patient management, as well as emergency services, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. More than 100,000 dogs and cats are treated annually at MedVets expanding network of medical centers across the country. MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets was named the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accredited Referral Practice of the Year for 2014 and is currently a finalist for 2016. For more information on MedVets network of medical centers, visit http://www.medvetforpets.com Media Inquiries: For photos and interviews with Stacee Daniel, Executive Director of the ACVO, please contact Meredith Schneider at (919) 229-8001 or meredith.schneider(at)fetchingcommunications(dot)com. For local information and contact for interviews: MedVet Columbus: Tami Adcock, (614) 431-4400, tami.adcock(at)medvetforpets(dot)com MedVet Cincinnati: Brandon Hess, (513) 561-5600, Brandon.hess(at)medvetforpets(dot)com MedVet Dayton: Heidi Hill, (937) 293-2714, Heidi.hill(at)medvetforpets(dot)com MedVet Lexington: Cheri Bolling, (859) 276-2505, cheri.bolling(at)medvetforpets(dot)com RatnerPrestia is pleased to announce that Jeffrey B. Bove, former Managing Partner and Chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Section of Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP, has joined the firm and will be based in the firms Wilmington, Delaware office. Mr. Bove has decades of experience in patent litigation in the District of Delaware and elsewhere, and has also handled numerous complex commercial litigations. He successfully worked on high profile cases such as the Lipitor patent cases for Pfizer, Bayer v. Housey for Bayer Corp. (Case No. 04-1194, Fed. Cir.), and Dawson v. Rohm and Haas Company (Case No. 79-669) at the United States Supreme Court. He also currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Federal Circuit Bar Association. Mr. Bove states, RatnerPrestia has been in Wilmington, Delaware for many years and is a perfect fit for my current practice. It is important to me to stay true to my roots and remain with a full service IP boutique. I plan to build our Delaware counsel practice and with my skilled team, will work closely with co-counsel and their clients litigating cases before the District of Delaware. RatnerPrestia has very talented professionals across four offices who we hope to integrate with and build upon. I am excited about pursuing this endeavor. Jonathan H. Spadt, Chief Executive Officer of RatnerPrestia, says, Jeffs reputation speaks for itself, and the energy and experiences he brings will be a benefit to both our firm and our clients. I am personally proud to have him join us. The firm remains committed to providing industry-leading technical and patent prosecution services, and to growing other practice areas that are necessary to serve innovative clients in a global market. This was the driver for opening offices in Washington, D.C. and Munich, and for hiring the level of people that have been attracted to this vision. A firm our size -- intimate enough to maintain long-term relationships with each client, but large enough to offer the kind of breadth and depth in all things IP -- is what sets us apart. Jeff fits squarely within this plan. The addition of Jeff Bove and his team to our firm is fantastic, and we are pleased to have them join RatnerPrestia, concluded Spadt. RatnerPrestia is a law firm expert in all things IP. The Firm handles procurement, enforcement, licensing, commercialization, global strategic IP planning, and all related business aspects of IP. The Firm has attorneys experienced and successful in all relevant U.S. and German agencies and tribunals, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, The German Patent Office, The European Patent Office, The U.S. International Trade Commission, and Federal Courts, both trial and appellate, in both the U.S. and Germany. With clients based around the world, RP understands that IP is global. For additional information, visit http://www.RatnerPrestia.com. If youre looking for something that makes you look good, feel good, and inspired, representatives with Crescent Harbor Lighting (http://www.crescentharbor.com) today promised that the new Hubbardton Forge products it has added to its online lighting store will do exactly that. These products will absolutely beautiful, said Tim Fossett, president and spokesperson for Crescent Harbor Lighting, which is the online arm of The Lighthouse, a family-owned lighting company founded in 1972. The new Hubbardton Forge products include: Hubbardton Forge Aubrey 7 Arm Chandelier; Hubbardton Forge 2Alison's Leaves Sconce; Mason Large Outdoor Ceiling Fixture, and the Hubbardton Forge Encounter LED Table Lamp. For something truly awe-inspiring, you need look no further, Fossett said in reference to the Hubbardton Forge Aubrey 7 Arm Chandelier (crescentharbor.com/hubbardton-forge-aubery-7-arm-chandelier). With a diameter of four feet, it's no stretch to call this Cirque chandelier large-scale. Six steel circular shapes are hand-forged from 12 tapered steel petals merging at the sculpture's apex. The Hubbardton Forge Alison's Leaves Sconce (crescentharbor.com/hubbardton-forge-alisons-leaves-scone), according to Fossett, is named after Aubrey Beardsley, the English Art Nouveau illustrator, and is a fixture that stays true to the form. It features a handcrafted steel arm that supports the water glass, while a delicate ribbon of steel swirls across it. The product is hand-forged by artisans in Vermont. As for the Hubbardton Forge Mason Large Outdoor Ceiling Fixture, its described as a subtly industrial version of a traditional lantern thats bold and striking. Showing a mix of high-end craftsmanship, from the thick blown-glass bell to the metallic curves of support arm and handle, to the details of the riveted collar this has it all. The Hubbardton Forge 272880D Encounter LED Table Lamp (crescentharbor.com/hubbardton-forge-encounter-led-table-lamp), is a stylish table lamp looks like it's headed somewhere. The companys design team drove the concept, but the artisans at its forge in Vermont made it a reality. Its steel ball ringed by metal pebbles that allow the lamp to swivel on the base, Fossett noted, before adding, A trimless drum shade hovers above. For more information, please visit http://www.crescentharbor.com/aboutus.html About Crescent Harbor Lighting Crescent Harbor Lighting is the online arm of The Lighthouse, a family-owned lighting company founded in 1972. The company specializes in a high-touch customer service approach to retailing lighting fixtures, ceiling fans and other related items. Contact Details: Tim Fossett President 88 York Street US Route One Kennebunk, Maine, 04043 Toll Free Phone: 1-888-355-9525 Local Phone: 1-207-985-3535 Fax: 1-207-985-4569 Source: Crescent Harbor Lighting ### Green Ox is honored to be aligned with Esko -- a company that understands the importance of giving their clients the next-generation tools necessary to drive innovation, profitability, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Esko (http://www.esko.com), a global supplier of integrated solutions for packaging and the developer of Cape Pack Palletization Software, is featuring several Green Ox Pallet Technology designs in its Cape Pack and Cape Truckfill software to help thousands of leading global companies evaluate innovative options for maximizing truck space utilization. Green Ox corrugated pallets are unique in the global market. Globally produced and configured at the point of use, the pallets offer a viable lightweight alternative to wood that can scale across the footprint of multi-national manufacturers and their suppliers. As presented in Cape Pack, one of Green Oxs most transformational features is dimension customization, which allows clients to increase the amount of truck bed space used by 5-30%. Together, Esko and Green Ox Pallet Technology are paving the way for global manufacturers to improve space utilization, cut transportation costs, and reduce their carbon footprint. Green Ox pallets can, quite literally, help reduce the number of trucks needed to transport the same amount of product, which benefits our clients and the planet. Esko is thrilled that Cape Pack is the first transport software in the world that enables clients to evaluate this innovative pallet technology, said Brad Leonard, Global Business Development for Cape and Esko. Esko and Cape Pack have long served as visionary leaders in truck modeling and efficiency, said Adam Pener, President of Green Ox Pallet Technology. As the global precedent set by IKEA demonstrates , in the future all truck beds will maximize area and volume, thereby reducing the number of trucks on our roads. Green Ox is honored to be aligned with Esko -- a company that understands the importance of giving their clients the next-generation tools necessary to drive innovation, profitability, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. In addition to the Green Ox Standard 48x40 pallet, Cape Pack Software v2.15, released last year, introduces to the market Green Oxs space-maximizing: Walk-In Cooler (40x32), Mini-Square (32x32), Bike (61x36), U.S. Square (46x46) and Euro (1 meter x 1 meter) pallets. ________________________________________________ About Esko Esko is a global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging, labels, sign and display industries. Esko products and services help customers manage, create and produce better labels, packaging, signs and displays. Portfolio The Esko product portfolio supports and manages the packaging and print processes for brand owners, retailers, designers, premedia and trade shops, packaging manufacturers, converters. For 9 out of 10 retail packages, Esko solutions are used in packaging management, asset management, artwork creation, structural design, prepress, 3D visualization, flexo plate making, workflow automation, quality assurance, sample-making, palletization, supply chain collaboration and/or the production of signage and displays. The Esko solutions consist of an extensive suite of software and two hardware product lines: CDI flexo computer-to-plate imagers and Kongsberg digital cutting systems, complemented with professional services, training and consultancy. Enfocus, with its suite of automation solutions and PDF quality control tools for printers, publishers, and graphic designers, is an Esko subsidiary. MediaBeacon, with its digital asset management (DAM) solutions, is also part of the Esko family. Facts & numbers Esko employs about 1,500 people worldwide. Its direct sales and service organization covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Americas and the Asia Pacific, Japan and China regions and is complemented by a network of distribution partners in more than 50 countries. Esko is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, and has R&D and manufacturing facilities in five European countries, the United States, China and India. Esko is a Danaher company (http://www.danaher.com) For more information, visit http://www.esko.com. ________________________________________________ About Green Ox Pallet Technology: Green Ox Pallet Technology, LLC is the exclusive global provider of Green Ox pallets. This game-changing technology gives clients the ability to Take Trucks Off the Road, thereby reducing substantially transport costs and carbon emissions. Green Oxs point-of-use provisioning model is unique and transformative. This feature gives customers -- and their suppliers -- the ability to employ a ubiquitous, proven pallet system throughout global supply chains. This global scalability translates to high-dollar savings and empirical CO2e reductions, both inbound and outbound. Dimensional customization further advances the efficiency model by fitting the pallet to the load. The end result is maximized space usage within a truck bed and increased product-per-truck. For more information, visit http://www.greenoxpallets.com. ________________________________________________ IKEA is a registered trademark of IKEA Systems B.V. which is not affiliated with Esko or Green Ox Pallet Technology. Nothing herein shall be viewed as an endorsement of Esko or Green Ox Pallet Technology by IKEA. Regarding the global precedent set by IKEA, please see the following publicly available documents: (1) IKEA Sustainability Report 2012. http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/pdf/sustainability_report/IKEA_Group_Sustainability_Report_FY12_FINAL.pdf (2) IKEAs Challenge to the Wooden Shipping Pallet. Ola Kinnander, 11/23/2011. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/ikeas-challenge-to-the-wooden-shipping-pallet-11232011.html (3) IKEAs paper Pallet Challenges Woods 50-Year Dominance: Freight. Ola Kinnander, 11/04/2011. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-11-03/ikea-s-paper-pallet-challenges-wood-s-50-year-dominance-freight (4) IKEA Case Study. Parution, October 2012. http://www.preventpack.be/sites/default/files/publications/2012-11_-_exemple2_3.pdf (5) IKEA Swaps Out Wooden Shipping Pallets for Lighter Cardboard Pallets to Reduce Shipping Costs. Bridgette Meinhold, 01/02/2012. http://inhabitat.com/ikea-swaps-out-wooden-shipping-pallets-for-lighter-cardboard-pallets-to-reduce-shipping-costs/ (6) IKEA to Phase Out Wooden Pallets. Modern Materials Handling, 11/30/2011. http://www.mmh.com/article/ikea_to_phase_out_wooden_pallets/ (7) IKEA Sustainability Report 2013. http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/pdf/sustainability_report/sustainability_report_2013.pdf Our employees are the heart of our company and truly the best in their field. Bill Howe began the company in 1980 as a way to offer residents in San Diego a professional group of plumbers at an affordable rate and with the highest level of training and professionalism. What started with one truck, quickly grew into a multi division service company with over 140 employees. The companies success was built on their mission of happy healthy employees, quality services in the community and giving back through philanthropic efforts and volunteerism. Bill Howe Plumbing, Heating & Air, Restoration & Flood Services, continually supports the advanced education of its employees. San Diego plumbers attend the four-year Plumbing-Heating-Cooling-Contractors Journeyman Program, and the heating & air conditioning specialists attend the two-year certificate program and advanced training throughout the year. Employees are also provided with customer service training, as well as the opportunity to join the Bill Howe volunteer team to give back to the community. For their efforts and dedication, the company provides ample recognition opportunities through monthly awards, special birthday celebrations, wellness events, and an end-of-the-year Employee Recognition Gala. Each month, outstanding employees are honored at the company meeting in four different award categories: Above & Beyond, for employees who take that extra step to help customers, the company and their colleagues, Excellence, presented to the employee (or employees) who demonstrates quality craftsmanship, Leading by Example, for the employee who represents the high standards of Bill Howe, and Customer Service, for the employee who delivers exceptional customer Care. The following employees were recognized for their exemplary service in February at the March company meeting held on March 10th: Jeff Justice for Above & Beyond (A&B), Tom Safreed for Customer Service (CS), Rebecca Santiago for Excellence (E), and D.J. Williams for Leading by Example (LBE). Employees are nominated by management, their team leaders, and through input from office staff. We are proud that each month we come together to choose from the nominated employees, we have a large pool of excellence from which to find the winner, said Tina Howe Vice President of Bill Howe Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in San Diego. Our employees are the heart of our company and truly the best in their field. For more information about the San Diego plumbers success, or services offered in plumbing, heating & air, or restoration & reconstruction, visit http://www.billhowe.com, or to speak with Bill or Tina Howe regarding this announcement, contact Bill Howe Marketing Director, Julie Riddle at Julie(at)billhowe(dot)com. About Bill Howe Family of Companies Bill Howe Family of Companies is comprised of Bill Howe Plumbing, Inc.; Bill Howe Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.; Bill Howe Restoration & Flood Services, Inc. The family-owned and operated company began in 1980 with the plumbing division and has grown into San Diego Countys largest low-cost one-stop-shop for service, repairs and installation, offering both residential and commercial services. 9085 Aero Drive, Suite B, San Diego CA 92123. Call 1-800-BILL-HOWE because We Know Howe! ### Leaders from a broad spectrum of the travel and hospitality industry will participate in a new Think Global Forum initiative designed to help companies address the challenges and opportunities presented by operating at a local level throughout the global marketplace. The Think Global Forum launch will commence with the travel sector forum and will curate the strategic insight and creative ideas of this executive panel of industry thought-leaders to produce and publish a series of global outputs industry wide. Vistatec, a company that provides globalization and localization services to global brands, is spearheading this new initiative. Think Global Forum is an important globalization leadership initiative that will benefit any brand managing the challenges of globalization, said Thomas Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Vistatec. This is a unique opportunity for leading experts to collaboratively develop solutions and capture that shared thinking with the industry as a whole. Vistatec is proud to be the conduit that will help businesses to communicate more effectively with global customers, added Simon Hodgkins, Chief Marketing Officer at Vistatec. In this increasingly digitally connected world, the Think Global Forum is an excellent opportunity for the wider travel sector, says Kier Matthews, Vice President of Sales at Europe Express. I very much look forward to being part of this exciting new initiative and to working with the executive panel to help deliver real positive outcomes in the ever-changing travel industry. The executive panel will be chaired by Michele Smith, Vistatecs North American Director of Sales, Travel and Hospitality. Panel participants represent a cross section of the travel industry, including airlines, hotels, payment processing, online travel agencies (OTAs), travel professionals and cruise lines. Among the confirmed executive panel members are: Puneet Bhargava, Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting Jacob Buckstead, Vice President of Sales, Hotel, Travel, and Leisure, First Data Dan Chappelle, President, The Wealthy Travel Agent Teresa Fisher-Galvez, Localization Project Manager, Expedia Alex Lopoukhine, Director of Business Development, Viator (Trip Advisor) Kier Matthews, Vice President of Sales, Europe Express Lynn Pina, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Europ Assistance The inaugural Think Global Forum Travel meeting will be held Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at Hotel 1000, 1000 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. To learn more about Think Global Forum Travel visit http://www.ThinkGlobalForum.org. About Vistatec Vistatec has been supporting some of the worlds most iconic brands to optimize their global commercial potential since 1997. Vistatec is one of the worlds leading localization solutions providers headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with offices in Mountain View, California, USA. Anxiety and Depression Conference 2016 Patients often have questions about whether they are receiving the most appropriate care for mood and anxiety disorders, even though a wide range of evidence-based interventions are available. Two of the most pressing issues facing mental health professionals are how best to treat patients and the future of their field. Experts will discuss these and other relevant topics when they convene at the Anxiety and Depression Conference 2016. Sponsored by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the conference draws more than 1,000 clinicians and researchers who specialize in anxiety, depression, PTSD and OCD. Under the theme Integrating Research, Practice, and Community, they will meet March 31April 3 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Distinguished therapists and psychiatrists will focus on the challenges facing those who treat anxiety and mood disorders. These are among the best understood brain disorders, and effective evidence-based psychological and pharmacological treatments are available. Patients often have questions about whether they are receiving the most appropriate care for mood and anxiety disorders, says ADAA President Karen Cassiday, PhD, a psychologist at the Anxiety Treatment Center and Rogers Behavioral Health Chicago, even though a wide range of evidence-based mental health interventions are available. She explains, Scientific research leads to new and novel treatment approaches, so clinicians are faced with more and more information all the time. Those who attend the conference will take away a much greater sense of the variety of mental health treatments for their patients who need help now and in the future. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults and one in eight children in the United States. They interfere with daily functioning and often lead to depression, substance use, suicide attempts, and other disorders. Depressive disorders affect about 19 million American adults. More than 50 percent of people diagnosed with depression also have an anxiety disorder. Coexisting anxiety and depression account for the most disabling mental health disorders in the United States. Harvard psychologist and MacArthur genius Matthew Nock, PhD, will deliver the keynote address, Why Do People Harm Themselves? Recent Advances in the Understanding and Prediction of Suicidal Behavior. His focus is on the prevalence and characteristics of suicidal behavior, as well as the risk factors and ways to improve prediction that can lead to reducing its high ratethe 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Nock said, Weve had theories of suicide for a long time and no data. Now we want to work from the other end. Many of the worlds most experienced and knowledgeable clinicians and researchers will also address other issues related to anxiety and depression, among them shame, marijuana use, trauma, genetic testing, new and novel pharmacotherapies, insomnia, personality disorders, selective mutism, anxious children and culturally sensitive therapy for minority and LGBTQ communities. For more details on the more than 150 workshops, symposia, and roundtables, visit the ADAA website: http://www.adaa.org/resources-professionals/anxiety-and-depression-conferences-2016. The media will have opportunities to interview experts and attend all sessions. A complete list of sessions and new-research posters, including abstracts, is available online. Visit http://www.adaa.org/resources-professionals/anxiety-and-depression-conferences-2016. About ADAA: The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD and related disorders through advocacy, education, training and research. Visit http://www.adaa.org. State and federal forestry officials have searched all corners of the state for the tree-killing emerald ash borer. They looked for the pests tell-tale signs in parks, communities and campgrounds from Falls City to Chadron, South Sioux City to Scottsbluff. The split bark, D-shaped exit holes, increased woodpecker activity and, of course, dead and dying ash trees. So far, no borers. But they have found another symptom, one that has moved across the country in concert with the deadly bug: Ash borer scammers. The Nebraska Forest Service recently issued a warning, saying it had received unconfirmed reports of door-to-door swindlers trying to convince Nebraska homeowners to pay for tree treatments to keep the beetles at bay. When someone comes to your door saying they have the end-all, be-all treatment for ash trees, that should be at least a cause of concern for a homeowner right there, said the forest services Kyle Martens. Since its discovery in Michigan in 2002, the emerald ash borer has killed tens of millions of trees, with damage detected in 25 states. And news reports of scammers offering costly treatment or urging immediate removal have spread alongside the infestations. But until the bugs are confirmed in Nebraska, it would be premature to take out ash trees or try to treat them. In fact, until the ash borer is within 15 miles of a tree, chemical treatment could do more damage than good. Youre weakening the tree over a much longer period, Martens said. Homeowners can take steps to protect themselves. A tree company representative on your porch should be the first sign of a scam, he said: Most reputable companies dont solicit door to door. And homeowners interested in removal or treatment should hire arborists certified by the Nebraska Arborists Association or the International Society of Arboriculture. Homeowners can call the state association at 402-761-2219 or visit nearborists.org to verify certification, said Lon Nutter, president of the Nebraska Arborists Association. They should also ask for proof the arborist has both liability insurance and a pesticide applicators license, Nutter said. So far, Nutters group hadnt received any complaints of door-to-door solicitors, he said. The state forest service, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are continuing to look for signs of the borers and by setting traps in high-risk areas. But its too soon to say when the beetles -- believed to have arrived in the U.S. from Asia in wood packing material -- could cross the border from Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado, all states with confirmed infestations. Or if theyre here already. Its difficult to say, it really is, Martens said. They can lie dormant in an area, not showing any signs of infestation, after three to five years. CT Index for Accurate Mesothelioma Diagnosis Among malignant peritoneal mesothelioma cases, the incidences of multiple tumor masses, intestinal wall thickening and pleural plaque were significantly higher... Scientists in Japan have released new findings illustrating how CT imaging can help in the differential diagnosis of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, a deadly abdominal cancer linked to asbestos. Surviving Mesothelioma has just posted details of the research in a new article. Click here to read it now. Physicians, pathologists and a radiologist at Okayama University Hospital examined the CT images of 43 patients who had died of peritoneal mesothelioma and compared them with the images of those who had died of other cancers. Among malignant peritoneal mesothelioma cases, the incidences of multiple tumor masses, intestinal wall thickening and pleural plaque were significantly higher than non-MPM cases, writes radiologist Dr. K. Kato, lead author on the report. The team found that all of the mesothelioma cases scored a four or higher on the MPM-CT Index, making it a potentially useful way to help diagnosis the disease. Mesothelioma diagnosis is always a challenge, but it is critical step to maximize the odds of survival, says Alex Strauss, Managing Editor of Surviving Mesothelioma. If the MPM-CT Index makes diagnosis easier and more accurate, it could be a lifesaver for mesothelioma patients around the world. Details of the Japanese stud, the peritoneal mesothelioma CT Index, and how it could apply to patients and families, see Mesothelioma Diagnosis: CT Index May Make it Easier, now available on the Surviving Mesothelioma website. Kato, K, et al, Computed Tomographic Features of Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma, March 2016, Anticancer Research, pp. 1067-72, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26976999 For nearly ten years, Surviving Mesothelioma has brought readers the most important and ground-breaking news on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma. All Surviving Mesothelioma news is gathered and reported directly from the peer-reviewed medical literature. Written for patients and their loved ones, Surviving Mesothelioma news helps families make more informed decisions. Elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea, managing partner at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP There are a number of signs to look for when elder mistreatment, either abuse or neglect, is suspected. It is important to identify diminished mental capacity and changes in patterns of financial behavior. Westchester elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea of Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP in White Plains and Somers, N.Y. will address the growing problem of elder abuse in an April 6 presentation to the New York Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. With millions of baby boomers coming of age, Mr. Enea emphasizes the importance of educating the public on how to identify, report and prevent elder abuse. According to a 2010 New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study, one in thirteen older adults in New York experienced elder mistreatment. The study further found that for every case reported, 24 were unreported. There are a number of signs to look for when elder mistreatment, either abuse or neglect, is suspected, said Mr. Enea. It is important to identify diminished mental capacity and changes in patterns of financial behavior. For attorneys and financial professionals, creating an internal system of checks and balances for elderly clients is essential to assess capacity and prevent financial abuse. The New York Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals marks the latest speaking engagement for Mr. Enea, who has spent nearly three decades protecting the rights of seniors, the disabled and their families. Named Westchester Countys Leading Elder Care Attorney at the Above the Bar Awards, Mr. Enea is the past chair of the New York State Bar Associations Elder Law Section. His practice areas include elder law; Medicaid asset protection trusts; Medicaid applications (home care and nursing home); special needs planning; guardianships (Article 81 and 17-A); and wills, trusts and estates. Mr. Enea was named Best Lawyers 2016 Elder Law Lawyer of the Year in White Plains, a Top 25 Super Lawyer in Westchester County, and is currently president of the Westchester County Bar Foundation. There are several local, state and federal organizations available to help if you suspect elder abuse or neglect, said Mr. Enea. Depending on the circumstances, it may be appropriate to discuss the issue with close family members. New York Adult Protective Services caseworkers are often the first responders to reports of elder mistreatment. For abuse in a nursing home or assisted living facility, a local Long-Term Care Ombudsman should be contacted. Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP is located at 245 Main Street in White Plains, N.Y. with additional offices in Somers, N.Y. Elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea can be reached at 914-948-1500 or a.enea(at)esslawfirm(dot)com. For the latest news, visit Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano online at http://www.esslawfirm.com. About Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP is an AV preeminent rated elder law firm with offices in White Plains and Somers, N.Y. The practice concentrates on Elder Law; Medicaid Planning; Nursing Home and Home Care Applications; Wills, Trusts and Estates; Guardianships; Estate Litigation; Supplemental Needs Trusts; and Special Needs Planning. Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP serves Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, the Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island and Queens and is committed to providing the highest quality legal services to seniors, the disabled and their families. Visit the firm online at http://www.esslawfirm.com and http://www.westchesterseniors.com. Mean Girl Makeover Going from the most entitled, selfish, ungrateful teen and then going to Africa changed me so drastically, says Funk. Jessie Funk, a renowned national motivational speaker, during her teenage years was a self proclaimed struggling Mean Girl in her teens until a transformative trip to Africa changed her outlook on her life. Shes now taking the power of that trip to change bullying across the country by recreating the experience with a new set of girls while creating a documentary of the trip that captures the transformation. Going from the most entitled, selfish, ungrateful teen and then going to Africa changed me so drastically, says Funk, I was no longer bulimic, I all the sudden found the ability to forgive my mom for leaving our family, I started to love myself, I loved others, I was motivated to work hard- it changed everything for me. Its an area that Funk knows well. As the Executive Director of Ivy Girl Academy, a non-profit organization that teaches teen girls to be confident, classy, and powerful leaders, she works with girls on a daily basis to instill all the important traits needed to succeed in todays world. Through this organization, Funk has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Razoo to bring the documentary to life. Ivy Girl Academy in partnership with Think Kindness is going to be taking three entitled, ungrateful, mean, struggling teen girls to Ghana this August for three weeks while filming their transformation. While in Africa, the girls are going to see firsthand real human struggle in a third world country while volunteering their time to give back to those less fortunate. We are breeding entitlement here in the U.S., adds Funk, Every American teen needs the opportunity to serve in a third world country- it should be standard curriculum for our youth. If more kids served we would have less kids on medication, we would have less bullying, suicide, cutting, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse and we would have more grateful, more compassionate, more aware children. The Mean Girl Makeover crowdfunding campaign has several different pledge levels to not only assist in helping pay for the expense of the trip and the filming, but also money which will go directly to helping the children of Ghana with everything from school supplies, to clean shoes and clothing. Once successfully funded, Jessie Funk hopes to take the film to schools nationwide to students everywhere. The Mean Girl Makeover Documentary is now live and available to support on Razoo: https://www.razoo.com/us/story/Mean-Girl-Makeover-Documentary-1 About Mean Girl Makeover Mean Girl Makeover is documentary film produced by Ivy Girl Academy, a 501(c)(3) organization that teaches teen girls to be confident, classy, powerful leaders. We teach twelve different areas of essential ladyhood skills such as the psychology behind confidence, positive thinking, the power of gratitude and service, goal-setting, health, self-defense, self-respect, personal power and of course the art of leadership. We conduct all day workshops and are soon expanding into summer camps and school curricula. For more information on Ivy Girls Academy visit: http://www.ivygirlacademy.com ### Today about 1,000 people have started new jobs Green Cross brings unique experience interlacing these issues into innovative programme initiatives. The so-called Freddas project, three years in the making, is helping ensure access to water, energy sustainability, and jobs development in communities along the Senegal River Valley. Developed by Green Cross Italy, and with co-financing from the Italian Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and phyto-cosmetics company L'Erbolario Lodi, the Freddas project also has womens empowerment as a core value. For Green Cross, holistic solutions are essential to achieving real change. The project intervenes in the poorer areas and arid regions of Senegal, where there has been a lot of internal and external migration, both on the African continent and to Europe, said Elena Seina, Coordinator of Gender Activities for Green Cross Italy. Today about 1,000 people have started new jobs, either on the ground or in the management of technological equipment. Of these, about 650 are women, some of whom hold leadership roles in the two cooperative enterprises established for agricultural work and the marketing of products. The 600,000 square metres of formerly abandoned land that were selected for the project now form a barrier against the advance of desertification, and contribute to food security and increased income for rural communities and farmers in the villages of Bokhol and Gouriki Samba Diom. Encouraging womens independence and the sustainable use of water resources are indispensable to realising several of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations and the international community in 2015, said Marie-Laure Vercambre, Director of Green Cross Internationals Water for Life and Peace Programme. Particularly for the goals targeting womens empowerment, SDG 5, and managing water resources, SDG 6. We are pleased with the benefits this project will bring to these communities, and to have been able to contribute to this endeavour. Access to and exploitation of natural resources to create jobs and prosperity is often a source of conflict between communities and with nature, altering the balance of ecosystems, said Elio Pacilio, President of Green Cross Italy. For this reason, we saw the clear need for projects based on the sustainable use of natural resources. "Furthermore, the cost of energy is the real obstacle to the development of agricultural activities, continued Pacilio. So Green Cross collaborated with ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) to create two photovoltaic plants and a drip irrigation system to address the issue. These produce 150 kWp of electricity, generated by the sun, at virtually zero energy cost thus saving about 35 per cent on the total costs of agricultural production. The micro-irrigation system, which is made up of some hundreds of kilometres of pipes laid onto the ground, will reduce the farms water footprint by about 80 per cent a reduction in water consumption of about 800 million litres a year. At the heart of this project was a commitment to address the lack of women in important positions of authority. Women are not only gaining work through this project they also take part in decision-making and hold leadership roles in the two social enterprises (Groupe d'Interet Economique) set up to give stability and future direction to this project. Before the project arrived in these lands, women were divided between work in the fields and care of the house, said Ramatoulaye Kane, head of the women farmers of the beneficiary villages. In addition, if we asked them to talk even about how the day had been many of them gave instructions to a man to be spokespersons or answered tomorrow, tomorrow. They were not accustomed to taking part in decisions, while being very active in community life. The women's sensitivity to the common good, their strong respect for nature and their knowledge that they must look to the future make me optimistic about the success of this experience, said Seina. A true revolution has been the direct allocation to women of parcels of land, which is something that had never happened before. It affords them more freedom and more weight in the collective decisions of their communities. *** About Green Cross International GCI is an independent non-profit and nongovernmental organization founded in 1993 by Nobel Peace Laureate Mikhail Gorbachev. It addresses the inter-connected global challenges of security, poverty and environmental degradation through global advocacy and local projects. GCI is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and has a network of national organizations in some 30 countries. For further information, please visit our website: http://www.gcint.org About the Water for Life and Peace programme GCIs Water for Life and Peace programme works to improve global water governance and promotes a rights-based approach to the sustainable and equitable use of freshwater resources. GCI uses advocacy, education and practical projects around the world to improve peoples access to water and sanitation. The Smart Water for Green Schools (SWGS) project is GCIs flagship on-the-ground activity. Pictures available for download at the following link: https://flic.kr/s/aHskwScPtq Contact: Marie-Laure Vercambre Director, Water for Life and Peace Programme Green Cross International +44 787 99 55 427 marie-laure.vercambre(at)gci.ch Etienne Lacombe-Kishibe Communications Coordinator Green Cross International +41(0)78.839.79.03 etienne.lacombe(at)gci.ch WTS Foundation was created to foster the transportation industrys workforce through scholarship, research, and education WTS International, the association for the attraction, retention, and professional advancement of women in transportation, has announced the selection of the winners of its seven scholarships for 2016. Each of the winners will be recognized at an awards banquet on May 19 during the 2016 WTS Annual Conference in Austin, Texas. The scholarship winners are: Miranda Barrus WTS CH2M Partnership Scholarship Kasey St. John WTS Leadership Legacy Scholarship Rachel James WTS Helene Overly Graduate Scholarship Liliya Zeigler WTS Molitoris Leadership Scholarship for Undergraduates Rochelle Starrett WTS Sharon D. Banks Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship Soshia Tymchek WTS Junior College Scholarship Beth Dibiase WTS Transportation YOU High School Scholarship WTS is proud of these women and the hundreds who have won scholarships awarded by their local WTS chapters. They have exhibited great commitment to receiving the education they need to enter the transportation industry, which will benefit from these incredible future leaders focused on improving the efficiency, sustainability, and accessibility of transportation. WTS Foundation was created to foster the transportation industrys workforce through scholarship, research, and education; our scholarship program has been one of its greatest successes, as evidenced by the recipients of scholarship winners past and president, said Marcia Ferranto, WTS President and CEO. Miranda Barrus, recipient of the WTS CH2M Partnership Scholarship, is currently enrolled in Oregon Techs graduate program. Her graduate project aims to improve the safety of drivers and wildlife on major highways while restoring the environment by designing a wildlife crossing. Kasey St. John, winner of the WTS Leadership Legacy Scholarship, works for the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG) in Oklahoma in its transportation department and has recently taken a position with one of its regional communities, the City of Sand Springs. She will now pursue a Masters degree. Rachel James, recipient of the WTS Helene M. Overly Memorial Scholarship, is a 2014 summa cum laude graduate of West Virginia University. She plans to join the Federal Highway Administration Office of Research, Development, and Technology as a student trainee to gain practical experience while pursuing her PhD at University of Texas at Austin. Rochelle Starrett, winner of the WTS Sharon D. Banks Memorial Scholarship, plans to attend graduate school in civil engineering with a focus on sustainable transportation. She also plans to earn a Ph.D. and become a professor. Liliya Zeigler, recipient of the WTS Molitoris Leadership Scholarship for Undergraduates, is currently enrolled at Old Dominion University in Virginia and is pursuing a Bachelors of Science degree in civil engineering. After graduation, her plans are to enroll in a graduate program to obtain a Masters in civil engineering with a concentration in either transportation or structural engineering. Soshia Tymchek, recipient of the WTS Junior College Scholarship, works on the CAD team at an engineering firm in California where she also serves as the marketing lead. She is pursuing a college degree to enable her to secure a professional leadership position in the transportation industry. Beth Dibiase, winner of the WTS Transportation YOU High School Scholarship, will be majoring chemical engineering when she attends college in the fall. She aspires to become an expert in alternative fuels. The Awards Banquet will be held during the 2016 WTS Annual Conference, in Austin, TX, May 18 - 20, 2016. As WTS Internationals flagship event, it attracts more than 500 corporate and governmental industry leaders worldwide, including executives, CEOs, government administrators, and leading engineering authorities. For more information about the conference, visit http://www.WTSinternational.org or contact Mary Petto, Director of External Affairs, at 202-955-5085. For more information about each of the scholarship recipients, please visit https://www.wtsinternational.org/wts-foundation/2016-scholarship-winners/ *** WTS International and WTS Foundation, headquartered in Washington, DC, seek to attract, retain, and advance women in transportation. As the industry's premier multi-modal association, WTS boasts a network of more than 6,000 transportation professionalswomen and men from across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Every transportation mode is represented, as is every service within the industry. From federal leaders to engineers and planners, the WTS membership base represents nearly 1,500 companies and 400 agencies in more than 90 cities. WTS Foundation has provided more than $2 million in scholarships to deserving women throughout the transportation industry, supporting the next generation of transportation professionals and advancing the principles of WTS. More information can be found at http://www.WTSinternational.org It is our hope that YWSTEAAMocracy will not only empower young women to pursue and persist in rewarding STEM careers, but also raise cultural and institutional awareness about the urgency of making STEM more equitable, Dr. Danielle Moss Lee Today, YWCA of the City of New York released its new publication Welcome to the YWSTEAAMocracy The Future of STEM is Inclusive' Equity Ideas of Women and Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The report contains a comprehensive analysis that frames persistent barriers that impede race and gender equity in the STEM field. In the report, research was distilled to outline an approach that uses activism as an important method to enhance the experience of women and girls in a variety of STEM settings. Our mission stands for the elimination of racism and the empowerment of women, said Dr. Danielle Moss Lee, CEO of YWCA of the City of New York. This has emboldened us to offer a set of equity ideas that will disrupt the status quo and tackle institutional barriers that impact race and gender equity in STEM programs, she said. Although in recent years women have advanced in both education and the workforce, the underrepresentation of women in STEM careers and programs particularly those from marginalized communities persists. For example, women have held less than 25% of STEM jobs in the past decade and specifically, according to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, women currently only make up 14% of engineers. To improve the experiences of women and girls and other underrepresented groups in the STEM field, the YWSTEAAM model seeks to embed 6 core principles in curriculum development, teaching strategies, classroom environment and the general ethos of institutions. The principles that make up the YW equity approach include: 1. Hands-on/real world applications; 2. Intentional cultivation of science identity; 3. Explicit gender- and race-inclusive practices; 4. Community building and near-peer mentoring; 5. Leadership development; 6. Social justice awareness. It is our hope that YWSTEAAMocracy will not only empower young women to pursue and persist in rewarding STEM careers, but also raise cultural and institutional awareness about the urgency of making STEM more equitable, Dr. Lee added. The full Welcome to the YWSTEAAMocracy report can be downloaded at: https://www.ywcanyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/FutureOfSTEM-Publication.pdf About the YWCA of the City of New York The YWCA of the City of New York was founded in 1858 to provide safe housing and educational resources for women. In its 158 years of operation, the organization has maintained its commitment to advancement and opportunity for girls and women through housing, job training and educational classes, while upholding its commitment to the elimination of racism and the empowerment of women. For more information, visit http://www.ywcanyc.org/. For specific questions about the Welcome to the YWSTEAAMocracy report, please contact ywsteaam(at)ywcanyc(dot)org. Over the last few years we have seen much growth in the use of both on site and online auctions, a spokesperson for Rogers Realty & Auction Co., Inc. said. Rogers Realty & Auction Co., Inc. announces their Rolling Stock Auction. The event will take place April 16, beginning at 10 a.m. (EST) at 5550 Wilkinson Boulevard-Bldg. A, Charlotte, North Carolina 28208. All auction items, including tractors, dump/pick-up/utility trucks, vans, heavy equipment and much more, will be sold at absolute auction to the highest bidder. A firetruck will also be selling with a reserve price. Customers can view auction items and bid online by creating a free account on the Rogers Realty & Auction Co., Inc. website. A preview date is set for Friday, April 15 from 8:00am-4:00pm EST to view all inventory. Buyers do not have to be present at the auction as this unique auction experience allows customers the option of bidding on site or online at http://www.rogersauctiongroup.com. Users can visit the website to set up a free account, view all items up for bid, place and verify bids, complete payments quickly and receive email notifications about the status of their bid. Today, more than ever before, auctions are providing results for buyers and sellers. Auctions are transparent, and buyers and sellers like that among other benefits of buying and selling at auction. With the ability to view products online, customers can access products miles away from the comfort of their homes, bidding is just as instantaneous as if on site and payments can be processed quickly and easily. Over the last few years we have seen much growth in the use of both on site and online auctions, a spokesperson for Rogers Realty & Auction Co., Inc. said. Our auctioneers are knowledgeable problem-solvers who take pride in their work while making our customers happy. About The Company Rogers Realty & Auction Co., Inc. has served hundreds of individuals as well as attorneys, local and national banks, mortgage companies, asset managers, Fortune 500 companies, local, state, and federal governments, universities, major corporations, brokers and others. Our auction division has sold single family, acreage, commercial, multifamily, industrial and resort real estate at public auction in several states. Our professionals conduct auctions for heavy machinery, real estate, business liquidations estate, municipalities and more. For more information, please visit http://www.rogersauctiongroup.com. Contact: Susan Holder Rogers Realty & Auction Co. susan(at)rogersrealty(dot)com NCAL #685 5% Admin Fee (336) 789-2926 Promevo, one of the largest Premier Google Apps and Chromebook Resellers in North America, announced today that it won Googles 2015 Partner of the Year for Devices in America. The award was presented on March 11, 2016 at the Google TeamWork summit. TeamWork 2016, which took place in Las Vegas, NV, is the annual, invite-only event hosted by Google for Premier Partners around the globe. This announcement marks the second year in a row that Promevo has won Partner of the Year for Devices. This award recognizes Promevos expertise and dedication to meeting customers Chrome device needs for business and education on a daily basis. Receiving the Partner of the Year for Devices award is a source of great pride to everyone on the Promevo team. Were incredibly humbled and honored to be recognized by Google for the second year in a row and were really looking forward to growing our relationship with Google in the future, stated Aaron Gumz, co-founder and Managing Partner of Promevo. Without our customers, we could not achieve this award. On behalf of Promevo, I would like to say thank you to all our past, present and future customers, we greatly appreciate you, added Tom Mason, other co-founder and Managing Partner of Promevo. Along with thanking Promevos customers, Aaron and Tom would like to sincerely thank each and every one of the members on the Promevo team for the hard work they put in every day. Promevo couldn't come close to accomplishing this award without each team's dedication to their work and customers. Promevo is one of the largest Premier Google Apps and Chromebook resellers in North America, focusing solely on our customers Google lives. Founded in 2001, Promevo is a Premier Partner for both Google for Work and Google for Education. Promevo believes that the customer experience is the most important aspect of the business and aims to satisfy the individual demands and needs of each customer. For more information about Promevo, please visit Promevo.com. Judith Schumacher-Tilton receives award from Jim Durkin, a past president of the NJHL Every day, police officers put their lives at risk to protect us. Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group is honored to support the brave men and women who serve our communities, and I thank the Police Honor Legion for this award. Past News Releases RSS Bloomfields 5th Annual Restaurant... Century 21 Cedarcrest Realty in... Tracy Chan, Multiple Award-Winning... The Honor Legion of the Police Departments of the State of New Jersey (also known as the New Jersey Police Honor Legion) recently recognized Judith Schumacher-Tilton, president and dealer principal of Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group, as an honored citizen for her companys support of the organization. Schumacher-Tilton was given a special award citing her charitable contributions to the organization as well as to the communities in which she lives and works. The award was given during the NJHL monthly meeting on January 27 at the Brownstone in Paterson, NJ. This award is given to citizens who shine above everyone else in their support to local law enforcement, said Jim Durkin, a past president of the NJHL. Schumacher Chevrolet has been a big supporter of the NJHL, which has helped us continue our important work for families. The non-profit fraternal organization draws its membership from all law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey; its core mission is to provide financial, moral and other support to widows and families of law enforcement officers who are slain in the line of duty. The NJHL relies heavily on one major fundraiser a year as well as private donations and membership dues to provide these benefits. Schumacher-Tilton, a second-generation automotive dealership owner said that, Every day, police officers put their lives at risk to protect us. Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group is honored to support the brave men and women who serve our communities, and I thank the Police Honor Legion for this award. Schumacher-Tilton has been recognized on numerous occasions for her extensive community outreach initiatives and business achievements, and her dealerships have been honored with many prestigious automotive industry awards for excellence in service. Among them: a 2013 Ally Dealer Hero (by Ally Auto) in recognition of her founding, with son Stephen Tilton Jr., Give the Kids Hope Foundation, Inc., which supports recreational and educational programs for underprivileged children in northern New Jersey; the Womens Choice Award by Women Certified in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015; and being nominated as 2012 TIME Dealer of the Year, becoming New Jersey's first-ever female to compete for this very prestigious award. She won the Northeast Regional title and was among the four finalists for the national title which was published in TIME Magazine. For more information about the Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group, visit http://www.schumacherchevrolet.com ### About Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group is the parent company of three Chevrolet dealerships in Clifton, Little Falls and Denville, N.J. and.is the largest volume Chevrolet dealership in the state. At the helm of Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group are President and Dealer Principal Judith Schumacher-Tilton and her son, CFO Stephen Tilton, Jr. Their charitable organization, Give the Kids Hope Foundation, Inc., (http://GiveTheKidsHope.org) is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children in northern New Jersey. About the New Jersey Police Honor Legion The Honor Legion of the Police Departments of the State of New Jersey (https://www.njhl.com/) is a fraternal organization comprising approximately 5,500 active and retired law enforcement officers of every federal, state, county, and local agency throughout the State of New Jersey. It develops and encourages fraternal, charitable, social, and educational activities of its members and supports societal programs. NJHL provides financial and moral support and assistance to families of New Jersey law enforcement officers who are killed in the line of duty. An officer must have risked his/her life in the line of duty in order to qualify for membership in the statewide organization. We greatly value our partnerships and feel it is important to recognize the ones that work hard to grow their business and build prosperous partnership. Announced this week, GlobalTranz is being named Clear Lane Freight Systems 3PL of the Year for 2015. This distinction is a welcomed honor for a company that has flourished through the symbiotic relationship that both GlobalTranz and Clear Lane Freight Systems have enjoyed. We maintain one of our strongest working relationships with Clear Lane Freight Systems, states Chris Scheid, VP of Pricing for GlobalTranz. We are honored to be named as their Top 3PL partner and look forward to a continued successful partnership moving forward. In a string of recent successes and accolades, GlobalTranz continues to show its ascent to leadership in the industry by being named 3PL of the Year for 2015 by Clear Lane Freight Systems. Founded in 2011, Clear Lane Freight Systems has built its business model around partnering with top 3PLs. With a robust client list of hundreds of industry-leading 3PLs, GlobalTranz was their very first customer. We will forever be appreciative of the confidence Michael Bookout, [Chief Strategy Officer] of GlobalTranz had in us to give us a chance to become a provider of LTL services to GlobalTranz, said Tom Nagel, President/CEO of Clear Lane Freight Systems. As GlobalTranz has succeeded in blossoming into a top freight broker, their business relationship with Clear Lane Freight Systems has clearly benefited both companies. GlobalTranz has created a broad playing field for small and midsized freight agencies while Clear Lanes Freight has focused on providing those 3PLs with exclusive economy LTL transportation services. We greatly value our partnerships and feel it is important to recognize the ones that work hard to grow their business and build prosperous partnership. - Ingi Torfason Chief Operating Officer at Clear Lane Freight Systems Over the last year, out of all of their partner businesses, Clear Lane Freight Systems chose to honor GlobalTranz based on their sales record and business development efforts. Particularly, Clear Lane Freight Systems wants to acknowledge the success of their mutual collaboration and GlobalTranz dedication to continuing to work together to the benefit of both companies. While Indianapolis based Clear Lane Freight Systems leads the industry as the top provider of cost effective LTL transportation for 3PLs, GlobalTranz is making advanced logistics management affordable and effective for those same customers. GlobalTranz was their first customer and today they are their top customer - evidence of the mutual success of their extraordinary partnership with Clear Lane Freight Systems. About GlobalTranz Founded in 2003, GlobalTranz is a privately held, Phoenix-based logistics company specializing in freight management services including LTL, Full Truckload, Supply Chain Management, and Domestic Air/Expedited shipping. Their team focuses on innovative technology and partnering with sales professionals that possess energy, insight and a fervent customer service mentality. GlobalTranz has created a one-stop-shop for its customer base of over 25,000 shippers through providing Less-Than-Truckload, Full Truckload, Supply Chain and Expedited Services. In 2015, Transport Topics Announced GlobalTranz as the 14th Largest Freight Brokerage Firm in the US. GlobalTranz is a leading company in the $157 Billion Dollar third-party logistics industry, with annual revenue of $500M+ and growing every year. GlobalTranz currently has 500+ employees and is growing rapidly. ### For additional information please contact: Todd S. Bookout Marketing Director Phone: 480.339.5722 E-Mail: tbookout(at)globaltranz.com The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a lawsuit filed by Nebraska and Oklahoma against Colorado over its legalization of recreational marijuana. In it, the two states argued that making pot legal in Colorado led to costly problems for them. In a 6-2 decision announced Monday, the justices denied a motion to allow the complaint to be filed directly with it. It was the fourth time the motion was on the court's agenda, and the justices gave no explanation for the denial. "We are disappointed by the courts procedural decision to not hear this case at the present time," Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said in a statement released Monday. "However, as both Justices Thomas and Alito recognized, the majoritys decision is clearly not a substantive decision on the merits of our claims." In a dissenting opinion, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have taken the case. "I would not dispose of the complaint so hastily," wrote Thomas, who said Nebraska and Oklahoma made a reasonable case that the dispute falls within the Supreme Court's jurisdiction. Peterson said it's important to note the high court did not hold Colorado's "unconstitutional facilitation of marijuana industrialization" to be legal. "And the court's decision does not bar additional challenges to Colorado's scheme in federal district court," Nebraska's attorney general said, suggesting the state may next file a complaint in U.S. District Court. Another option may be to sue the U.S. Department of Justice for not enforcing federal drug laws in Colorado. Peterson said his office is working with its partners in Oklahoma and other states to determine the best next steps "toward vindicating the rule of law." Colorado voters approved recreational use of marijuana in November 2012, and stores started selling it there on Jan. 1, 2014. On Dec. 18, 2014, then-Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to put a stop to the Colorado law on grounds it violates the federal Controlled Substances Act. Sheriffs and county attorneys in parts of Nebraska that border Colorado say they've been flooded with people trafficking marijuana. On Monday, Gov. Pete Ricketts said law enforcement and leaders in communities along the Nebraska-Colorado border have shared stories with him about crime, drug trafficking and other activities associated with Colorados marijuana industry spilling over into Nebraska. "The U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case leaves Nebraska and other states bordering Colorado to deal with the fallout from the Colorado drug trade and the failure of the Obama administration to enforce federal drug laws," he said. To date, Ricketts said, Nebraska has wisely avoided Colorado's mistake in legalizing this dangerous drug, "and my administration will continue to work with senators to protect our families and stop efforts to circumvent federal law here in Nebraska." In a brief filed a year ago, the Colorado Attorney General's Office defended legalized marijuana, countering that Nebraska and Oklahoma's issue really is with the federal government. On Monday, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman said she continues to believe that this lawsuit was not the way to properly address the challenges posed by legalized marijuana. "But the problems are not going away," she said in a news release. "Although weve had victories in several federal lawsuits over the last month, the legal questions surrounding Amendment 64 (the amendment that legalizes and regulates the use of recreational marijuana in Colorado) still require stronger leadership from Washington. Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project and a co-director of the 2012 Colorado marijuana initiative said states have every right to regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana, "just as Nebraska and Oklahoma have the right to maintain their failed prohibition policies." Nebraska Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha on Monday called it more "crazy stuff" by the attorney general, who earlier advised the governor and head of the state Department of Correctional Services to try to bring illegal drugs into the state to carry out the death penalty. "This whole thing was silly and it ought not to have been done. But when you get these zealots, they will try to misuse and abuse the court system to try to have their way, make a mockery of justice, a mockery of the law. The attorney general should have had more sense than to do something like this," he said. Later in the day, Peterson said he'll decide in two or three weeks how to proceed. By filing an original action with the Supreme Court, he said, Nebraska and Oklahoma had tried to shorten the process, which could take two or three years longer if it started at the district court level and worked its way through the appellate court and on to the U.S. Supreme Court. But he's not concerned about the cost to Nebraska taxpayers, which he said was virtually nothing except the $300 filing fee and $3,000 in printing costs. Peterson said two staff attorneys, who work on salary, have been primarily focused on the case "because of the concern about what's happening in Colorado has a significant impact on Nebraska." "Our civil litigation department handles numerous cases and this is just one of the cases that we're dealing with," he said. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 21 for Heritage Woods of Minooka, a new affordable assisted living community for seniors. The community, which will be located at 701 Heritage Woods Drive behind Jewel in Minooka, is expected to open next spring. It will serve older adults of all incomes, including those on Medicaid, who need some help to maintain their independence. Heritage Woods will operate through the Illinois Supportive Living Program, which provides a residential alternative to nursing homes. The three-story building will house 101 studio and one-bedroom apartments. Each of the private apartments will feature a kitchenette, spacious bathroom with shower and grab bars, individually-controlled heating and air conditioning units, and an emergency alert system. In addition, Heritage Woods of Minooka will have community areas, including a dining room, fitness area and library. Certified nursing assistants, working under the direction of a licensed nurse, will be on-duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Worn Jerabek Wiltse Architects, PC, which has offices in Chicago and Champaign, is the architectural firm. Horve Builders, of Forsyth, Illinois, is the general contractor for the nearly $18 million project. When fully occupied, the community will provide 50 to 55 full-time and part-time jobs. Annual payroll with benefits is projected to be nearly $1.5 million. Heritage Woods of Minooka will join more than 40 other communities operated by Gardant Management Solutions, including the Heritage Woods buildings in Bolingbrook, Dwight, Plainfield and Yorkville. Gardant is the largest assisted living provider in Illinois and the 14th largest provider in the nation. Individuals interested in having their names added to the interest list to obtain further information about Heritage Woods of Minooka can call 1-877-882-1495 toll-free. We have had such wonderful, loyal fans all these years whose support and passion brought us to where we are today. Bubbies of San Francisco, Inc., announced today that as part of a corporate restructuring move to better position the company for continued growth and create new lines of business, that as of April 1, 2016 it will commence conducting business under the new name Katalina Holding Company, Inc. As part of the restructuring, two limited liability companies (LLCs) have been established under Katalina Holding Company, Inc.: Bubbies Fine Foods, LLC, and Cooks All Natural Pantry, LLC (dba Othentic Foods). Bubbies Fine Foods, LLC will govern all activity related to Bubbies existing operations, which features an expanding line of premium offerings including its world-famous kosher dill pickles, bread and butter chips, pickled green tomatoes, kosher dill relish, sauerkraut, two kinds of horseradish, and pickled herring fillets. Cooks All Natural Pantry, LLC will govern all activity related to all Othentic Foods, which makes and distributes USDA-certified organic, all-natural, kosher and non-GMO pickles, sauerkraut, beets, peppers, salads and soups imported from Poland. The privately held Katalina Holding Company, Inc. will continue to operate from its headquarters in Stockton, CA, and be led by its CEO John Gray, who purchased Bubbies with his wife Kathy in 1989, who passed away in 2011 and whose legacy continues to inspire the company each day. Together, the Grays nurtured the business from a small operation that sold a single product in a handful of local stores, to what is now internationally renowned enterprise that in addition to several other premium products, makes and distributes the top-rated kosher dill pickle brand in its category. I am so excited about these developments in our company, commented Mr. Gray. We have had such wonderful, loyal fans all these years whose support and passion brought us to where we are today. It is my sincere desire that with our new structure we can help develop new products as well as exciting quality brands and small companies that can benefit from our experience and success. For additional information, contact Tom Chisari, National Sales Manager, at Tom(at)Bubbies(dot)com. It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by Time and Ally Julie Dunning, president of Dunning Toyota, was nominated for the 2016 TIME Dealer of the Year award. Dunning was chosen along with 50 other dealer nominees from across the United States, all of whom will be honored at the 99th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Exposition, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 1, 2016. The Publisher of TIME Magazine Meredith Long and the President of Auto Finance for Ally Financial Tim Russi announced the nomination. They explained that those selected for the nomination demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the automotive industry and an ongoing propensity for charitable activities. It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by Time and Ally, Dunning explained after learning of the nomination. We are committed to supporting the community in a variety of ways, and we take great pride in being able to give back to the area. As a nominee, Dunning will receive $1,000 for the 501c(3) charity of her choice, and she will be acknowledged on the website AllyDealerHeroes.com, which celebrates the charitable achievements and contributions of all of the nominees for this annual award. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is considered by many to be the one of the most illustrious honors in the automotive industry, and previous award winners are among the most successful and respected auto dealers in the country. Dunning Toyota supports a wide variety of charities through donations and philanthropic activities. The dealership is the number one donator of toys for the Toys for Tots campaign in Washtenaw County, and they supported 250 local children during the Christmas season by purchasing toys for them. In 2014, Dunning Toyota donated $18,000 to the Alpha House, a homeless shelter that serves women and children and their families. Dunning Toyota also supports Arbor Hospice, donating a 4WD vehicle each year to the organization, and provides support for the Food Gatherers in Ann Arbor and the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Additionally, Dunning hosts a variety of community events at her dealership, such as family movie nights and a Trunk or Treat Halloween event for community children. Dunning, 69, graduated from Roanoke High School in Roanoke, IN, and attended Michigan Christian College in Rochester Hills. She started her professional career as a salesperson at Toyota Ann Arbor in 1973 and was promoted to general sales manager in 1979. In 2000, Dunning became president and dealer principal. She currently owns 80 percent of the Toyota dealership as well as Dunning Subaru in Ann Arbor. Dunning has three sons and one grandson who also work in the automotive sales industry. For more information on Julie Dunning's nomination or Dunning Toyota, visit http://www.dunningtoyota.com or call (734) 997-7600. The new and used car dealership is located at 3745 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Family-owned and operated for more than 40 years, Dunning Toyota maintains a large inventory of both new and pre-owned quality vehicles. They are committed to excellence in customer service, and their knowledgeable and friendly staff goes above and beyond to help customers find the right vehicle. Their service department employs several master certified technicians, and the dealership is very involved in giving back to the community. Fatima S. Khokhar It is a joy to work in a creative and thriving environment. ]Five Star Professional is pleased to announce Fatima S. Khokhar, Downing-Frye Realty, Inc., has been chosen as one of Southwest Floridas Five Star Real Estate Agents for 2016. Five Star Professional partnered with Gulfshore Life magazine to recognize a select group of Southwest Florida-area real estate agents who provide quality services to their clients. Less than 5 percent of real estate agents in the area were selected. Fatima S. Khokhar is featured, along with other award winners, in a special section of the May issue. I got into this business years ago because I was curious, says Fatima S. Khokhar of Downing-Frye Realty, Inc. I was an American living in the United Kingdom and had left a long standing IT profession. I had a few investment properties of my own and saw a posting for a developer advertising a director of sales position. While I didn't know a thing about construction, I had been in sales for years. I interviewed, got the job and the rest is history! Seven years later, I arrived in beautiful Naples and started my property consultancy group. It is a true pleasure connecting domestic and global buyers with exceptional properties in our slice of paradise. The Five Star Real Estate Agent award program is the largest and most widely published real estate agent award program in North America. Agents are measured using an objective, in-depth research methodology with significant focus on customer feedback and overall satisfaction. Consulting with my clients to purchase, sell or renovate a single property or a collection of buildings is incredibly rewarding, says Fatima. It is a joy to work in a creative and thriving environment. I feel that our success flourishes when we strike a balance between the emotional and rational aspects of each transaction. Five Star Professionals research is extensive, with more than 10 million consumers, peers and other stakeholders contacted each year. We are relentless in our efforts to identify those professionals with the utmost standard of excellence, says Jonathan Wesser, Research Director, Five Star Professional. About the research process: Now entering its 13th year, Five Star Professional conducts in-depth, market-specific research in more than 45 markets across the United States and Canada to identify premium service professionals. Five Star Professional contacts thousands of recent homebuyers to identify award candidates. Phone, mail and online respondents rate their real estate agent on 10 satisfaction criteria. Candidates with a qualifying client satisfaction rating move on to be evaluated on objective criteria such as experience, production levels and disciplinary and complaint history. Real estate agents do not pay a fee to be considered or awarded. For more information, visit http://www.fivestarprofessional.com. Family law expert Joy Feinberg was recently included in The Best Lawyers in America 2016. This is an honored distinction of which I am very proud, said Feinberg. I would like to congratulate my colleagues who also made this elite list. Feinberg founded Boyle Feinberg, P.C. with Janet Boyle, both of whom were awarded American Institute of Family Law Attorneys 10 Best Client Satisfaction 2016 accolades. They combined their talents to form Boyle Feinberg, a law firm focused exclusively on family law. Feinberg, who was also selected as a Super Lawyer for 2016, represents business owners, entrepreneurs, highly compensated executives, professionals in all fields, athletes or their spouse in complex divorce cases having business or other valuation issues. Recognizing the struggle one has prior to starting the divorce process, Feinberg guides her clients to inspired resolutions, whether by collaborative discussions or utilizing her seasoned trial skills. Whoever my client is, I always form a close bond with them in order to understand and empower them to achieve their goals, said Feinberg. About Boyle Feinberg, P.C. For more than thirty years each, attorneys Janet Boyle and Joy Feinberg have been providing exceptional legal services and obtaining superior results for clients throughout the Chicagoland and North Shore communities in all aspects of family and matrimonial law. Boyle Feinbergs practice is devoted to the resolution of complex family law cases, by negotiation, mediation or litigation. For more information or to schedule an initial consultation with one of the Boyle Feinberg attorneys, please call (312) 376-8860, or visit http://www.boylefeinbergfamilylaw.com. About the NALA The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers in the digital age, while providing a single-agency source that helps them flourish in their local community. The NALA offers its clients an array of marketing tools from press release campaigns and social media management to a cause marketing program. The NALAs mission is to make businesses relevant and newsworthy, both online and through traditional media, by providing increased exposure at reasonable costs. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361. eXplorance acquires Thoransoft to further continuous improvement Thoransoft shares our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, says Samer Saab, founder and CEO of eXplorance. We are inspired by their creativity and professionalism and look forward to deepening our relationship with the team, Saab adds. eXplorance, the leading provider of Learning Experience Management (LEM) solutions, announces today the acquisition of Thoransoft Inc. a developer of customized business software applications. eXplorance is acquiring Thoransoft to accelerate the companys research and development, while igniting innovation and embracing new talent. Thoransoft has expertise in building tailor-made enterprise applications, focusing particularly on cloud and business intelligence (BI) solutions. The company helps a wide range of corporations manage day-to-day operations more efficiently by combining the latest industry knowledge with proprietary frameworks and cutting edge technologies. Thoransoft and eXplorance have worked closely together on a series of software development projects. Thoransoft shares our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, says Samer Saab, founder and CEO of eXplorance. We are inspired by their creativity and professionalism and look forward to deepening our relationship with the team, Saab adds. eXplorance has been experiencing constant growth, developing a range of evaluation solutions, adding value for ecosystem partners, and satisfying new global requirement demands. Over the years, eXplorance has considered several acquisition options to further accelerate its innovation roadmap. Acquiring Thoransoft will allow eXplorance to offer clients an even more comprehensive set of solutions. We are delighted to join the eXplorance family, who have always pushed our development efforts to new technological heights, says Georges Geha, President of Thoransoft. We look forward to participating in eXplorances innovative business culture and working together for improvement on all fronts, Geha elaborates. The deal is expected to close in April 2016. To find out more about eXplorances team and company culture, visit the About eXplorance page. About Thoransoft Thoransoft was founded in Montreal in 2005. The company provides tailor-made IT, Web and business intelligence services to a wide range of organizations. Thoransoft is proud to emphasize a human approach when creating Web applications for businesses day-to-day requirements, supported by leading industry experts and the latest innovations in server technologies. About eXplorance eXplorance, a Learning Experience Management (LEM) solutions provider, empowers organizations in making the right decisions with fact-based learning analytics. eXplorances offerings, Blue and Bluepulse, help instill a culture of continuous improvement by assessing, analysing, and improving stakeholder needs, expectations, skills, knowledge, and competencies. Founded in 2003, eXplorance is a privately held corporation based in Montreal, Canada with offices in APAC, Europe, and Latin America. With employees working across the globe, eXplorance is renowned for its strong company culture and is deemed one of the Best Workplaces in Canada by the Great Places to Work Institute. Recognized for its growth, technical innovation, and entrepreneurship, eXplorance is listed in Deloittes North American Technology Fast 500. eXplorances clients include academic institutions such as the University of Melbourne, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, Zayed University, Del Mar College, Bowdoin College, IESE Business School, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, UDLAP, and Liverpool John Moores University and organizations including Aramco, National Bank of Canada, loanDepot, and NASA. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. Conferencing Zone Week in Review: NTT Com, Lifesize and Revolabs Share Tweet By Rory Lidstone Contributing Writer By Rory LidstoneContributing Writer This week was a busy one for the conferencing space, so lets dive right into some of the highlights. First up this week, the Oklahoma State Senate passed a bill that expands the ability for public boards to use video conferencing. As such, it seems video conferencings popularity has led it to transcend the enterprise to reach the public sector. The bill, called SB 117, would enable every member of a board to participate in meetings via video conferencing. However, when doing so, board members would have to participate from a place in their district, one that would be open to the public to attend. Next, NTT Communications (News - Alert) Corporation launched a new language learning product that leverages video calling. Called VLJ Online Japanese Conversation, the solution helps to make learning Japanese more accessible to overseas students via a website and smartphone apps. This cloud-based study service puts students in touch with a certified teacher from a noted Japanese language school for two 45-minute lessons per week. At launch, VLJ Online Japanese Conversation features entry-level Japanese lessons but more advanced classes are planned for some time in the near future. In other news this week, conferencing technology provider Lifesize expanded and enhanced the free chat functionality of its Lifesize Cloud service, combining several key features under one app. Improvements largely revolve around adding key features to the 1:1 chat aspect of Lifesize Cloud, while the new feature being introduced is group chat. All combined, this means Lifesize users can now seamlessly switch between text, voice and video chat as needed. Lastly, Revolabs (News - Alert) senior product manager Holger Stoltze made the argument in favor of wireless mics for conferencing purposes. While wireless microphones used to be something to avoid due to interference and battery issues, they have much improved in these areas. Wireless mics now use rechargeable batteries that last up to eight hours at a time and leverage the unlicensed DECT (News - Alert) band to avoid interference. By using new spectrums, channel hopping, and DSP, the wireless microphones of today provide dramatically improved sound quality, noted Stoltze, and almost all wireless microphones come with a low-battery warning light, so users never have to experience unexpected downtime. That about wraps up this week in conferencing, but be sure to check out the Conferencing Zone for more news in the space. MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of stress management training can make cardiac rehabilitation programs more effective, a new study indicates. "Cardiac rehabilitation programs do not routinely offer stress management, but this may change should demand increase. And because patients may be reluctant to ask for the programs themselves, the onus is on the physicians to recognize that stress management is important for the optimal medical management of patients," said study author James Blumenthal. He is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, in Durham, N.C. In the study, the researchers looked at 151 heart patients, aged 36 to 84, in North Carolina. The patients received either 12 weeks of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation alone or the same program along with weekly 90-minute group sessions on stress management. The stress management program included training in relaxation, coping skills and stress reduction. Another 75 patients were in a control group that did not take part in cardiac rehabilitation. After a median follow-up of more than three years, problems such as heart attack, stroke, recurrent chest pains requiring hospitalization, and death had occurred in 18 percent of patients in the cardiac rehab/stress management group. That compared to 33 percent of patients in the cardiac rehab-only group, and 47 percent of patients in the control group. The study was published March 21 in the journal Circulation. Only 20 percent to 30 percent of heart patients who are eligible for cardiac rehabilitation take part in stress management programs, possibly due to lack of access, cost or low doctor referral rates, Blumenthal said. Some patients try to do cardiac rehabilitation on their own, but despite "their good intentions, making lifestyle changes is not an easy thing to do without assistance," he said in a journal news release. More information The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about cardiac rehabilitation. Cookies What are cookies ? How do we use cookies? How to control cookies? Managing cookies in your browser see what cookies you have got and delete them on an individual basis block third party cookies block cookies from particular sites block all cookies from being set delete all cookies when you close your browser X A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. 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Google ha rilasciato un ulteriore aggiornamento alla sicurezza per il mese di marzo destinato ai teminal della gamma Nexus, al fine di 'chiudere' una falla che avrebbe potuto portare al root indesiderato. Secondo quanto riportato da Google ad essere vulnerabili erano i dispositivi Android con kernel versione 3.4, 3.10 e 3.14, compresi i prodotti della gamma Nexus. Summary Google has become aware of a rooting application using an unpatched local elevation of privilege vulnerability in the kernel on some Android devices (CVE-2015-1805). For this application to affect a device, the user must first install it. We already block installation of rooting applications that use this vulnerability both within Google Play and outside of Google Play using Verify Apps, and have updated our systems to detect applications that use this specific vulnerability. To provide a final layer of defense for this issue, partners were provided with a patch for this issue on March 16, 2016. Nexus updates are being created and will be released within a few days. Source code patches for this issue have been released to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repository. Background This is a known issue in the upstream Linux kernel that was fixed in April 2014 but wasn't called out as a security fix and assigned CVE-2015-1805 until February 2, 2015. On February 19, 2016, C0RE Team notified Google that the issue could be exploited on Android and a patch was developed to be included in an upcoming regularly scheduled monthly update. On March 15, 2016 Google received a report from Zimperium that this vulnerability had been abused on a Nexus 5 device. Google has confirmed the existence of a publicly available rooting application that abuses this vulnerability on Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 to provide the device user with root privileges. This issue is rated as a Critical severity issue due to the possibility of a local privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution leading to local permanent device compromise. Scope This advisory applies to all unpatched Android devices on kernel versions 3.4, 3.10 and 3.14, including all Nexus devices. Android devices using Linux kernel version 3.18 or higher are not vulnerable. Mitigations The following are mitigations that reduce the likelihood customers are impacted by this issue: Verify Apps has been updated to block the the installation of applications that we have learned are attempting to exploit this vulnerability both within and outside of Google Play. Google Play does not allow rooting applications, like the one seeking to exploit this issue. Android devices using Linux kernel version 3.18 or higher are not vulnerable. Acknowledgements We would like to thank the C0RE Team and Zimperium for their contributions to this advisory. Suggested actions We encourage all customers to accept updates to their devices when they are available. Fixes Google has released a fix in the AOSP repository for multiple kernel versions. Android partners have been notified of these fixes and are encouraged to apply them. If further updates are required we will publish them directly to ASOP. As my kids played in the waves, I walked down the shoreline of the beach on South Padre Island toward loud music and hundreds of spring breakers. I realized it was 25 years ago this week that I was one of them on this exact beach, dancing, laughing, drinking and meeting people from all over the world. But my journey today is not what I could have imagined back then. After my life-changing encounter with cancer, I spent my second spring break with my boys, Michael, 17, and AJ, 13, taking them to my favorite places from my childhood and meeting family from my mothers side for the first time. Last year, I drove 13 hours to Dallas/Fort Worth, and this year, seven weeks after my recent surgery, I drove another eight hours after that to McAllen and South Padre Island, Texas. I wondered whether I could make the drive, but feared that if I didnt, I may not have the opportunity again. This is how I think as a cancer survivor, living each day like its my last. Some may prefer flying versus spending hours in a car, but as a child, my parents gave me and my sisters the most memorable road trips. Annually, we would travel from Moline to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, all the way to Yahualica Jalisco, Mexico. Now, I want to give the same experience to my sons. Our first stop was Fort Worth to visit my cousin, Claudia, and Six Flags over Texas. Despite two days of roller-coaster thrills, the highlight of our stop was meeting my cousins Shih Tzu. The playful puppy entertained us for hours and melted our hearts with nonstop puppy kisses. After Fort Worth, we continued our journey to McAllen, where my sons met my mothers eldest sister, my Aunt Tia Elena Pena, 89. Tears of joy overwhelmed us, as she had not been able to make a visit during my illness. I had not seen her in 20 years. Aunts, uncles and cousins celebrated our visit with Mexican food, music, laughs and reminiscing about my visits as a child with my parents. My boys enjoyed the food and were amazed by how many family members they didnt know. I visited my grandparents home in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where my Tia Elena lives. The house seemed empty without my grandparents there, but I enjoyed sitting on the patio, laughing with my aunt as she told stories of how I used to run freely up and down the street playing with my cousins and neighborhood kids. You were never scared of anything or anyone, she said always creating havoc and chaos. The trip wasnt complete until I stepped on the beach of South Padre Island. I remember going as a child with my big family, and in college for spring break. This visit was different. My youngest, who never has been on an ocean beach, brought me the greatest joy. I watched AJ splash around in the waves, chase sea gulls and torture his brother. We picnicked on the beach like I did as a kid and soaked in the atmosphere. Notorious for always finding odd things and packing them in his suitcase while on vacation, AJ was excited about all of the seashells. He came home with three. We left the Rio Grande Valley content with our visit. Our last destination was San Antonio, where the Alamo would be our history lesson of the trip. The boys were in awe of the old structure in the midst of a busy metropolis. We waited in a line that wrapped around two blocks to get into the tiny church. The boys admired artifacts and appreciated that they were able to see it in person after reading about it in their history books. Mom, now I know why its such a big deal, Michael said with a smile. The teenagers were glad they didnt miss the adventure. We drove back home, going over the highlights of our trip. Each boy had a different perspective on what they enjoyed the most. For me, I will treasure the memories I have given them. Thanks, Mom, Michael said, as we walked through the door at home and he gave me a kiss. Calumet City Police Chief Tom DiFiori tells WMAQ-TV in Chicago that 30-year-old Gregory Miles was charged with first-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and endangering the life of a child. Police responded about 12:30 a.m. Thursday to a report of an unresponsive infant. Officers found 1-year-old Noah Rudder lying on the living room floor and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The Lake County coroner's office declared the boy dead at a Hammond, Indiana hospital at 1:55 a.m. He suffered burns to his body but no cause of death was given pending further review. DiFiori says the boy was allegedly burned by scalding water. Judge Thaddeus Wilson sentenced 27-year-old Donnell Flora on Monday after he was found guilty of charges including first-degree murder in the April 28, 2014, slaying of Endia Martin. Prosecutors say Flora supplied the gun and accompanied his niece to the shooting. Wilson told Flora "there are no excuses or rationalization for giving a child a gun to take to ridiculous fight about a boy." Flora sas he was trying to protect his niece when he gave her the weapon. He apologized for his actions at his sentencing. Flora's niece is awaiting trial in juvenile court. CHICAGO (AP) An off-duty Chicago police officer was shot in the leg during an attempted robbery, less than two days after another off-duty officer suffered a broken arm when a man attacked him with a baseball bat, police said Monday. Detectives were questioning a person of interest who showed up at a hospital apparently wounded from being shot, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. The officer who was shot had finished his shift and was sitting in his car around 2:20 a.m. Monday near his home on the city's far South Side. Police said two men with handguns approached each side of the vehicle and told the officer they were going to rob him. Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante said the men forced the officer out of his car. Escalante said the officer was "trying to comply with the demands" of the gunmen when he heard one of the men tell the other to shoot him. The officer pulled out his service weapon, identified himself as a police officer and exchanged gunfire with at least one of the men. Guglielmi said detectives do not believe the men knew that they were about to rob a police officer when they approached his car, but that it was unclear if they knew he was an officer when one told the other to shoot him. Escalante, who spoke at a news briefing outside the hospital where the officer was taken after being shot, said the officer told detectives that he thinks he shot one of the robbers. The person of interest was being treated at the hospital, Guglielmi said. No charges have been filed in the officer's shooting. On Saturday night, a 37-year-old officer was walking on Chicago's West Side when he spotted someone he described as an "aggressive male subject" holding his waistband. Police said the officer identified himself as a police officer and started to pat the person down for a weapon something he had the legal right to do whether he was on or off duty. They said a man then charged the officer with a baseball bat. The officer told investigators he shot the man after being struck with the bat multiple times. Police said no weapon was recovered. Guglielmi said the officer suffered multiple injuries, with the most serious being a broken arm. The man with the bat was shot in the abdomen and underwent surgery at a hospital, police said. On Monday, Anthony Castaneda, 32, of Chicago was charged with aggravated battery on a police officer and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, both felonies. Castaneda was scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon, but it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. A 17-year-old male was charged with misdemeanor assault and marijuana possession. The incidents Monday and Saturday followed a shooting March 14 in which three officers were injured in an exchange of gunfire that killed the suspect they were pursuing. As a result of a policy change that Escalante put in place in December, all the officers have been assigned to desk duty for 30 days because shots were fired in the incidents. The officers' names have not been released. The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the incidents. MOLINE -- If you're in the market for a first home, a cozy and cute one that's had a lot of love and sweat invested in it is available for $74,900. The one-and-a-half-story, 1,132-square-foot house -- a former abandoned eyesore at 1224 18th St., Moline -- was totally remodeled by the Moline Community Development Corporation (MCDC). The private nonprofit group unveiled it Sunday during an open house. Built in 1905, it now has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, with powder-blue carpeting and walls in the main rooms, and a warm fully-equipped kitchen with cream-colored walls. Led by general contractor Garth Merrick, about 40 volunteers spent two years and over 2,000 volunteer hours on the transformation, with key assistance from business partnerships. "Wow. I can't get over it. It looks so nice," volunteer Diane Garmen, of Moline, said of the 18th Street house which has a white exterior. "This is great." The mission of the MCDC is to foster improvement in Molines low and moderate-income neighborhoods and to conduct neighborhood revitalization programs and projects -- including rehabilitating abandoned properties, improving neighborhoods with better lighting, and renovating or constructing neighborhood playgrounds. The MCDC bought the formerly boarded-up and abandoned house in August 2013 from the city of Moline. Among the improvements were to remediate lead paint, install all new windows, doors, and ceiling fans, repair the roof, install new plumbing, energy-efficient furnace and electrical, completely repaint the interior, lay flooring, install kitchen and bathroom cabinets and fixtures, kitchen appliances, add a new back deck, and repair the back fence. The dilapidated house (vacant about three years before it was bought) had one bathroom before the work. A back porch was converted to a laundry area and bathroom, with shower, said Moline Ald. Lori Turner, 5th Ward, who's on the MCDC board. "The neighbors, I think, were very pleased to see the progress in the neighborhood," she said. "We like to complement what the city is doing, in the neighborhoods," Ald. Turner said. Renovation work like this helps local property values and returns the property to the tax rolls. It also influenced neighbors to spruce up their own yards, she said. "It's a win for the city. The neighbors around this home recognize the value of our project and watched with great interest as we invested in their neighborhood." The MCDC spent $30,000 on the work, including proceeds from the sale of the first home it remodeled on 26th Street near SouthPark Mall. That was completed in 2013, Ald. Turner said. "We work alongside the city of Moline," said MCDC board president Bill Steinhauser. "The city was one of the impetus organizations to form the CDC. It was an effort to assist the government in relieving some of the burdens in administration, but also to access funds for these projects." "It's a shame when you see all the people taking care of their neighborhood, and you've got one eyesore," he said. "One of the things the CDC is working on now is a blight program in the city, where we're tearing down homes that are simply a blight to the neighborhood. We've already brought down three." Among the businesses and organizations that worked on the 18th Street house were Dougs Heating and Air, River Bend Plumbing, Thaddeus Electric, Bethany for Children & Families, Midwest Technical Institute, J & M Installations, and financial support came from from the Deere Wiman Memorial Trust, the city of Moline (a loan) and private donations. Mr. Steinhauser, who is president/CEO of Bethany, said his nonprofit donated living room furniture, and the refrigerator for the house. Its Family Furniture Assistance Program acquires gently-used, donated furniture and distributes about 1,500 of those items per year free of charge, he said. Gary Freeman, of Moline, retired from John Deere as a paint system engineer, was one of the many volunteers on the project, and Ald. Turner called him her "number-one volunteer." "He was very instrumental in helping us finish up the house and make it a home," she said. Mr. Freeman, who also volunteers on the Moline Main Street Commission, said he worked on the house since October and likes to work on house and car projects. He helped pick out the color schemes and worked on installing the kitchen cabinets and counter tops. The MCDC is working on playground improvements as well, Ald. Turner said, including raising $100,000 for handicapped accessibility at Riverside Park, putting in a new pavilion at McCandless Park, and raising $75,000 for Millennium Park on the border of East Moline. Anyone interested in the 1224 18th St. house can contact Ald. Turner at 309-764-4554 or lturner@moline.il.us. Press release submitted by Rock Island Arsenal Rock Island National Cemetery Hosting 50th Vietnam War Anniversary ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. (March 18, 2016) The Rock Island National Cemetery will host a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War on Saturday, April 2, at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be held at the main flagpole circle. The ceremony will include for following: Patriotic music (bagpiper) National Anthem Wreath presentation Keynote speaker: U.S. Marine Corps Maj. (Ret.) Lynn Lowder Rifle Salute (Moline American Legion Post 246) Taps (Moline American Legion Post 246 performed by Tracy Hepner) The cemetery will mark the graves of all Vietnam era veterans interred at Rock Island National Cemetery with yellow, helium-filled balloons. At the end of the ceremony, guests will be invited to help collect the balloons, which will be released together (bio-friendly balloons and twine). Lapel pins will be handed out to Vietnam War veterans at the conclusion of the ceremony. Lowder, the keynote speaker, is a national advocate for veterans. In 1967, he voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and went on to serve as a team leader with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company (Special Operations) in Vietnam. His experiences in combat are profiled in such books as "First Force Recon Company: Sunrise at Midnight" by Bill Peters and "Inside Force Recon: Recon Marines in Vietnam" by Michael Lee Lanning and Ray William Stubbe. Following his time in the Marine Corps, Lowder worked as a trial attorney and law firm executive. He is the past director for Military and Veteran Services at the University of Central Missouri, where he was responsible for day-to-day support for veterans transitioning from combat zones to higher education, emphasizing classroom skills, mental wellness and job placement. His civilian accomplishments are profiled in the book "Above and Beyond: Former Marines Conquer the Civilian World" by Rudy Socha and Carolyn Darrow. Ever since I moved back to my rural hometown in central Illinois a few years ago, I have fretted about rural white poverty. I think I see it at the local convenience store where disturbing numbers of scruffy, bearded young men pick up beer and roar away in beat-up pickups. But that could just be generational distaste for new styles. I do know that 44 percent of the children born this past year in Stark County were born to unmarried women, which is about the state average. The topic came to mind when I had lunch with old friend and circuit judge Mike McCuskey, of Lacon in nearby Marshall County. Mike rotates each week among three rural county courthouses, including Stark. Mike also has moved back to his rural roots after 16 years away as a federal judge. Jim, we have an epidemic of single mothers who never marry, with children often by multiple fathers, exclaimed the judge over a Reuben and chips. No divorce stigma Divorce used to be a big deal in our days growing up. Today there is no stigma. Now the mothers come into court seeking an order of protection for Jimmy from unmarried dad, to get the man out of the house, but not for Jennie or Joey -- because they have different fathers! McCuskey goes on: The mothers often dont marry because they might lose their Medicaid card. Sometimes, they also get a child on disability payments because the tyke has a supposed learning deficit. Its crazy what is going on in rural Illinois! I talked with two fine, big-hearted, veteran social workers to find out what they see. The big problem is the lack of decent jobs, says one. A single mother cant make it on a minimum wage service job. There is also less sense of responsibility among young men than there used to be, the other chimes in. I have seen young men who sit in front of the TV all day and say they could do better than an $8.50 an hour job, but they dont get off their duffs and look for those better jobs. Its easy to get frustrated in our line of work, she adds, but it is a myth that all people on government programs are shiftless beer-drinking smokers -- at least half or more really want to get off welfare programs. Kids are what they see Our children are what they see. Theyre going to become their parents. People who grow up paying for their groceries with a LINK card (food stamps in earlier days) dont know any different. On the other hand, there are programs like Career Link that will basically pay a person a small amount to get a GED (high school diploma equivalent) and to go on to train for a welding or truck-driving job. And my social worker friends have seen some successes in this regard. Judge McCuskey and I may, of course, be seeing our childhoods through rose-tinted glasses, when we recall life being comfortable, with plenty of good-paying jobs down the highway at CAT and John Deere. So I looked up poverty rates. The Stark County rate in 1960 was greater than 20 percent (my government source didnt say how much more) versus 12 percent this past year! Maybe the good ol days werent so great as I thought. One reason for the decline in poverty rates is the panoply of social support programs created through President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty: Medicaid, food stamps, housing support, straight welfare, heating and electricity funding, free school lunches, child care, Head Start, and the earned income tax credit, not to mention the several local private charities in Stark County. Females have thus found they dont need a man, observes one of my social worker friends. But choices have consequences, she adds quickly. I worry that we may be -- clearly I have more research to do -- creating among rural whites what neuroscientist Bruce Hood in the United Kingdom calls learned helplessness (The Self Illusion, 2012), the sense that individuals are unable to do anything about their lives. I am definitely not expecting all young women today to strive for glorified Ozzie and Harriet family stability, though mothers do much better financially when married than they do alone. On the other hand, I worry that too many poorly educated Moms have replaced Dad with the government, which is not a happy long-term coupling. Illinois, if it's ever to get out of the budget crisis in which it finds itself, must improve its business climate and grow its economy. So it's mind-boggling to try to figure out why the state's leaders seem content to kill the state's higher education system while they play out a political showdown without regard to the people it hurts. Remember the old adage about eating your seed corn? That's what our state's leaders seem determined to do when they don't pass a budget, don't pay universities what's owed them and don't support lower-income students seeking to better themselves through higher education. "We're on the verge of dismantling the higher education system in Illinois," James Applegate, the director of the state's Board of Higher Education, warned the Senate Appropriations Committee. With no state money coming in for nine months, most universities have turned to operating on cash reserves, and in some cases, even those have begun to run out. Among the impacts: -- Southern Illinois University expects to lay off several hundred employees at its campuses in Carbondale and Edwardsville, and at its medical school in Springfield. -- Eastern Illinois University plans to lay off 177 employees and impose furloughs on others. -- Western Illinois University plans to lay off 100 employees. -- Chicago State University sent warnings of layoffs to all 900 employees and has warned its situation is so dire that a shutdown is possible. Even worse is the impact on students, who are no longer receiving Monetary Assistance Program grants, which are aimed at those who demonstrate financial need. The grants, which max out at $4,720, go to roughly 130,000 college students statewide. Stop. Think about that number. 130,000. Most colleges and universities had been fronting the grants to students for months, betting that the state would end the madness and repay them. That's no longer a safe bet for many universities and colleges, and they're having to reluctantly tell students to find the money themselves. 130,000 students who likely don't have a spare couple thousand dollars lying around to pay for the their college tuition. 130,000 students who understand that higher education is the ticket to a better life. Studies show that attaining a bachelor's degree can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to a person's lifetime earnings. 130,000 students who are willing to work and learn. 130,000 students who can form the educated workforce that Illinois will need if it wants to lure businesses to locate or stay here. Both sides in the political game say that they want to fund the MAP grants. They just can't seem to set aside their posturing long enough to come up with an actual plan for how to do it. College presidents told lawmakers Thursday that they're concerned that students will start leaving Illinois even more than they already do for college. Why, after all, would they want to attend a higher education institution where prospects for its long-term health are uncertain Applegate, in his testimony Thursday, said that the state's higher education institutions are "swimming toward a distant shore but they've got a concrete block around their ankle." The state needs some lawmakers with sanity and political courage to step up and throw them a life preserver. Drowning higher education is a sure prescription to drown the state's economic future as well. California made a bold move recently 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. Heres how much things have changed: Granted, its 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 dont smoke and dont plan to start; you probably dont either. Still, Ill 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 theres rarely a vivid, clear line between whats right and whats 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, lets 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, youre old enough to fight and die for your country, youre 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 weve 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 doesnt reach full maturity until around age 25, which is why car insurance companies charge their clients higher rates until they reach that age. Heres 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 dont 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, theyre 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 its important for society to be on the right side of this issue, to take the position that under 25 years of age youre not mature enough to make this often irrevocable decision. And were not going to legitimize dangerous products by making it legal to sell them to you. Beyond age 25, well, its a free country. The world learned a lot about itself via Twitter in the past 10 years. From government officials using Twitter for public service announcements, to hashtags sending charity campaigns (#icebucketchallenge) and feminist demonstrations (#liberated) viral, to live broadcasts for radio station, brands and artists on Twitter-owned Periscope, the platform is an important tool which has changed the way we access and distribute information. Locally, Twitter users decided on the Best Australian Live Act ARIA Award for the first time last November; this year Twitter Australias Jennie Sager made global headlines as the mastermind behind the now globally-adopted Blue Room. The media and music fans infatuation with the platform has kept its user base growing, making it one of the fastest and most accurate resources for spreading news. In fact, Twitter now has 320 monthly active users, catching up to Facebook-owned Instagram, which has around 400m. Today the platform celebrates its 10th anniversary; marked each year by Founder Jack Dorseys first Tweet on March 21 2006: just setting up my twttr. Speaking to Jonathan Harley, Director of Media, Twitter Australia describes Twitter as the 21st century fan club for music fans. Whether youre a @CodySimpson devotee, a member of the #5SOS family, an @ACDC tragic, or a fan of @TroyeSivan, you can get closer to the artists you love and people who share your passions on Twitter. Last year we witnessed Australian band @5SOS take Twitter and the world by storm, experiencing global success and international stardom, he added. In fact, Australias Golden Tweet of 2015 (the most-Retweeted Tweet from an Australian) was by band member Michael Clifford (@Michael5SOS) when he Tweeted a photo of his bandaged face after walking into a pyrotechnics display during a @5SOS gig in London. Harley told TMN that Twitter, like many social networks and digital services, is now looking to further invest in the video space. The use of the platform by music artists and fans around the globe is constantly evolving as we continue to make Twitter even easier to use for everyone, particularly content creators, he said. We are focusing on enhancing video content, and our live streaming app Periscope, and looping video app Vine, are two great examples of our investment in this space. The NY Post has reported Twitter, along with Facebook, has approached programmers to discuss how it would go about streaming conventional TV programming. All of a sudden, Facebook and Twitter are trying to get in the tent with us, one programmer told The Post. Theyre each arguing their attributes and why aligning with them is to our advantage. The most pressing question in either platform gaining those rights however, is how they would allow content creators to make as much money as they are with platforms like Netflix. Below is an insight into some of the most iconic moments from the past 10 years, including Twitters most retweeted Tweet, Most popular hashtag, Most Followed Person (Katy Perry), the 10 most prominent Australian users, and the Top 10 local events that made global news. After Russia annexed Crimea two years ago, President Barack Obama dismissed it as a regional power that acts out of weakness. Russia is more than this, but a penchant for zero-sum statecraft and coercing neighbors lessens its stature. By cooperating more in the international arena, Russia could become a greater power. President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a military drawdown in Syria hints that Russia might recognize this. Russia is not to be underestimated. Its land area is nearly twice as large as America's. The two countries possess over 90 percent of the world's nuclear arms. Russia has armed forces as large as France, Germany, Italy and Japan combined. In 2014 the size of Russia's economy was not far below Italy's, and its per capita gross domestic product was two-thirds higher than China's. In that year Russia's oil production almost equaled Saudi Arabia's, and its gas output was two-thirds as large as America's. In some ways, Russia is a cooperative great power. It helped pressure Iran to reach a nuclear deal with the P5+1. Russia has strategic arms accords with America, and it has aided logistics for NATO forces in Afghanistan. Moscow is working with other producers to address falling oil prices, and it has reproached North Korea for threatening nuclear strikes. Yet, unwise actions diminish Russia's clout. Statist economic policies and corruption undermine the rule of law and make Moscow a lesser player in the G-20. The war against Ukraine has alienated a country with which it has longstanding cultural and ethnic ties, and the West has imposed sanctions never before imaginable. By attacking moderate rebels in Syria, Russia reinforced its isolation from the West. Moscow is running undue risks by overreacting to Turkey's shoot-down of a Russian aircraft, peddling false charges of "migrant rape" in Germany, aiding the ultranationalist National Front in France and backing a British exit from the European Union. Rarely does a great power at one time jeopardize so many important relationships. A penchant for zero-sum statecraft and coercing neighbors lessens Russia's stature. By cooperating more in the international arena, Russia could become a greater power. Russian elites wrongly tend to see the international system as driven mainly by foreign leaders' cynicism and aggrandizement, which the Kremlin can manipulate or buy. They misunderstand how values such as liberty thrive in the West, and the role of voluntary structures such as the European Union and NATO. The Kremlin tries to buttress popular support by inventing external enemies, adding to its foreign policy challenges. Overcoming these problems will not be easy, but examples of how other great powers cooperate may offer useful insights. While the European Union is democratic and prosperous and the emerging Trans-Pacific Partnership will expand trade in a vast region, Russia is becoming less democratic and pressuring neighbors to join a protectionist Eurasian Economic Union. Western powers have good ties with neighbors, but Russia has fought unproductive wars in Georgia in 2008 and now Ukraine. Open debate helps democratic powers develop consensus policies, an advantage Russia lacks. Misreading the Maidan uprising as a U.S. ploy, many Russians were surprised by Ukraine's fierce resistance to aggression and by Europe's unity on sanctions. Russian leaders underestimate the power of grassroots pressures for change, abroad as well as at home. Collaborating with other nations does not mean sacrificing independence. France, for example, cherishes its freedom of action but collaborates intensively with others. It led the successful United Nations Climate Change Conference last December, and has joined with others in the military campaign against the Islamic State. In contrast, Russia is a loner, and held in low regard around the world, according to a poll last August by the Pew Research Center. Over several decades China, despite authoritarian rule, has leveraged economic reform to build a competitive, diversified economy. But reform in Russia has lagged, leaving it overly dependent on commodities and their volatile prices. Some Russian leaders tend to focus on short-term goalsstaying in power and distributing resources to croniesrather than state building. Russia also could enhance its global stature by embracing a fair international order and greater openness. A status quo power, Russia claims to defend state sovereignty yet invades weaker neighbors. It is failing to find support for a more pliable international system that would give it special privileges and veto rights. Moscow puts others on guard by undermining governments it regards as adversaries. Mendacity in foreign policy makes Russia a difficult partner, despite a skilled diplomatic corps. Recently Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov observed that competition in shaping the 21st century world order has toughened. He is right. This puts a premium on respecting others' interests and overcoming embedded habits in Moscow's mistrustful approach to the outside world. Russia has multiple opportunities to enhance its great power status. It could lead in fostering peaceful development of the warming Arctic region. Together, Russia and China could unlock Eurasia's potential as a competitive trade corridor and source of energy. In Syria, Russia could press harder on the Assad regime to respect the cease-fire and negotiate a political solution that aims for more stable and inclusive governance. If Russia actively pursues such goals, none will dare call it only a regional power. William Courtney is an adjunct senior fellow at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, and a former U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan and Georgia. Donald Jensen is a senior fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. This commentary originally appeared on Newsweek on March 20, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Club Media Network is taking its festival for Latin American online video creators to Colombia and Mexico, following last years successful event. After asking people to vote via social media, the organisation selected Colombia's capital to kick off the second edition on 2 April. The festival, which gathers digital audiences with YouTubers, influencers and vloggers from around the region, will finish in Mexico, repeating the two-country formula tried out last year.The first festival took place in Argentina and Chile, and gathered over 120,000 people. Club Media Network , which selects and manages new talent from within the online community, intends to transform the festival into a tour across Latin America.The media company produces YouTube-like content to commercially exploit across several platforms, as well as providing tools and infrastructure for video creators.Through this and other initiatives, such as Telefe's latest multichannel network launch, Latin America's audiovisual industry is trying to monetise a growing community of creators which knows how to appeal to younger audience segments. Ex-head of Russian construction firm sentenced to 3 years for complicity in embezzlement MOSCOW, March 21 (RAPSI) A court in Vladivostok has sentenced former head of the Mostovik construction firm, Oleg Shishov, to three years in a penal company for complicity in embezzlement, RIA Novosti reported on Monday. Additionally, Shishov was ordered to pay a 300,000 ruble ($4,200) fine. Shishov was accused of complicity in embezzlement of entrusted property. According to investigators, he helped executive of the government company Direction on construction management in the Far Eastern Federal District, Andrei Poplavsky, to embezzle more than one billion rubles ($14.2 million) allocated for the construction of the Primorye Oceanarium. Shishov made a pre-trial agreement on cooperation and testified against Poplavsky. Head of the Kosandra company, Alexander Kosyachenko is also suspected of the criminal conspiracy. Initially, the Primorye Oceanarium was planned to open at the beginning of APEC-2012 summit, but the commissioning date was postponed several times. Russian authorities expect Oceanarium to open this spring. Russian university rector arrested on suspicion of abuse of power MOSCOW, March 21 (RAPSI) - Rector of the Russian Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) Sergey Ivanets was arrested on suspicion of abuse of power that caused damage estimated at more than 20 million rubles ($292,400), Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told journalists on Monday. According to investigators, in 2011, the university signed a contract with the company Modern University for technical and information system implementation valued at 647 million rubles ($9.5 million). The services had to be rendered in a few years; the final stage was planned to be completed in 2013. From August 20 till September 11, 2015, Ivanets ordered two pro-rectors, Aleksei Tskhe and Victor Atamanyuk, to provide processing and signing of the certificates of services rendered at the third stage. On September 15, he ordered a chief accountant to transfer under these certificates over 20 million rubles to the contractors account, Markin said. Searches have been already conducted at the rectors office. Investigators seized documents and began questioning witnesses, according to Markin. A criminal case was opened on organization of abuse of office. Ivanets could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Previously, Ivanets served as Deputy Minister of Education and Science and supervised Russias Far Eastern Federal District. Savchenko found guilty of murder and illegal border crossing MOSCOW, March 21 (RAPSI) - The Donetsk City Court in the Rostov Region on Monday found Ukrainian military ex-pilot Nadezhda Savchenko guilty of involvement in the murder of Russian journalists in Donbas and illegal border crossing, RAPSI reported from the courtroom. Judge held that Savchenko conspired to commit the murder on grounds of hatred and animosity. She also illegally crossed the border into Russia before the date of June 23, 2014, according to the judgment. The court found out that Savchenko committed crimes out of hatred for the Russian-speaking people with her guilt confirmed during the trial by the testimony of several witnesses. A motive for the crimes committed by the accused was hatred for animosity against the social group of Lugansk region citizens and Russian-speaking people in general, the court judgment reads. Savchenko claims she is innocent and refuses to acknowledge the court as proper authority. Her attorney Nikolay Polozov said that she is not going to appeal the sentence, no matter what it would be. Currently Savchenko is on a hunger strike. TV correspondent Igor Kornelyuk and sound engineer Anton Voloshin were killed on June 17 in a mortar attack. Savchenko was arrested in Russia in early July 2014. A prosecutor has asked the court to sentence Savchenko to 23 years in prison while maximum prison time for women in Russia is 25 years. Savchenko and her defense insist on her innocence claiming that Savchenko was framed and that there is no evidence of involvement in the journalists murder. They also claim she did not cross the border voluntarily but was kidnapped. Fear of Russia, ambiguity toward Germany, and a sense of insecurity: such were the feelings expressed by Poland's plain-speaking foreign minister in an exclusive interview. Witold Waszczykowski doesn't mince his words. Poland's top diplomat had no qualms about defending his country's policies at a time when Poland's conservative Law and Justice government is being criticized for reining in the judiciary and state media in ways that could undermine Poland's vibrant democracy. When I met him in his office in Warsaw for an exclusive interview for Carnegie Europe, the Polish foreign minister exuded confidence and conviction as we covered a wide range of issues. I asked him first about the causes of the migration crisis and Poland's policy toward it. Witold Waszczykowski: The migration crisis happened because of negligence. For years, Europe was concentrating on the eurozone crisis, on Grexit, and then on Brexit. Europe didn't pay attention to the Arab Spring. It neglected some of the conflicts [in its neighborhood]. Some, such as the one in Libya, were created by European intervention. Because the EU focused on domestic issues, these crises developed around Europe and created a massive wave of migrants and refugees. Judy Dempsey: Why won't Poland accept even a small share of refugees? WW: Because they will not stay in Poland, which is in the Schengen Area [of open borders]. Immediately they will go to Germany or Sweden or Austria. According to European standards, if we accept these people in Poland, mostly on a voluntary basis, we are supposed to register them, we are supposed to provide them with some assistance, some money, documents, and IDs. And with their Polish IDs, they are free to go. JD: It might save your reputation if you accepted them. WW: I'm not running diplomacy to have a good reputation. I am running diplomacy to implement national interests. JD: How are Poland's national interests different now from under your predecessors? WW: We put a bigger emphasis on security. Our predecessors thought that Poland's security was reassured simply by Poland being a member of NATO and the European Union. In my opinion, it is not enough to be a member. It's just a precondition to be active and actively shape the policies of these institutions-in an ambitious way, to shape the whole policies of these institutions; and in a less ambitious way, to shape and direct the Eastern dimension of these institutions. This is the difference. We are coming back to the ideas of the first Law and Justice government of 2005-2007. At that time, we tried to convince people that it was not enough to be a member of NATO. That's why we started those long discussions with the Americans over missile defense. JD: Because you didn't feel secure? WW: We joined NATO in 1999 as a secondary member under political conditions, because simultaneously with the enlargement of NATO there was a NATO-Russian declaration that NATO troops could not be deployed in this part of Europe. Our membership is conditional. If there is a problem, which divisions would support us, from where, and when? So that was the problem when we started the discussions about security. That is the most important problem, because Poland has had bad experiences in its history. We want to be cautious. We have a war behind our doors right now. We have an aggressive neighbor that is openly proclaiming the redrawing of the borders of Europe. We don't want to wait to be tested for years. We want to be protected right now. That's all. JD: So you are making amends for the shortfalls of Poland's original membership in NATO? WW: We are not asking for a lot. We are just asking for a token, some symbolic presence that would be proof that in case of problems, there would be a determination to defend us. JD: Will the NATO summit in Warsaw in July fully embrace the alliance's Eastern members? WW: We are telling NATO that the decisions of the [September 2015] Wales summit are not enough; think about how to reassure us, how to help in case we have an incident. Russia now has anti-access and area denial [capabilities] that can prevent and hamper assistance. That is why we have to go beyond Wales and create a real presence on NATO's Eastern flank. We don't want to break the Paris Declaration of 1997. We don't want to break NATO's relationship with Russia. The other part [of what we are asking], about military deployment, refers to substantial troops on the territories of new member states. At that time, "substantial" was defined as two heavy divisions. We are just talking about a multilateral brigade. JD: You clearly don't set any store by a European Common Foreign and Security Policy? Kazakhstan has long been a model of post-Soviet cooperation with Moscow and a cornerstone of the Kremlin's plan for a Eurasian economic block drawing on the allegiance former Soviet states have to their onetime motherland, or the Russian Federation. President Nursultan Nazarbayev is the only leader the littoral Caspian state has ever had. Nazarbayev gained power for good in 1990 as the Soviet Union collapsed, and he stayed firmly ensconced at the top through suppression of the political opposition. Today the Russian-Kazakh relationship is one of Moscow's closest in terms of post-Soviet leadership. However, there are troubles ahead for this cozy alliance. Nazarbayev is aging, and his health is failing. There is no clarity on who will succeed him, says Alexandre Mansourov, adjunct professor at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and at the Security Studies program at Georgetown University. Nazarbayev's daughter, as well as the current prime minister, Karim Massimov, have been floated as possible successors, but neither is seen as reliable to the Kremlin. The next leader of Kazakhstan will most likely be less pro-Russian and more open to better relations with China or engagement with Europe, an outcome that is Moscow's worst nightmare. Russia has invested a great deal of diplomacy into the development of the Eurasian Economic Union,or EEU. President Vladimir Putin has seen this economic alliance as a way to further his efforts to bring back the economic and political power of the Soviet Union -- without the communism, and controlled of course by Russia. The EEU also has the benefit of preventing prior Soviet satellites from migrating their allegiances to the West. Nazarbayev himself suggested the creation of the entity in 1994 while giving a speech in Moscow, but has refrained from allowing further political integration out of concern for Kazakh sovereignty. The Kremlin really can't afford for a successor in Kazakhstan to be less friendly to Russia or more oriented to other places economically, as the rationale for the union would fall apart. Hence the Kremlin's dilemma in Kazakhstan, and Moscow's efforts to lock in as much Eurasian economic integration as possible before Nazarbayev's passing. The relationship with Belarus -- the only other major state in the EEU -- is tenuous as well for Moscow. Belarus also has more political integration with Moscow in the Union State arrangement. Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are minor players in the economic block. Additionally, with all of Putin's talk about defending Russian-speaking minorities around the globe, which was his primary justification for annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, the plight of Russian-speaking people in the north of Kazakhstan has gone unheeded. "The Kremlin doesn't want to hear about the problems in the north," says Dr. Mansourov. "Even when [Vladimir] Zhirinovsky has brought up the issue, highlighting that Nazarbayev has repressed the Russian-speaking people of Kazakhstan, where Zhirinovsky was born, the Kremlin turns a deaf ear. Moscow has given marching orders to ignore the Russian minority and to deal with the government in Astana." Interestingly enough, this was the same tack the Kremlin took with Crimea, saying it would deal with the government in Kyiv while ignoring the pro-Russian population in Crimea for decades; that is, until it became advantageous for Moscow to do alter course when the Maidan Revolution removed pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych from power. When Nazarbayev is gone, there will be great uncertainty regarding the Kazakh relationship with Moscow. The entire construct of Eurasian economic integration will be called into question. If the EEU cannot outlive the current government in Astana, this outcome will deal a severe blow to Putin's efforts to control the old Soviet periphery. (AP Photo) The U.S. president had not set foot in Cuba when the regime began to drop rhetorical bombs. First came a long editorial in Granma. Its essence? That Cuba won't budge an inch from its socialist and anti-imperialist positions, including its support for the Chavismo it spawned in Venezuela, an enormous source of subsidy for the Cubans, of woe for the Venezuelans, and of unease for its neighbors. Then, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, the Castros' diplomatic errand boy, warned that his government would not appreciate it if Obama spoke about empowering the Cuban people. Or if the United States tried to impose the Internet on the Cubans. Cuba, he said, "will protect the technological sovereignty of our networks." In plain language he meant that the political police will continue to control communications. They live for that and make a living from that. The U.S. president was undeterred. He will speak openly about human rights on his visit to Cuba. He has said so and will do so. But there's more: Barack Obama apparently won't visit Fidel Castro. (Caution: Never say never about this dictator.) At least for now, he will downplay the anthropological curiosity that this elderly tyrannosaurus always arouses. Today, Fidel is a slouched caricature of himself, but there is a certain morbidity in talking with a historical figure who has managed to spend 60 years flitting through TV newscasts. Besides, Obama will be generous enough to meet with some of the democrats in the opposition. There's a whole message there. It's a good lesson for Mauricio Macri, who has still not gone to Cuba, and for Francois Hollande, who went through Havana and didn't have the civic valor to perform a gesture of solidarity with the dissidents. Obama will meet with the hard-liners. He will place his arm over the shoulders of the fighters, the most abused and the most seasoned. Those whom the political police describes falsely as terrorists and CIA agents. In any case, I think that Obama has not quite realized the hornet's nest he has walked into. He has unilaterally decreed the end of the Cold War with Cuba, even though the island nation insists on assisting the North Koreans with weaponry, helping terrorists in the Middle East, and backing Syria's Bashar al-Assad and the Iranian ayatollahs. It also seems unimportant that Havana leads the orchestra of 21st-Century socialist countries (Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua), all of which are decidedly anti-American and intent on reviving the battle that the Soviet Union left unfinished. Obama feels invulnerable. He rides a huge elephant, the greatest that history has ever known and, from his perspective of the world's leading power, those colorful Latin American pygmies are like fleas that will naturally be crushed by the weight of a reality that's inevitably overwhelming. That might be, but there's a serious flaw in his logic. In Panama, Obama stated that the United States had given up trying to change the Cuban regime, but that it would continue to push for the defense of human rights and the West's democratic vision. That's a clear contradiction. The Castro brothers' dictatorship violates human rights precisely because it subscribes to the Leninist vision that the very idea of such right is subterfuge by the calloused capitalist bourgeoisie. It doesn't believe in them. "The revolution" subscribes to other values, expressed in the so-called social rights. To achieve them, the Communist Party deserves sole and total control over society. That's written in the Constitution, inspired by the one that Stalin imposed on the Soviet Union in the 1930s. When a Cuban expresses his opinion freely, and that opinion contradicts communist dogma, he is not exercising his right to the free expression of thought, but is committing a crime. When two or more Cubans try to meet to defend their ideals or interests outside of official channels, they are not exercising the right to assemble. They are committing a crime. These abuses won't stop until the island changes regime. It is possible that the thaw will improve the living conditions of some Cubans, and it is probable that certain U.S. exporters will profit from the opening of this famished market, even though the bill will eventually be paid by U.S. taxpayers. But there will be no freedoms granted, no respect for human rights, and anti-American zealotry will not end until the totalitarian regime ends and is replaced by a real democracy. And that will hardly be accomplished by granting concessions to the dictatorship. Appeasement is never a good policy. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 03/21/2016 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. producers reportedly dropped Julianne Hough from the show's judging panel in an attempt to boost its ratings and popularity.According to an insider, "Julianne never really fit in. Fans didn't like her, and there were tensions between her and the other judges," the National Enquirer reported Hough's personality reportedly clashed with those of Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba "Julianne found fame -- and an acting career -- through dancing on the show, but she acted like she was doing everyone a favor by going back as a judge. Both Bruno and Carrie Ann thought she had a major attitude, and that infuriated them!" the insider explained.Hough, 27, joined as a new fourth judge for Season 19. Longtime judge Len Goodman , 71, then quit the series after Season 20 because he was having difficulty juggling numerous career endeavors, mainly because he had to travel back and forth from the United States to Britain.' ratings declined significantly for last fall's edition after Goodman departed, so producers allegedly scrambled to get him back."They need him to save the show," the insider added. "I'm told removing Julianne and going back to a three-member panel was key to getting him to return!"Goodman will officially be replacing Hough and returning to for Season 22 when it premieres March 21 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC."No one's shedding any tears about Julianne being gone!" the insider said.However, Hough insisted to People last month, "It's not the last you'll see of me in the ballroom."Before Hough landed her spot as a judge on , she competed as a pro partner on Seasons 4 through 8. The two-time mirrorball trophy champion left the show to pursue her film and country-singing goals before coming back as a guest judge and then ultimately a regular judge.Goodman served on ' judging panel since the show debuted in 2005. The only season he took off was the reality dancing competition's 21st season. A recent survey has revealed that most investors are picking Germany as their preferred commercial real estate market. Germany takes over the spot from the United Kingdom which was the most attractive market for CRE investment for two years. According to The Wall Street Journal, a survey conducted by property broker CBRE has shown that 17 percent of the respondents chose Germany as the top country where they put their property investment. The U.K. only got a 15 percent vote, down by almost 50 percent from last year's 31 percent. The report noted that the Germany's popularity is partly due to CRE investors' search for markets that can give them better yields and they are expanding their search in central and Eastern Europe. Germany has been experiencing a boom in commercial real estate sector in the past years, particularly with office space being a lucrative investment. According to a report by Handelsblatt, the country saw a strong 2015 with local and overseas investment reaching as much as $62 billion on commercial property, up by 40 percent compared to 2014 figures. While some market players predict a slowdown in Germany's hot real estate market due to the ongoing global market turmoil, others remain optimistic. Ignaz Trombello of Colliers International Germany, a real estate agent association, told Handelsblatt that the German market will continue to grow as investors will inject more money into the real estate due to the lack of other safe investment options. Meanwhile, the decline in the sentiment for the U.K.'s property market is driven by the falling oil prices and growing global economic uncertainties. The country's plan to exit the European Union is also making its property market less attractive to investors. Experts also predict that London, which remains as the most attractive city for property investment in Europe, Middle East and Africa, will experience price corrections, per WSJ. 2016 has been predicted to be the year when millennials will finally shift from renting to owning a home. Recent data reveals that the predictions seem to be true, as more millennials are applying for mortgages to buy their own house. LendingTree recently performed an analysis of their mortgage requests and found that the millennials are now shifting from renting to owning, Realtor.com reported. "The under-35 crowd had been, for some years, hesitant to enter the housing market, but we're seeing that start to shift," said CEO of LendingTree, Doug Lebda. "The data all points to the fact that millennials are increasingly eager to own rather than rent, and even the incredibly high real estate prices in some markets don't necessarily deter them." Their findings showed that majority of millennials applied for mortgages in Boston at 52.46 percent. Pittsburgh comes next at 48.96 percent and Washington, DC at 48.17 percent. The publication further noted that the average mortgage granted to millennial homebuyers in Boston was $343,783. In Pittsburgh, millennials were granted an average of $161,083 and $352,720 in Washington, DC. Real estate broker Douglas Bray also told the publication that most millennial homebuyers in Boston preferred one- or two-bedroom condos. This, however, changes the moment they start their own family. As previously reported on Realty Today, many millennial homebuyers are now choosing to live in the suburbs than in the city. The said shift was due to the affordable prices of houses in the suburbs than those in the cities. Millennials are also taking into account the amount they would have to pay for the down payment. The aforementioned publication stated that the amount required for the down payment greatly depends on the location of the house you are buying. In San Francisco, a $160,000 down payment does not really sound so much, but the average down payment that millennials could afford was only $32,760. The majority of people prefer renting than owning a home because it usually entails fewer responsibilities on the part of the tenant. However, there are still some mistakes that renters sometimes make, which could end up to them losing hundreds to thousands of dollars in the end. As previously reported here on Realty Today, many Americans are still opting to rent than to own a home because of different reasons. Generation X and baby boomers preferred renting because it does not entail a lot of responsibilities on their part while millennials opted to rent because it allows them to save more and it fits their lifestyle. While it is true that renting entails lesser responsibilities, there are still some things that you need to check prior to signing on that lease contract with your landlord. However, most renters often forget to check these things and end up doing these three common mistakes: 1. Not Checking the Contract This isn't really something foreign to renters. Most people are aware that one should read every single thing listed on any contract before signing. However, some renters find it too tedious to go through each and every clause in the lease contract. This could, however, end you up losing more money in the end. According to Realtor.com, renters may not be aware that they are on an automatic renewal clause, which could force them to pay for early termination fees. 2. Not Getting a Renter's Insurance Sure, your landlord is mostly responsible should a disaster strike your home. Unfortunately, his responsibility only lies in his property, not yours. The publication noted that one should consider getting a renter's insurance in order to save them $10,000 and up. 3. Turning Down Extra Services The publication stated that some landlords may offer extras such as an alarm system. This is usually not included in your monthly rent, but this will at least help give you reassurance that your home and your items are safe even while you are away. Plus, you're also reaping the benefits of not paying for the system's installation fee and this can even save you some money on your renter's insurance. A new project is slated to open in April this year, providing permanent housing for the Dallas' most expensive homeless people before addressing their problems such as alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illnesses. The Guardian reported that one-bedroom apartments at The Cottages at Hickory Crossing is a "housing first" strategy that aims to house 50 of the most expensive homeless persons in the county who are costing the city about $40,000 each a year by staying outside. The project is expected to bring as much as $40 million savings in a 30-year span. This is the city's attempt to address the increasing poverty rate in the area while helping these people become healthy and self-reliant again. Under the "housing first" strategy, tenants who are qualified include those who are chronically homeless, disabled, have mental health issues, have problems with drugs or alcohol and have criminal records. "We're going to provide a gated community with security, seven day a week mental health services, really good housing - platinum LEED certified - every house has a bedroom scaled to queen-sized furniture, a living room, kitchen and a bath, a nice front porch. Less than $15,000 a year is what it costs to provide that kind of housing," explained Larry James, CEO of CitySquare, one of the nonprofit organization that raised fund for the project. A report from Dallas Observer noted that poverty rate in Dallas saw a substantial growth of 24.1 percent over the past couple of decades. This means that more people are having a hard time purchasing their own homes. Homeownership in Dallas-Fort Worth area, for instance, was at the rate of 56.3 percent compared to the 64 percent national average. In Dallas alone, the rate was even way low at 43 percent. On the national level, there are 5 percentage points drop in homeownership. With breakfast being the most important meal of the day, choosing a brunch spot is equally as important. Thankfully, Athens is home to many well-known and highly praised breakfast locations. The real question is which is the best. You may think you have some idea of what 10 Cloverfield Lane is about perhaps based off the trailer or perhaps based off the name itself. Odds are, your assumptions are both right and wrong. Bad release weeks happen. And sadly, this was a pretty poor week for new music. Bands like Killswitch Engage and 3 Doors Down are both past their respective primes especially the pitiful attempt by the latter to write a sex club song with the lead single In The Dark. Even some of the albums I was anticipating the most this week, namely Flatbush Zombies, still left a lot to be desired. There were still some very strong tracks this week, but I didnt have nearly the issues I had the last couple of weeks narrowing the pool down to only 10. SHARE FILE - In this Dec. 29, 2011, file photo, Philadelphia poet laureate Sonia Sanchez looks on as Mayor Michael Nutter makes remarks during a news conference in Philadelphia. When a team of documentary makers first suggested a movie about her life, Sanchez resisted. But she eventually changed her mind, in part because her children thought it was a good idea to reflect on her life, what she had learned and how she survived. "BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez" airs on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, on World Channels "America ReFramed" series. The 90-minute film includes interviews, archival footage and tributes from such artists as Questlove, Mos Def and Ruby Dee. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) When a team of documentary makers first suggested a movie about her life, Sonia Sanchez resisted. "We come from that generation of being in the civil rights movement. And you never celebrate yourself. That's the first thing we learned. It's about the movement and people so you never really talked about yourself," the poet, playwright, teacher and activist said recently during an interview at a midtown Manhattan hotel. But Barbara Attie, Janet Goldwater and Sabrina Schmidt Gordon kept asking and Sanchez, spirited as ever at 81, finally relented, if only because her children encouraged her to share what she had learned and how she survived. "BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez" airs Tuesday night on World Channel's "America ReFramed" series. The 90-minute film includes interviews, archival footage and tributes from such artists as Questlove, Mos Def, Ayana Mathis and two who have since died, Amiri Baraka and Ruby Dee. "Having seen Sonia Sanchez 'perform' her poetry, and experiencing the power of her onstage presence, we knew that she would be an electrifying subject for a documentary," Attie and Goldwater said in a joint statement. Sanchez's life amazes even her. She has published more than a dozen works of poetry, children's books and other literature. She was a leader of the Black Arts Movement, the artistic wing of the Black Power movement in the 1960s and '70s. She is a pioneer of African-American studies. She has clashed with the Black Panthers, been harassed by the FBI (for teaching W.E.B. Du Bois among other "subversives"), arrested at protest gatherings and, after overcoming a childhood stammer, cheered by audiences worldwide. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but moved to Harlem a few years later after the death of her mother and grandmother. A graduate of Hunter College, Sanchez also studied poetry at a workshop run by New Yorker poetry editor Louise Bogan and helped form a writers workshop in Greenwich Village. By the 1960s she was a member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and had met one of her most important influences, Malcolm X. More than a foot shorter than Malcolm X, Sanchez remembers approaching him after a speech he gave and sharing some candid thoughts. "I got right behind him and I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around and he didn't see me," she recalled with a laugh. "And he looked down and smiled, and he said, 'Yes?' And I said, 'Mr. X, I don't believe everything you said.' "And he looked at me. He had the most beautiful, quiet eyes of any human being on this earth. And he smiled down, with his eyes, and said, 'One day, you will, my sister.'" Sanchez sees the poet as a "creator of social values" and the performance as a renewal of ancient rituals: She sings, chants, whispers, clicks her tongue and shouts. Her breakthrough, she remembers, came on a winter's night at Brown University in the early 1970s. After she read for an hour and a half and thought she was finished, a student requested "a/coltrane/poem," in which Sanchez mimicked Coltrane's saxophone with such lines as "''screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeCHHHHHHHHHHH." She had never read the poem out loud. "And I said, 'Here goes nothing.' Really. And I started reading. But as I got into it, I had enough memory (Sanchez murmurs), hmmm, hmmm, of Coltrane at that particular time that I was able to almost fuse my voice to become what he was doing," she explained. "And there was this silence. And I figured, 'God damn it, Sonia, you blew it.' And then they all stood up en masse and started stamping their feet and clapping." Hip-hop artists look up to her, but Sanchez acknowledges she didn't immediately take to the new music. She remembers coming home from work and hearing the "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" of her kids' rap records. One day, as she was drinking a cup of tea, she asked them who they were listening to. "And they said someone by the name of Tupac Shakur, and I dropped my cup and it broke, because I knew his mother, and she was in the (Black) Panther party, and I knew him as a little boy," she said, adding that she couldn't understand his lyrics because he spoke too fast. "And my children were so annoyed with me, they actually said, 'We have trouble understanding you. You speak so fast.'" Along with her writing career, Sanchez has been teaching for 50 years, most recently at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she now lives. She remains friendly with many former students, some of whom turn up in unexpected places. In 2006, during the Iraq War, Sanchez and some peers organized the "Granny Peace Brigade." They entered a military recruitment center in Philadelphia and asked to enlist. Authorities soon arrived. "They sent this former detective who comes out to these things. He came out said, 'We're going to handcuff you behind the back.' And we said, 'We're not trying to escape.' Then he came back and said, 'We'll handcuff you in front, so maybe it won't hurt so much.' And we said, 'We're still not trying to escape,'" Sanchez recalled. "The third time, he sent in this young African American officer. And she came in and she looked at me and said, 'Professor Sanchez, what are you doing here?'" Atlanta businessman Michael Boulware Moore speaks to members of the media Friday, March 4, 2016, at the site of a planned $75 million International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C. Moore, the great-great grandson of the slave Robert Smalls who commandeered a Confederate steamship and sailed it to Union forces during the Civil War, was named Friday as the first president and CEO of the museum expected to open in the fall of 2018. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith) SHARE By BRUCE SMITH, Associated Press CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) The great-great-grandson of a slave who commandeered a Confederate ship and took it to Union forces blockading the South Carolina coast is the new president and CEO of the planned $75 million International African American Museum in Charleston. Museum officials announced on Friday that Atlanta businessman Michael Boulware Moore, who has deep family roots in South Carolina, will head the museum, which officials hope will open in late 2018. Moore is a direct descendant of Robert Smalls, who made history by commandeering the steamboat Planter in 1862. Smalls later went on to become a South Carolina congressman during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. The announcement was made at the planned site of the museum, the location of a former wharf on the Cooper River where tens of thousands of slaves first set foot in the United States. It was on the Cooper River on a foggy spring night more than 150 years ago that Smalls commandeered an ammunition ship, steamed upriver to pick up family and friends, and then slipped past five Southern batteries in Charleston Harbor. Smalls returned to Charleston a year later to pilot a Union ironclad in an attack on Fort Sumter. After the war, besides serving as a congressman, he was a member of the South Carolina General Assembly and a federal customs inspector. "This is by far the most important job responsibility challenge I have ever had," said Moore, who has worked with businesses large and small and plans to move to Charleston. He said he was standing where his ancestors first stepped foot in the United States and that his great-great grandfather, Smalls "at the age of 23 on the morning of May 13, 1862, created history right out here." "He sailed that boat right out here and past Fort Sumter." Moore added that he feels "a real connection to this project and to this land." "I can't imagine what those people who were offloaded from those slave ships must have felt." Former Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., who is helping with fundraising efforts, expects the needed money to be pledged so construction can begin this time next year. The museum is expected to take 18 months to build. Ralph Appelbaum, who designed exhibits for the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the United States Capitol Visitor Reception Center in Washington, is designing exhibits for the museum. FILE - This Feb. 20, 2015 file photo, photo shows an arrangement of peanuts in New York. Two new studies bolster evidence that feeding babies peanuts or other allergy-inducing foods is more likely to protect them than to cause problems. One study, a follow-up to landmark research published last year, suggests that the early prevention strategy leads to persistent, long-lasting results in children at risk for food allergies. It found that allergy protection lasted at least through age 5 and didn't wane even when kids stopped eating peanut-containing foods for a year. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File) SHARE By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer CHICAGO (AP) Two new studies bolster evidence that feeding babies peanuts or other allergy-inducing foods is more likely to protect them than to cause problems. One study, a follow-up to landmark research published last year, suggests that the early prevention strategy leads to persistent, long-lasting results in children at risk for food allergies. It found that allergy protection lasted at least through age 5 and didn't wane even when kids stopped eating peanut-containing foods for a year. That means at-risk kids who don't want to eat peanut butter on a weekly basis can safely take a break, at least for a year. The second new study suggests that the early strategy could also work with eggs, another food that can cause allergies in young children. It found that allergies to peanuts and eggs were less common in young children who started eating those foods at 3 months of age than in kids who as infants received only breast milk. The New England Journal of Medicine published both new studies online Friday, coinciding with their presentation at a medical meeting in Los Angeles. Food allergies are common, potentially serious and sometimes deadly. They're becoming more prevalent in children in many countries, affecting up to 8 percent of kids under age 3. About 2 percent of U.S. kids have peanut allergies. The results from last year's study prompted a sea change in experts' approach to preventing these allergies. It was the first "to show that early introduction of peanut can prevent the development of allergy to it," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement. It also led to new draft guidance issued Friday by a panel convened by Fauci's agency. The recommendations include giving at-risk kids peanut-containing food as early as 4- to 6-months of age. Infants at risk are those with severe skin rashes or egg allergies; allergy tests are recommended beforehand. The agency paid for last year's study and follow-up, and will issue final guidelines after a 45-day comment period. The draft guidance echoes advice issued last year by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups in response to the ground-breaking study. That study involved more than 600 at-risk British infants. By age 5, peanut allergies were much less common in children who had started eating peanut-based foods before age 1, usually peanut butter or a peanut-based snack, than among children who'd been told to abstain. The follow-up involved most of those children. After a year off, an additional three kids in both groups tested positive for peanut allergies. The allergies remained much less common in the early peanut eaters affecting just under 5 percent of those kids versus almost 19 percent of the others. The new results suggest that early introduction of allergy-inducing foods results in "true tolerance" in at-risk kids, said Dr. Stacy Dorris, an allergist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She was not involved in the research. The second study involved 1,300 study breast-fed British children randomly assigned to get several types of allergy-inducing foods or just breast milk. The strongest results were with peanut-based food and eggs but there was one hitch. About 60 percent of the early eaters didn't stick to the program. Some may have had immature swallowing skills; some doctors don't recommend starting solid foods until around 4 months of age. But it's possible some parents stopped giving solid foods because they noticed allergy-like symptoms, which may have included false alarms, said Dr. Gideon Lack, a King's College London researcher who led all three studies. The results suggest feeding these foods to at-risk infants is safe, but often not feasible in infants so young, said Dr. Gary Wong, a Hong Kong pediatrician. He wrote an editorial published online with the new studies. Still, Wong said the new studies confirm that the old approach to preventing food allergies avoiding certain foods early in life is probably obsolete. "Evidence is really building up. It appears early introduction would be better off than avoidance," said Wong, who is also an associate editor at the journal. ___ Online: Journal: http://www.nejm.org Government draft guidance: http://tinyurl.com/j2d6vx6 SHARE By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight The Rev. Ann Corrin had a suggestion Sunday start treating homeless people like human beings. Corrin, one of the panelists participating in an "Unsheltered Women" discussion at the Redding Library, said the conversation about homeless people has to avoid stigmatizing an entire population and instead see them simply as people living in the community. That begins with looking them in the eye, she told those attending the discussion. "Treating them like human beings is everything," said Corrin. Various approaches to housing the homeless were also touched on in the discussion, which was to be centered on homeless women, but the conversation branched out to discuss Redding's reactions to the homeless population. Another point discussed was what treating a homeless person with respect and dignity can mean. Lea Tate, clinical psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Redding and one of the panel speakers, said removing fear can be scary, but it is also the only way to broach a subject and make progress. This includes being around homeless people if it can't be helped. Mary Toews, of Redding, sat in the audience and said she recently started using the local bus service. Toews said after the panel, "I don't know how you change fear, but it's a great topic to discuss when looking at the homeless population." Corrin, pastor at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Redding, stressed that basic needs such as showers and a place to freshen up were important for the homeless population. Corrin asked the audience of about 30 people in the community room what they feel like after a long camping trip. After they take a hot shower, and are able to freshen up in their home what do they feel? "You feel like a human being again," said Corrin. Lauren Sanchez, managing attorney with the Legal Services of Northern California's Shasta Regional office, discussed the city of Redding's history when dealing with the homeless population. Sanchez read about an ordinance in Boise, Idaho, that fines people for sleeping in public. She likened the Boise law to Redding's sit-lie ordinance, passed in 2015. Sanchez said the law raises serious questions about how our society functions. She emphasized homeless people lack the resources to p ay fines and in effect they become criminals for being homeless. "We think the solution to being homeless is housing, but until everyone gets that housing, being homeless should not be illegal," said Sanchez. The Humanist Society of Redding presented the panel as part of Women's History Month. Tate discussed resources available to veterans, which include housing vouchers and mental health services. She also stated that the VA is the largest healthcare provider in the world, but when asked how many homeless people are female veterans, Tate said those numbers are often conflicting. Other in the audience wanted to know what obligations the faith-based community has when discussing the homeless population and services. Corrin stated she does not agree that all faith-based organizations have to care for the homeless, but asked why an entire community could not step forward to help that population. Kristine Larsen was quiet for most of the meeting as she listened from the audience. She chimed in that she is homeless and is upset about her situation because she tried to secure housing and lost her spot at the Good News Rescue Mission. Other factors have made Larsen's time on the street difficult. Because of severe weather the mission will allow Larsen to sleep on a mat on the floor. Larsen said the panel discussion was interesting but also frustrating because she can see the situation from both sides -- as someone who knows what it is like to be homeless but also aware of all the stigmas associated with the population. "It's next to impossible to get back out of my current status. So many things are working against me. I'm a productive member of society. I have a job, but I have to sleep on the floor of the mission tonight," said Larsen. "I never dreamed I would be there, in a million years. It really affects your sense of self-worth," Larsen said. Voter guide: Race previews, what to know before you vote news SHARE There is no end to the cluelessness of those who are doing whatever they can to "stop" Donald Trump. Now the blabbering seems to be centering on stopping him at the Republican convention in Cleveland. It's a dramatic battle plan. Get past the first ballot and then stick someone else in there who is more acceptable. Here is a reality check on those thoughts. If you succeed and do, indeed, stop Trump, prepare to kiss about 40 percent of your voting base goodbye, especially the ones who have been angry about orders from Washington for a decade now. I pulled that 40 percent from the clear blue sky. It could actually be bigger than that. The hierarchy's definition of acceptable obviously doesn't work for much of the Republican primary electorate. Any way you measure it, it spells a Republican loss to whomever the Democrats nominate. It doesn't matter who that Democrat is. Why? It's a process. Picking a presidential candidate involves moving through a series of gates that lead to choosing convention delegates. It starts with a withering scrutiny expressed in various primary elections. Ask Marco Rubio about that. Wet kisses from the hierarchy landed upon him at one point, and then, he couldn't get a date with anyone and dropped out, again with a speech that seemed just a little too long for such a big loser. The same holds true for the rest of them. The Republicans inside the Beltway once believed they had the greatest collection of candidates ever, a thought that evaporated the minute Trump, like a velociraptor that had been hiding in waiting in some dark, abandoned casino basement, emerged and started eating them alive. Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, read the whole list at one time and think about what their departure meant. None of them could roll up enough support to stop a man with no real organization, not much of a staff, borrowed money from his own bank account, no government experience, indescribable hair and an attitude that is so New York it makes you wince. That guy's freakin' winning, to put it politely. But here is the reality. If the Republican hierarchy keeps pushing the idea that Trump is not a legitimate candidate, it risks having its whole castle go collapsing into a heap. There would be an angry mob out front with torches and pitchforks wearing "Make America Great Again" hats. And the throngs would be right. How dare the hierarchy try to undermine so openly the will of the people. Generally, hierarchies do things like this behind closed doors, where they can chuckle and clap and cheer and not embarrass themselves or put anything at risk. They would do whatever the Koch brothers or any of the other bankrollers wanted, the people be damned. But now we are in a world of transparency, perhaps unintentionally. The man rolls up votes in bigger batches than anyone else. That is how you define "victor" in a primary campaign, the person with the most votes wins. Building a 10-foot-high wall around Cleveland isn't going to change that. All it would do is keep out the people who are at the very heart of the Republican electorate, those voters out in the country who are so angry at the "system" they would turn to an arrogant, vulgar billionaire with a steaming baaaaditude instead of the usual collection of GOP candidates. Look at where the leadership is standing. It can turn its affections toward Ted Cruz, who has said many, many times that he doesn't want them, or it can turn its affections to John Kasich, who, so far, is president only of Ohio. Hillary Clinton, with all her blemishes and Band-Aids and her now skinny, rambling campaigner husband who won't shut up, is looking better and better, even for Republicans. I think the hierarchy knows that, which is why it is acting so blindly against its own interests. Charles M. Madigan is a professor at Roosevelt University. He wrote this for the Chicago Tribune. Macklemore, right, the rapper behind "Thrift shop" is on stage with Michael Wansley, left, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles during the 56th annual Grammy Awards Nominations concert in December 2013. (Rob Gauthier / MCT) The big decluttering movement, sparked in part by Marie Kondo's 2011 best-selling guide "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," has created a windfall for some Chicago thrift stores. Social media is full of discussions about cleaning up and streamlining your living space. From HGTV to Real Simple to independent bloggersall are offering suggestions to meet those goals. Advertisement "As the idea of living a simple, clean and green lifestyle has become an everyday topic, Goodwill has definitely benefited," Goodwill spokeswoman Pat Boelter wrote in an email. There are multiple Goodwill outlets in the Chicago area. Melissa Basilone, owner of Thrift & Thrive (6025 W. Irving Park Road), told RedEye in an email, "We have definitely seen an increase in donations over the last 4 1/2 years, though I am not certain whether it has been an increase in visibility of our business, or due to the decluttering movement." Advertisement Decluttering is especially important in Chicago, "where closet space is at such a premium," said Lynn Spaeth, manager of Mercy Beaucoup (1545 N. Wells St.), a resale store that benefits Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. "People just don't have typically a lot of space to hold onto the things that they don't wear, so it's nice to kind of cast those off and make room for things that you will wear." Those who run thrift stores caution that they won't take just any old thing you have. Don't drop off ripped or stained clothing. And forget about mattresses, cribs and car seatsit's illegal to resell them. "People that are buying used clothing, for the most part, are buying it because they can't afford to buy new, and we're not going to put stuff out that they would not feel proud to wear just like anybody else that shops at a store and gets the satisfaction out of buying something and wearing it," said Marty Freed, director of The ARK Thrift Shop (1302 N. Milwaukee Ave.). Donating unsellable items can create extra work for thrift store staff and volunteers. "Make it easier for our volunteers by not donating stuff that we just have to throw away because it's just a lot of extra work," said Kate Roche, director of volunteer services for Norwood Life Society, whose thrift shop's (6017-19 N. Nina Ave.) proceeds go to senior programming. Medical equipment and outdated computer equipment are two examples of unsellable items, said Bill Joure, director of retail operations for the Howard Brown Health Center. Joure oversees the health center's three Brown Elephant resale shops, one each in Lakeview, Andersonville and Oak Park, which he said see a spike in donations during the heavy moving period between April and October. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > "A lot of what we don't accept is driven by things that we're not able to resell that then costs us money to dispose of," Joure said. Tube televisions should be recycled, not donated, said Ron McCormick, the business administrator for the Salvation Army Chicago Central Adult Rehabilitation Center, which controls the organization's "family stores" in the Chicago area. The annual cost to get rid of unwanted televisions can range from $5,000 to $10,000 per year, McCormick said. Advertisement A bit of research by a donor can go a long way, said Schae Lewis, director of marketing for the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Paperback books, for example, could be donated to a women's prison if a thrift store doesn't want them, she said. "I think if people get really creative and they want to support a particular thing, they can absolutely do that. It's just a matter of making an effort to find a place where you can donate all of your items properly and so that they go to good use for people who you want to support," she said. Some thrift stores haven't been as touched by the declutter movement as they would like. "Unfortunately, we have seen a decrease over the years going all the way back to the terrorist attacks on 9/11," Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago spokesman Paul Martinez said in an email. "The housing collapse that occurred a few years ago has also affected donations. We think people are hanging on to their things longer. There has also been an increase in the number of competing thrift stores out there, so that also affects the number of donations we get." RedEye asked local thrift store workers and owners to name some of the weirder donations they've seen. Here are some of the more eyebrow-raising items brought to their shops: Jockstraps A prosthetic leg Urns filled with dead peoples ashes Dentures A 50 Shades of Grey-themed bondage set A leather bustier Cristina Merrill is a RedEye contributor. Once again, "The Walking Dead" falls into its familiar pattern, teasing us with bold season openers and tepid midseason fillers. In "Twice As Far," two characters attempt the exact same arc while one of the show's strongest players makes a strange decision. It's frustrating to have the team make progress, as they did in the raid on Negan's compound, then shoot themselves in the foot with dumb decisions like this episode. The collective show IQ drops about 50 points during these midseason misadventures. This season, RedEye will chart the Walking Dead (characters making positive moves), the Stumbling Dead (characters who took a step back) and the Dead Dead (R.I.P.). We'll also hand out BRAAAAAAAAAAINS to the episode MVP and NO BRAAAAAAAAAAINS to the character who blew it the hardest. Advertisement WALKING DEAD Lennie James as Morgan Jones - The Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 8 - Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC (Gene Page/AMC / ) Morgan: He didn't have much to do in this episode, but he built a jail cell in the town. "It'll give us some choices next time," he explains. Many characters on this show struggle to think beyond the next five minutes. Morgan's forethought is refreshing. After the fiasco with the Wolf, somebody needs to consider how to contain a potentially dangerous character. Good thinking, Morgan! Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in Season 6, Episode 12 (Gene Page/AMC / ) Daryl: After retrieving his beloved motorcycle, he also gets a reunion with his even more beloved crossbow! Yes, it comes at the cost of Denise (see below), but she was a fairly disposable character anyway. Daryl also chose to take the long route through the woods, while Rosita's path on the railroad tracks led the group straight to an ambush. He's bound to be bummed about Carol's departure, but she'll be back someday. Advertisement Michael Cudlitz as Abraham in Season 6, Episode 9 (Gene Page/AMC / ) Abraham: After several head-scratchers, Sarge is back in charge in this episode. He and Eugene share some playful banter on their way to the bullet factory. Abe saves Eugene's life when the molten metal-headed walker attacks. He even gives Eugene space, but keeps a watchful eye from a distance. That allows him to come to the rescue when Dwayne's group shows up. Had Abraham not been involved this week, the body count would have been much higher. Abraham also made some romantic in-roads with Sasha. Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha in Season 6, Episode 9 (Gene Page/AMC / ) Sasha: Bob who? Sasha's had a bad run of luck on the show. Her brother died. Her boyfriend died. She went a little nuts in the aftermath. But now it seems like she's ready to settle down with Abraham. Get some happiness, girl. Abe is crazy about you! STUMBLING DEAD Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa in "The Walking Dead," season 6, episode 2. (Gene Page/AMC / ) Rosita: After Abe kicked her to the curb, she's slumming it with Spencer. Oof. She could do better. She gets points for using the railroad tracks as a shortcut, but also loses points for having that route lead to an ambush. Technically, had they gone the long way, the group may never have seen Eugene again, so perhaps that's a blessing in disguise. Then again, Denise died. Maybe Rosita can fill the Carol position as Alexandria's most lethal lone wolf. To do that, she'll need to pull out of this post-breakup funk. Dwayne: Last time we saw this guy, he was riding off with Daryl's motorcycle and crossbow. Now he shows up with half his face melted. He seemed to have the upper hand for a moment, but then Eugene bit his man basement and Abe mowed down some of his guys. Maybe he'll console himself by remembering how he killed Denise, but he wasn't even aiming at her and, as previously noted, a man bit his penis. Tobin: Poor guy. This background nobody seemed to have a nice romance going with Carol. Now she's gone. He could disappear for 13 episodes and we'd completely forget about him. Austin Nichols as Spencer Monroe in Season 6, Episode 10 (Gene Page/AMC / ) Spencer: This guy is a moron. Remember when he nearly got himself killed trying to rope-climb over the zombie army? Now he's trying to step to Rosita with an offer of "beef jerky stroganoff." Please. You have no game, Spencer. You're just a rebound. Time to get some more redeeming character traits, or prepare to end up on the zombie buffet. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Alrick Riley: Riley directed this episode, completely hanging his editor out to dry. Rachel Goodlett Katz had so little footage to use in the opening sequence, she kept cutting back to the same shots of Morgan practicing his staff moves, Carol holding her rosary and Olivia arranging jars. Even after Morgan and Carol were elsewhere, we cut back to them in those original spots. There was no dramatic purpose for repeating the shots. Riley just didn't get enough coverage or didn't plan the episode well enough to fill the run time. DEAD DEAD Merritt Weaver as Denise in "The Walking Dead" season 6, episode 5. (Gene Page/AMC / ) Denise: As TV doctors go, there's "Star Trek's" Dr. McCoy and then everyone else. Denise ranks below all those other guys. It seemed as if the show was setting her up to be a butterfly, emerging from her fearful cocoon to become strong and independent. Instead, she got killed at the larval stage. There was really no reason for her to go on this supply run. She had a map of the apothecary, and Daryl and Rosita dumped all the contents into their bags without consulting her. She also committed the cardinal sin of picking up an object and looking longingly at it. Her "Dennis" keychain triggered a monologue about her twin brother, which guaranteed she was going to die. Denise also risked her life to get a can of Orange Crush for Tara. She also didn't know how to hold a machete. Goodbye, larval butterfly. You stood no chance in this world. Advertisement BRAAAAAAAAAAINS Josh McDermitt as Dr. Eugene Porter in Season 6, Episode 14 (Gene Page/AMC / ) Eugene: He starts the episode with bluster, tying his signature mullet back into a ponytail and telling Abraham, "You've outlived your usefulness to me." Harsh! Like Denise, Eugene is in over his head. Unlike Denise, three critical brainstorms cement him as this episode's MVP: 1) They need more ammunition. Eugene is the first person in "The Walking Dead" universe to acknowledge that ammunition is finite. He has a plan to start making bullets at the factory. 2) He used Abraham's hiding place as a distraction to his captors. That took the focus off Daryl and Rosita long enough for his next great idea. 3) He bit Dwayne's crotch. You could argue that Rick tearing out a man's throat with his teeth is the most intense oral decision in "Walking Dead" history, but it takes some real commitment to chomp down below the equator. Way to redeem yourself, Eugene. NO BRAAAAAAAAAAINS Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier in Season 6, Episode 12 (Gene Page/AMC / ) Carol: What in the world is happening to her? This whole thing seems arbitrary. Before the midseason break, she'd kill anyone who dared threaten her "family." Now, she's leaving Alexandria with a note that reads, "I can't love anyone because I can't kill for anyone." Wait, what? Last episode was the first time we've seen her hesitate. Is this all because Sam and his bowl cut got gobbled up? Where did this come from? If she wants to be a pacifist, she could stay in Alexandria and hide behind stronger people. Instead, she's hitting the road to fend for herself. Presumably, the writers are just sending her away so she can come back to rescue everyone in a repeat of Terminus. Such a strange, arbitrary decision. Wondering where to go on a vacation? Fed up of searching online and consulting with friends/family? How about a celebrity then? What if a celebrity told you about their favourite holiday destination? Told you about all the things they like to do there -- be it tasting the local cuisine, indulging in leisure activities or haunting museums. Would it inspire you to pack your travel bags and get going? We hope so :) Her books sell like hot cakes! And her 'blogger-to-best-selling author' story serves as an inspiration for many. We're talking of best-selling author Preeti Shenoy, probably the only woman in that league with bestsellers like Life is What You Make It, Tea for Two and Piece of Cake. When Preeti is not writing, she is travelling and discovering new places. Preeti tells A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com about her fave destination. Which is your favourite holiday destination? The Maldives; it's so beautiful. Usually I never repeat a holiday destination as there are so many places to see. However, I went back to the Maldives because it was so amazingly beautiful. It feels like heaven. I have been there twice in the last four years. The first time, I went with my husband and the second time with my kids. I usually go there for five to six days. Where do you usually stay? There are different resorts there. I always stay in a Water Villa because you have various types of accommodation there. These Water Villas are on 120 different islands and each Water Villa is on an individual island. I stayed in a super luxury Water Villa. Which are the best places to eat in the Maldives? What do you recommend one must eat there? As you are on an island, you have to eat what is available. People generally go there for the beauty of the place and not to eat. I'm a vegetarian. The three-course meal in my resort was very good. Some of the best sights and attractions in the Maldives? On the last day, when you are leaving, you can do half-a-day of sightseeing at Male, where the airport is located. You can visit the President's House, the National Museum and the Islamic Center. There are shopping centres too. You can buy beautiful jewellery made of shells. What leisure activities can one indulge in? The marine life is beautiful. You can go snorkelling, deep sea diving and paragliding. You can also go sailing in a glass bottomed boat. Then there is dolphin spotting early in the morning. You can even swim with them if you wish. It is an extraordinary experience. How do you usually spend your day there? I spend the whole day in the sea. We swim in the sea or go snorkelling. Then we eat and rest for a while. Then, we are back in the sea again. Are you a solo traveller or do you like to holiday with friends/family? I like to holiday with family, with like-minded friends and at times alone. I like to travel. Do you plan your holidays well in advance or is it on the spur of the moment? Sometimes, I plan my holidays in advance. My second trip to the Maldives was well planned. I have also taken holidays on the spur of the moment. Like the time when I went to Sakleshpur, which is a four-hour drive from Bengaluru. That area is full of coffee estates. How does one travel to the Maldives? The airport is located in Male. You can take an Air India flight. Sri Lankan Airlines is another option. Depending on the island you are going to, you can take a sea plane or a boat. The resort will organise that for you. They receive you at the airport. You can get your visa on arrival in the Maldives. Do you click plenty of pictures on your holidays? Or do you bank on your memory? I do click pictures because, five years from now, I'll forget. But I avoid clicking too many pictures because I have to enjoy my holiday too. I delete most of the pictures later and only keep the good ones. What do you recommend one must eat in the Maldives? Fish fry is very popular there. The Maldives are famous for their seafood. However, the food is bland. How are the local people? We were on an island. The local people are very sweet. They are friendly, warm and talkative. They love to meet people from other countries. On a trip to the Maldives, how much money should one carry? That depends on you. You should stay in the best places you can afford. If you stay in a Water Villa for three nights it starts from one lakh rupees (Rs 100,000) upwards. There are options for every budget. You must take an all-inclusive package. Apart from this and your travel, for shopping there $200 are more than enough. That one thing you missed doing on the trip. I would love to try kite surfing. We were there for a few days, but the wind was not favourable. I would also love to try surfing, where you are pulled along by a speed boat. Is there something special you brought back to India from your vacation there? I bought a silver dolphin pendant. I wrote a book, The Secret Wishlist. In that book, I have described the Maldives extensively. When the book was being published, I was asked to send a few pictures of myself which would be used as the author's picture on the back page. I sent them a few pictures. The photo selected was the one where I'm wearing the pendant. It's a coincidence that I bought the pendant in the Maldives and I had written about that country in the book. That's why I think it is special. One word you'd use to describe the place. Ethereal. Photographs: Atul Shenoy An Indian origin attorney based in Switzerland is turning out to be a key man of Vijay Mallyas empire abroad. Sixty-four-year-old Jay Vallabh is named director and authorised signatory in many of the offshore vehicles related to the liquor baron. Regulatory filings with US Securities & Exchange Commission and public documents available on the company registries of locations such as Isle of Man and Panama showed that Vallabhs name figured prominently in several of these vehicles. While filings in UKs Companies House, the equivalent of Registrar of Companies, identified him as Jayprakash Vallabh, filings in Panama and Isle of Man referred to him as Jay Vallabh. In an SEC filing dating back to 1997, he figures as J Vallabh. Further records showed that Vallabh has floated and dissolved scores of companies across various jurisdictions over the past several years. He was also a significant shareholder in a Mauritius vehicle Watson Ltd that owned 21 per cent stake in the listed firm UB (Holdings), or UBHL, which in turn held around 60 per cent in the Kingfisher Airlines. This gave Jay and wife, Susanna, an indirect holding of around 12 per cent stake in Kingfisher Airlines in the first few years. Their names found their way to official records in the US, which insist on disclosures leading up to natural persons. In an order approving code-share arrangements between Kingfisher Airlines and American Airlines, issued by the Department of Transportation of the US on March 8, 2011, it is clear that the Vallabhs had a significant stake in Kingfisher Airlines itself. The record further indicates that the majority of Kingfishers shares are owned by United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd (United Breweries), an Indian company with 60.59 per cent of Kingfishers shares; and Vijay Mallya, a citizen of India with 5.69 per cent of Kingfishers shares. With respect to United Breweries, the record shows that it is majority owned by Watson Ltd, a company of Mauritius holding 21.19 per cent of the United Breweries shares. Watson Ltd is ultimately owned in equal shares by Jay Vallabh and Susanna Vallabh, both citizens of Switzerland, said the order. Although Watson Ltd continues to hold its shares in UBHL, Kingfisher Airlines is no longer under control of UBHL as banks have converted debt into equity. According to the shareholding pattern as of September 2014, the last such filing on the BSE, UBHL held only 400,000 shares or 0.05 per cent of Kingfisher. A Kingfisher spokesperson did not respond to questions about Vallabh. Filings in the Registry of Isle of Man, a tax haven, showed that Jay and Susanna are directors of CAS Nominees, a company that runs the Golden Eagle Trust. CAS was registered in 1990. Its latest annual return filed in December said Jays occupation was Barrister at law. Susannas occupation was given as secretary. Another Isle of Man company named Chilton Management owned the share capital (two shares of 1 each) of CAS. The Vallabhs were directors of Chilton, too. But, the shareholding of Chilton was held by Lombard Wall Corporate Services based in British Virgin Islands and Talisman Consultants based in Liberia. According to a filing with SEC in 2000 by Mendocino Brewing Company, the company declared by Mallya in his Rajya Sabha affidavit, The principal trustee of Golden Eagle is CAS Nominees Ltd, a corporation organised under the laws of the Isle of Man (part of the UK). Because CAS Nominees has the ability to act in favour of Mallya, the company's chairman of the board and chief executive officer, Mallya may be deemed to have a beneficial ownership interest, and therefore a material financial interest, in Golden Eagle. Golden Eagle is the sole (100 per cent) owner of Inversiones, which in turn owns UBI (United Breweries International). Golden Eagle Trust is a key Mallya family vehicle established by Vittal Mallya in the 1980s. DNA had first reported about this trust on March 10. Subsequent reports have said these vehicles are under probe by Indian agencies. Records from UKs Companies House showed that Jayprakash Vallabh is currently a director of Valley Heights Ltd, whose correspondence address is given as: CAS SA, PO BOX 331, Ch-1196, Chemin De Fontenailles 4, Gland, Switzerland. While his name is associated with 30 UK companies, several of these are now dissolved. The earliest records of Vallabh in the SEC date back to 1997. It is related to a n-compete agreement between various companies of Mallya. This non-competition agreement is made as of October 27, 1997 among UBICS, a Delaware corporation; Vijay Mallya; and UB Information And Consultancy Services Ltd a corporation organised under the laws of India, the filing said. In this document, Vallabh is named as the authorised officer of UBICS. Panama-registered Inversiones Mirabel is another company where the Vallabhs are named directors. This company was used by Mallya in transactions with Mendocino Breweries, the US-listed firm Mallya had declared in his Rajya Sabha affidavit. The SEC filing in 2000 gives some peep into the complicated cross-holding structures these off-shore vehicles are entangled in. Through one of its subsidiaries, United Breweries of America, BVI, a British Virgin Islands corporation, Golden Eagle also holds a controlling interest in United Breweries of America, Inc, a Delaware corporation, which is also the companys (Mendocinos) principal shareholder. The filing added that Mallya is the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of UBA (United Breweries of America). Through Inversiones and UBA, therefore, Golden Eagle owns or controls a majority of the voting stock of both of the principal parties to the agreement. In addition, Mallya is a member of the board of directors of UBSN. UBSN was the UK subsidiary of UBI, which is now known as Kingfisher Beer Europe, another company declared in Mallyas Rajya Sabha affidavit. Image: Vijay Mallya. Photograph: Reuters Punjab politics has produced a dogs breakfast on the river waters issue. Except, youd see even dogs eat better, says Shekhar Gupta. IMAGE: Farmers filling the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal with the help of excavators in Saini Majra village in Punjab. Photograph: PTI Photo. I t is tough for us to focus on something as unfamiliar as the Sutlej-Yamuna Link, or SYL (no, SYL isnt a mistype for YSL, the more familiar French designer label). A fight between Punjab and Haryana, states that together send only 23 MPs to the Lok Sabha, too doesnt shake us. Let me, therefore, try a little sensationalism, or what a journalist might call, dateline-sensationalism. So forget Haryana and Punjab, Sutlej and even Yamuna now that Sri Sri has gone. Think Pathankot. Better still, move your eye 10 miles north of Pathankot where the state of Jammu and Kashmir begins. Now imagine its state assembly passing a law abrogating the Indus Water Treaty. Or, closer home, withdrawing permission for the railways to construct in the state, barring the Indian Army from operating, rejecting the imposition of AFSPA. Some of us would go straight to the rooftops, some distinguished grey moustaches would go to TV studios shouting treason, some would load the rifles, and the rest would say, see, we told you so. What did you expect from Kashmiris? Bury that wretched Article 370. Right now. Enough sensationalism, so shift your gaze back below Pathankot. The state to which it belongs, Punjab, has just passed a law killing its solemn river-water agreement with neighbour and younger sibling Haryana and returned to its farmers land acquired from them more 38 years ago for digging the 213-km SYL canal. Just one newspaper, The Tribune, has kept us posted and forewarned of this incredible constitutional anarchy. The fact is the governor, Kaptan Singh Solanki, hasnt even signed Punjabs new law returning these lands, but who cares. The lawis being implemented. With JCBs and bulldozers to fell thousands of trees and to fill up the canal with them, debris and soil. The entire country and its institutions have been given a fait accompli. The Supreme Court of India, which ordered that status quo be maintained, has been told where to get off: weve got no water for anybody, says Punjab. If all this isnt absurd, His Excellency Mr Solanki is currently the governor of both Punjab and Haryana. Both assemblies are in their budget sessions and he has dutifully read the addresses provided by each government. For Punjab, he said, we wont give any water, and for Haryana, of course, that we shant accept such injustice. Still not absurd enough? Both Haryana and Punjab are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the latter with Shiromani Akali Dal as the leading partner. Others are joining in the fun. In Haryana, the Congress and Om Prakash Chautalas party (actually a loyal Akali ally electorally) are backing the BJP government in fighting for their states rights. In Punjab the Congress is fully backing the Akali Dals anarchism. The always holier-than-cow Aam Aadmi Party has jumped in too, with Arvind Kejriwal saying that Punjab shouldnt give its water to Haryana which, in turn, is saying, thank you, we wont give any to Delhi. Since the AAP is rising as a common thread in Punjab, both the Badals and Amarinder Singh are telling the voters that Mr Kejriwal is a Haryanavi out to steal your water. In Haryana, where the government has been so busy hiding from the Jats while protecting the cow (in a state where nobody would ever dare harm one) and re-discoveringthe Saraswati, the SYL canal has meanwhile gone extinct and the Yamuna too might soon enough. T he only thing we now need to complete this constitutional nonsense is a National Green Tribunal order to Punjab to stop felling trees. It will get the same answer that the Supreme Court has: weve got no trees left to save, just as we have no water to give. The NGT would be better off trying to recover the Rs 4.75 crore of fine still owed to it by Art of Living. This is what you would usually describe as the witchs brew, can of worms, or dogs breakfast. It is just that I have seen dogs, even those that lounge on Delhis increasingly higher garbage heaps, eat better. Amazing new precedents are being set as the Centre seems distracted and the nodal ministry, home affairs, is tilting at its chosen windmills of the day, from a Hafeez Saeed-backed revolt in JNU to dreaded Pakistani terrorists out to bomb Somnath Temple in Gujarat but caught robbing an ATM because they apparently werent given sufficient TA/DA by the ISI. This isnt sensationalism. Everything I have said, from the moment we descended to Pathankot and below, is fact. This is history in making -- of constitutional subversion, anarchy and chaos. All it needs now is for other upper riparians, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and, why not, even Himachal Pradesh to abrogate their own water-sharing accords on the Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri, Narmada, even the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, with the simple truth: we aint got no water to spare. In fact, the only upper riparian that may not be able to do this is poor Arunachal Pradesh. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries bring in just too much water and with too much force. So, a hint probably, to the Chinese in Tibet. By the way, that is where Punjabs Sutlej comes from. R ecounting the history of this dispute will consume this entire page and still only reach, with much abridgement, around 2004. It is much better that I refer you to my Chandigarh-based friend and colleague Vipin Pubbys ecounting the history of this dispute will consume this entire page and still only reach, with much abridgement, around 2004. It is much better that I refer you to my Chandigarh-based friend and colleague Vipin Pubbys piece (external link) pithily listing the 10 turning points in the SYL story. But just to underline: land acquisition for SYL began in 1978 when the Akalis were in power in Punjab and Delhi with the Janata Party (which then included the Jan Sangh). The same Parkash Singh Badal was then chief minister. A tripartite agreement was signed between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan in 1981 when the Congress was in power in Punjab and the Centre. Indira Gandhi laid its foundation stone in 1982 and Amarinder Singh hailed it as a great step for Punjabi mankind. In 1985, the accord was reaffirmed in the Rajiv-Longowal Accord. But in 2004 Amarinder Singh made history in constitutional defiance by passing a law called (seriously, this is no parody) the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act. It was passed unanimously, and though he lost power in spite of it, the Akalis are doing just the same to deny him a return to power. On top of all this, a presidential reference on this law to Supreme Court has only now come up for consideration, 12 years later, just in time for the election build-up in Punjab. Just one more landmark in this shameful history deserves mention. Even when everybody seemed to agree on the canal and construction was proceeding, the terrorists would have none of it. In 1990 they massacred the projects chief engineer, his deputy and 35 workers, and work stopped. Between the Akali Dal, the BJP and of course the Congress, cheered on by the AAP, the terrorists objective has now been achieved. 'They must withdraw the word "miracle" from the sainthood of Mother Teresa. 'You cannot belittle her good work by using the word miracle.' The Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (Maharashtra Blind Faith Eradication Committee), once headed by slain rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, has protested Pope Francis's decision to confer sainthood on Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa will attain sainthood in September for curing two cancer patients, Marcilio Haddad Andrino and Monica Besra, with her healing touch, which the Vatican deems 'miracles.'. Both Andrino and Besra state they were cured of cancer after they placed Mother Teresa's photograph on their tumours. These 'miracles' occurred after Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997. Besra was cured in September 1998 and Andrino was cured in 2008. Milind Deshmukh, chief secretary, MANS, spoke to Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com about why he is against the word 'miracle' being used for Mother Teresa while anointing her a saint. Why you are saying anointing Mother Teresa as a saint is unscientific and irrational? We do not believe there can ever be a miracle in this world. Miracles have never happened in the past, they cannot happen in the present and won't happen in the future. For example, say, if you know a man has cancer and he got cured suddenly, is it because of a miracle? One must find out whether the claim is authentic or not. It is possible that cancer was never detected in the first place and therefore the patient got cured. But Mother Teresa cured two patients of cancer. These two cases do not prove anything. How will you prove it? First prove it. Doctors must have checked the patients and then certified it. I am saying miracles never happen in the world. Our organisation has given an open challenge that it will give Rs 21 lakh (Rs 2 million) to any person who can show us a miracle. Did you meet Besra? Why don't you believe her? Science says any person claiming anything must prove it. If you are saying someone touches you and your cancer is cured or by prayers cancer can be cured, then it has to happen to everyone. Today the Bermuda Triangle mystery has been solved. Till the time it was not known, people used to say it was a miracle (that planes used to disappear over the Bermuda Triangle). How many years did it take to solve this miracle? So there has to be research on any claims. Don't you think people can be cured by faith? Some things get solved with the willpower of man. It is the inner strength of a human being. Suppose I have to climb a mountain, then I can be motivated only if I have the capacity to do it. But if you tell me a man who has never climbed a mountain in his life has climbed Mount Everest, I won't believe that. So these are not miracles. Whatever happens can be explained by science. We don't know how the tumours have been cured. You have written to the Pope against the sainthood for Mother Teresa. What is it all about? We wrote that they must withdraw the word 'miracle' from the sainthood of Mother Teresa. We have no objection if they call her a saint because she has done good work on leprosy. You cannot belittle her good work (by using the word miracle). In Maharashtra we have Sant Tukaram about whom people believe that he was taken away by an aeroplane 350 years ago. Lakhs of people believe this story, but nothing has been proved. Some 20 years ago, statues of Lord Ganesh were seen to drink milk in Mumbai. Yes, it happened in 1994. We have disproved that theory. There was surface tension and capillary action and this was the scientific reason (for Lord Ganesh idols drinking milk). We can do that. You come to our place and we will show you that even today. Why did the news of a miracle spread that particular day? It was spread by people. In those days there were no mobile phones. People called each other from landline phones and spread this news. Do you think if Mother Teresa becomes a saint by using the word 'miracle', people will become more superstitious? People start believing more in superstition when such incidents take place. You are not giving Mother Teresa sainthood because of her great work among the poor, but because of these two miracles. We have a problem with that. According to the Vatican, you have to perform a miracle to achieve sainthood. That is why we have said remove that clause. The Bible tells us Jesus Christ performed miracles. These words are highlighted to belittle his good work. If you follow whatever Jesus Christ said, then there will be no war in this world. He said, 'Love Thy Neighbour.' But wars have happened in the name of religion and many people went to war to prove that their religion is superior to other religions. You say in the case of Besra you are not sure if she had a tumour and therefore her claim cannot be verified. That is what I am saying. If someone makes such claims, how do you prove it? To prove something, you need thousands of examples. I am giving you another example. Suppose a 'godman' gives you a ring and says wear it and you will get a job. And tomorrow if you get a job, then nothing is proven. I will say let a thousand people get a job after wearing the ring, then we can consider the godman's claim. And suppose even if thousand people get jobs, then I will say let that godman get jobs for one lakh (100,000) people and only then will I believe his claim. In other words, it has to be proved that whoever wears that ring must get a job. Only then can that claim can be right. It has to be proved scientifically. So why do people believe in miracles? Earlier, who could have thought mankind could reach the moon? Even today there are many people who do not believe that mankind has reached the moon, but they have reached some other place. What do you say to such people? Did the Vaticanreply to your letter? No. Now I am planning to send an e-mail to Pope Francis. We want scientists to join us and write about this issue to the Vatican. We want people to give up their blind beliefs and develop a scientific attitude. We use inventions of science daily, but never follow a scientific attitude. Today we can talk on our smartphones and this has not happened overnight. People have worked hard on inventions for years. Till the time we do not know how things work, we believed in miracles. For hundreds of years no one believed there would be something called a mobile phone. Even television and radio were considered miracles when they first came on the scene. I am only saying that whatever is happening is because of science. Don't you think when all else fails, then faith is the only option left? That is wrong. Take a situation: Suppose a boy is bitten by a non-poisonous snake and some person says pray to God and the boy gets cured. Does the boy get cured because of prayers? The real reason the boy got cured because the snake was non-poisonous. Now take this situation: Suppose the same boy is bitten by a poisonous snake the next time. You go to the same person and he will say pray and the boy will die. Why? Because the boy never went to hospital after he was bitten by a poisonous snake. Photograph: Mark Edwards/Keystone Features/Getty Images 21 March: International Day of Forests Published: March 21, 2016 Every year 21st March is being observed as International Day of Forests to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests. The observance of the day is also used to communicate the vital role forests play in to sustain and protect us i.e. in environmental sustainability, food security and poverty eradication. Theme for 2016: Forests and water. The theme highlights importance of forests as key factor to the planets supply of freshwater, which is essential for life. It also marks the joint celebration of the International Day of Forests and World Water Day (22nd March). Background The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests by adopting resolution A/RES/67/200 on 28 November 2012. The first International Day of Forests was observed on 21 March 2013. Key facts Forests cover one third (about 31% of global land area) of the Earths land mass, performing vital functions around the world. Being the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, forests are a home for more than 80% of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. Around the world, 1.6 billion people including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures depend on forests for their livelihood. Despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits of forests, the global deforestation continues at an alarming. Deforestation accounts for 12 to 20% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change . Water Sources: Forested watersheds and wetlands supply around 75% of the worlds accessible freshwater. Forests generally act as natural water filters. Forested watersheds and wetlands supply around 75% of the worlds accessible freshwater. Forests generally act as natural water filters. About one-third of the worlds largest cities obtain a significant proportion of their drinking water directly from forested protected areas. Climate change is altering forests role in water flows and the availability of water resources. Month: Current Affairs - March, 2016 Topics: Current Affairs 2016 Days and Events Environment International Day of Forests Latest E-Books IMAGE: US President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, and their daughters Malia and Sasha, exit Air Force One as they arrive at Havana's international airport for a three-day trip, in Havana. All photographs: Carlos Barria/Reuters United States President Barack Obama arrived in Cuba on Sunday, demonstrating his foreign policy principle of engaging America's foes and in a hope that the Communist government there will grant more freedom to its people and open new economic pathways for American businesses. According to CNN, just before Obama stepped from Air Force One, he sent a message to Cubans through Twitter. " Que bola', Cuba? (Whats up Cuba?) Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people." He tweeted. IMAGE: Obama's daughters Malia (centre) and Sasha (right) arrive with their parents at the Jose Marti international airport in Havana. Later in the day, Obama toured the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, greeting Cardinal Jaime Ortega. Later in the evening, Obama dined at a "paladar" -- one of hundreds of privately-run restaurants that only recently became permissible in the state-run economy. Obama landing at Havana's JoseMartiAirport represented a diplomatic metamorphosis which seemed almost unimaginable almost five years ago. "My view is that this is the beginning, not the end, of what is going to be a journey that takes some time," Obama told CNN in an interview ahead of the trip. IMAGE: Obama tours Old Havana with his family at the start of a three-day visit to Cuba, in Havana. "This is a matter of us engaging directly with the Cuban people and being able to have candid, tough conversations directly with the Cuban government. We will have more influence and have greater capacity to advocate on behalf of the values that we care about when we're actually talking to them." Obama said. According to CNN the presidential trip to Havana is the culmination of a three-year effort to restore ties to the island, which sits 90 miles from Key West, Florida, but has long been off-limits for most American visitors. For decades, the island was regarded as a Cold War adversary, a forbidden place run by bearded strongmen that residents fled on makeshift rafts. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders has said that captured Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam was planning more attacks during his hideout in Brussels. Abdeslam, Europe's most wanted man, was arrested on Friday during a police raid as he returned to his family home in Molenbeek after being undetected since the November 13 attacks that killed 130 people and left several injured. "We have found a lot of heavy weapons, in the first investigations and we have found a new network around him in Brussels," the Wall Street Journal quoted him as saying. Reynders said that the French-Belgian investigation discovered that more than 30 people were involved in the Paris attacks. Meanwhile, Abdeslam's attorney Sven Mary said that he was cooperating as Belgian authorities questioned him, reports the Washington Post. Abdeslam had on Sunday told the police that he was supposed to blow himself up at the Stade de France but backed out at the last minute. With the grilling session on, Abdeslam's information will provide intelligence to analyse whether the link of Islamic State and the Levan is rooted in Europe. Abdeslam's arrest sent a wave of respite through Brussels as France will finally be able to hold to account one man allegedly involved in the Paris attacks. French public prosecutor, Francois Molins, had confirmed that Abdeslam had been a key member of the group who carried out a series of bombings and shootings in Paris on November 13 last year but stressed that the alleged confession should be treated with care and needed to be double checked. He has been charged with participation in terrorist murder and in the activities of a terrorist organisation. The cross-examination of Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case was on Monday deferred to Wednesday. It was earlier scheduled for Tuesday. We informed the court that one of the attorneys of Headley was not well and requested the court to start the proceedings from Wednesday. The court ordered accordingly, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said. Nikam said Headleys cross-examination will go on for four days. Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the terror attack, will cross-examine. Headley, who has turned an approver, concluded his week-long deposition before Mumbai sessions court through a video-link from the United States on February 13. On February 22, Judge G A Sanap had directed Nikam to contact the US authorities for Headleys second round of deposition and inform the court by February 25, after which the dates of his testimony were to be finalised. Jundals lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan then sought four days to cross-examine Headley. Khan has also filed an application objecting to Headley being made an approver by the court. Headley, who is serving a 35-year jail term in the US, said in his deposition how Pakistans intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence provides financial, military and moral support to terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizb-ul Mujahideen, and how LeT planned and executed the 26/11 attacks. He also said that Ishrat Jahan, killed in an allegedly fake encounter in Gujarat, was an LeT operative. A Delhi court on Monday directed the Congress party to submit its balance sheet for the year 2010-2011 in compliance with its order in the National Herald case in which Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and five others are accused. The court's direction came after the counsel appearing for the Indian National Congress informed it that the party needed time to follow the March 11 order by which the documents were sought. Metropolitan magistrate Lovleen, after hearing the submissions, posted the matter for April 8 for the next hearing on the plea of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy. The counsel, Badar Mahmood, said the court summons were received only on March 19 and added that there was lack of clarity about the year of which the documents pertain to. Summons were not clear as to whether it was for 2010, 2011 or for both, the counsel said. A Congress office peon, who appeared in the court, also said that no office-bearer of the party office was present on Saturday to give the documents. In its March 11 order, the court had also summoned the balance sheet of 2010-2011 of Associated Journals Pvt Ltd, observing that these documents of the INC and AJL could not be referred as personal documents of the accused. However, the counsel appearing for AJL submitted on Monday before the court that the documents summoned by the court are already in the court records which were verified by the officials from the registrar of companies who were summoned thrice during the recording of pre-summoning evidence. We are taken for a ride. The documents summoned are already on the record of the court. Its only for the purpose of publicity that the complainant has filed this complaint as he has been tweeting about this case, senior advocate R S Cheema, appearing for AJL said, while showing some of Swamys tweets to the court. Swamy had accused Sonia, Rahul and others of allegedly conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by just paying Rs 50 lakh by which Young India obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which the AJL had owed to the Congress party. Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Nepal Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, left, inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. Photograph: Lintao Zhang/Pool/Reuters China on Monday agreed to Nepal Prime Minister K P Olis request to build a strategic railway link between the two countries through Tibet to reduce land-locked Nepals total dependence on India, as the two sides cemented their ties by signing 10 agreements including a landmark transit trade deal. Oli, who arrived in Beijing on Sunday on his maiden seven-day visit to China, was given a red carpet welcome by Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People. He also called on Chinese President Xi Jinping. Olis high-profile visit comes as Nepal seeks to open more supply routes from China amid fears of a repeat of recent nearly six-month long crippling blockade when the Indian-origin Madhesis blocked Nepal's trade-routes with India, throwing normal life out of gear. During the talks, the two prime ministers made a comprehensive review of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over steadily growing relations between the two countries. The two sides exchanged substantive views on further strengthening and consolidating mutual trust and understanding as well as promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, according to a press release issued by Nepalese foreign ministry. Trade diversification, cross border connectivity and infrastructure development, cooperation on energy, tourism, finance, education and culture were among the matters that figured prominently during the talks, it said. During his talks with Li, Oli mooted extension of Chinas strategic railway link with Tibet further to Nepal. Briefing the media after Li-Oli talks, Hou Yanqi, deputy head of the Chinese foreign ministry, said: The Nepalese prime minister wanted to explore two rail lines. Hou said the government would encourage Chinese firms to look at the internal rail plan and that China was already planning to extend the railway from the Tibetan city of Shigatse to Gyirong on the Nepal border. Of course, a further extension from Gyirong is an even long-term plan. Its up to geographic and technical conditions, financing ability. We believe that far in the future the two countries will be connected by rail, she said. The two countries sealed 10 agreements, including the much-publicised transit trade treaty which will end Nepals total dependency on Indian sea ports for third-country trade. The other agreements included a feasibility study on the establishment of a Free Trade Agreement, Chinas assistance to build a new airport and a border bridge. The other agreements included a treaty on economic and technical cooperation to build a Regional International Airport Project at Pokhara, Nepals famous tourist site. China and Nepal also decided to initiate a feasibility study on Chinese assistance to Nepal for exploration of oil and gas resources. Ahead of his visit, Oli, 64, has told state-run Chinese media that Transit and transport agreements will be signed with China and also Nepal is eager to utilise sea ports of China, in an apparent move to reduce dependence on India. Commenting on Olis visit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying played down concerns that the closer China-Nepal ties will affect India-Nepal ties. China, India and Nepal form a community of shared destiny. Our work there (Nepal) can help to work for common development. Stable development in Nepal serves both China and India. We hope we can have positive interactions in this field to achieve win-win results, she said. Olis request for two railway links with China after the Communist giant has been successfully operating the worlds highest railway line to Tibet. The 1,956 km-long railway line was operationalised in 2006. China had recently announced plans to build a second railway link with Tibet. After the Qinghai-Tibet Railway was extended from Lhasa to Shigatse in Tibet in 2014, it was expected that the construction of railways connecting Shigatse with Gyirong county, bordering Nepal, and with Yatung county bordering India and Bhutan, would start during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), state-run Global Times had quoted a strategic think tank as saying. Meanwhile, an article in state-run media, coinciding with Olis visit said Nepal should not be a bargaining chip between India and China. New Delhi is now showing how difficult it is to imagine China replacing its influence in Kathmandu. But Beijing has never asked Nepal to side with it. In the meantime, Oli has also publicly announced that his country is not playing the China card against India, the article in Global Times said. New Delhi should wake up to the fact that Nepal is a sovereign country, not a vassal of India, it said. 'Even though India tends to consider China as a geopolitical rival, and there are still border disputes between the two countries, dealing with those puzzles should not come at the cost of Nepals interests. Kathmandu has the right to choose the development partners that maximise its national interests, it said. Sandwiched between the two giant neighbours, keeping good relationships with both China and India is the only sound choice for Kathmandu, as well as for regional harmony. Therefore, instead of being forced into becoming a strategic barrier against China, Nepal should be better treated and act as a bridge between Beijing and New Delhi, the article said. The United States and South Korea conducted a big military exercise, storming a simulated North Korean beach defense as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to rise and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatens to wipe out his enemies. South Korean (blue headbands) and US Marines take positions as amphibious assault vehicles of the South Korean Marine Corps fire smoke bombs during a joint landing operation drill in Pohang, South Korea. The landing and assault drills on South Koreas east coast were part of eight weeks of joint exercises between the allies which the South has said are the largest ever. North Korea has denounced the exercises as nuclear war moves and threatened to respond with an all-out offensive. Photographs: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters South Korean (blue headbands) and US Marines take part in a joint landing operation drill in Pohang, South Korea. A rocket is launched from a M270A1 multiple launch rocket system during a live-fire training exercise of the 6-37th Field Artillery Regiment at a training area near the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Cheorwon, South Korea. The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer transits the EastSea during Exercise Ssang Yong 2016. Ssang Yong 16 is a biennial combined amphibious exercise conducted by forward-deployed US forces with the Republic of Korea Navy and Marine Corps, Australian Army and Royal New Zealand Army Forces. Photograph: US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Craig Z Rodarte/Handout via Reuters A US army soldier loads rocket pods on a M270A1 multiple launch rocket system as they prepare for a live-fire training exercise of the 6-37th Field Artillery Regiment. A US marine takes part in a joint landing operation drill in Pohang. US Army M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers are seen during a military exercise in Pocheon, South Korea. North Korea was recently condemned by the world powers for testing a Hydrogen bomb. The conflict of the two Koreas, however, has its roots in the early 50s, but the North Korean leader was of late threatening the South with nuke war. The PDP chief visited New Delhi on Monday and has reportedly called a meeting of party legislators to brief them about her talks with BJP leaders. The sudden visit of Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti to New Delhi on Monday has fuelled fresh speculations of a possible patch-up between her party and the Bharatiya Janata Party for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP on Sunday said it was fully committed to the agenda of governance in the state. Mehbooba has had several meetings with top leaders of the BJP, like party president Amit Shah and general secretary and party in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav, but the meetings ended in a stalemate, with the BJP saying a government cannot be formed with preconditions. A senior leader of the PDP had said that they had not put any conditions but wanted the Centre to come up with some confidence building measures for government formation in the state, which has been under governors rule since the demise of former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 9. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said that the BJP was fully committed to the agenda of governance that was formed in Jammu and Kashmir. There have been reports that Mehbooba has called a meeting of PDP legislators and leaders to inform them of her confabulations with the top BJP leadership in New Delhi for the formation of a government in the state. In a shocking incident, Mumbai's Aarey Colony has lost one of its most beloved residents -- Chandni, a six-year-old female leopard, who was found dead on Saturday afternoon with a wire snare setup by poachers. According to a Mid-day report, this is the first poaching death in Aarey, which is a home to at least seven leopards and other wildlife. A group of people conducting tree survey inside the Aarey Colony found the carcass and immediately alerted the forest department. However, the body was found in advanced stages of decomposition, which means Chandni may have died as long as two weeks ago. According to the Forest Department officials, the leopard's hindquarters got trapped in the snare, and the animal might have injured itself further while trying to escape, causing a huge loss of blood. But the leopard must have cried out in pain during its ordeal, so it's surprising no one reported the incident, even though there is a house just 100 metres away. "The animal might have been snarling in pain after it got trapped in the wire snare and so we are also going to take statements of the locals and the tribals who farm the nearby land, to ask if they heard any growling," said an FD official to Mid-day. The forest officials found another trap barely 20 feet from the spot where Chandni got trapped. Later, they deactivated the trap. Based on the rosette patterns formed by its spots, the leopard was identified as Chandni (LF-01) by a team of researchers who are helping Thane FD in its leopard monitoring study in Aarey. Ironically, Chandni had got stuck in a snare earlier as well, and lost most of the claws on her front-left paw in her attempt to escape. "In November-December 2014, we got a video of this female leopard in the infrared camera trap that we had installed in Aarey and we observed that the animal was limping, which was a serious issue. Our group members got close-up images of her front-left paw and we found that it had only one claw and that was why she was limping. This also hinted that she might have got trapped in a wire snare trap and lost her remaining claws while trying to escape," researcher Rajesh Sanap told Mid-day. Researchers pointed out that despite the fact that Chandni was injured and limping, she never attacked any humans even though she prowled quite close to their settlements. The researchers were pleasantly surprised that despite her handicap, Chandni was not only surviving in the wild without man-animal conflict, but had also given birth. They spotted her with the cub in August in the camera trapping footage, and then saw the mother-cub duo again in broad daylight, as they frolicked in the Aarey grasslands. This is what convinced them that Chandni didn't need to be rescued, said a forest official, adding that when a leopard is with a cub, they prefer not to disturb the animal. However, since November, they had not been able to trace Chandni's location and assumed she might have moved to another territory. "We have been trying to locate Chandni and get her movement on camera. It was important data for us because she had a cub and we were curious to see how this animal - who was not physically fit - raised her cub. Generally it is believed that when an animal gets old or is not physically fit to hunt, it attacks humans, but the study of Chandni over a period of more than 18 months has helped us understand that this belief is wrong. Locals said they had seen a limping leopard very close to their homes, but she would immediately runs into the bushes on seeing them," said a volunteer in the leopard study. It was the paw with one claw that confirmed the dead leopard was Chandni. The Thane FD officials collected samples from the body and sent them for forensic examination to find out the cause and time of death. The FD is also in search of her cub, and there are plans to set up more camera traps in the area to keep an eye out for it. A light breeze is enough to send up clouds of dust, even without the numerous trucks and motorcycles passing by. The landscape is a light brown for as far as the eye can see, with an under-construction flyover blocking the view every now and then. But for the faint odour that wafts in, this could well be a scene from the Sangam in Allahabad, complete with sandy beaches, sundry temporary stalls and an equal amount of garbage. This large piece of land, close to 1,000 acres, that is a part of the Yamuna's floodplain in New Delhi, witnessed Art of Living's World Culture Festival last week. I am not alone in using the Sangam allegory: on March 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the festival is the Kumbh Mela of culture". Art of Living's spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, faced the ire of activists and the National Green Tribunal for environmental violations that would occur when an event of this scale - the festival is said to have seen 3.5 million footfalls -- is hosted in an ecologically sensitive region. While the tribunal suggested that a damage of up to Rs 120 crore has been done to the land, it slapped a fine of Rs 5 crore on Art of Living as "environmental compensation". Though Art of Living has insisted the event would in no way impact the river or the floodplain, the scale of the event tells a different story. The long walk to the seven-acre main stage is made longer by the countless potholes. The three-day festival, which started on March 11, saw heavy rains on the first day of the event, making the entire area slushy. As I make my way in two days after the event, the soil feels soft under my feet, almost like quicksand. I pass by shrubs and small trees that look positively desolate. According to local residents, the entire walkway from the entrance was populated with shrubs and trees. A part of the walkway bears evidence of concrete, while the rest is sandy in parts and slushy in others. At the central location, countless workers are busy dismantling the large stage and various other tin sheds. Juice boxes and upturned food trays add colour to the land, which is now green with endless rolls of carpets instead of grass. Where the carpets are rolled, long black polythene sheets, used to shield the carpets and their occupants from water and rain, flutter about. Workers from BVG, the company contracted to manage housekeeping and cleaning, take a break on a few chairs. Over 100 BVG's employees have been tasked with cleanliness, according to Ravi Shankar, the project lead at the venue. He adds that several Art of Living volunteers have helped them collect garbage. In a press release, Art of Living said its volunteers have been working round the clock for the cleanup. The contractors, though, say that the volunteers usually come in by 10 am and leave by 4 pm. I visit the venue on two separate days at different times of the day and can still not spot any Art of Living volunteer. Ready for the challenge BVG workers have bigger woes. "If it were up to us, we would have completed the cleaning in about 10 days. These large installations are delaying our work," says the spiritual leader's namesake, pointing towards the shed that was used to serve meals to the guests. Several tiny meal tickets lay strewn about, many of them embedded in the soft soil. While surface garbage may be easier to target, it is the waste that has sunken into the soil that will be hard to extract. The workers, though, seem unfazed by such questions. "We will handle everything," they say with confidence. As I am about to walk on further, a Russian couple walks up to the BVG crew to inquire about the woman's lost passport. "Up until this moment [before losing her passport], my time at the festival has been very enjoyable," she says. Nothing can sway her away from her devotion for Art of Living and her "love for India". "We knew that the level of hygiene would not be perfect, so we were mentally prepared," she says. Closer to the stage, the extent of work and the scale of operations appear more daunting. The scene looks like the construction site of a large infrastructure project. Standing at the centre, the stage is a replica of what the ghats of Varanasi look like from a boat on the Ganga. A few local residents are finding a way to climb their way to the top. "Who knows when we'll get to see the Yamuna from such a vantage point again?" one of them laughs. While all of them agree that there used to be a lot of vegetation on this brown land, there is also a strange sense of pride in their voice. "Whatever you may say, we cannot doubt that this Baba has made India famous." None of them knows what his name is or what Art of Living does. A group of workers is busy stacking chairs and sofas and loading them onto one of the many trucks that are parked near the stage. Another group is working with hammers to dismantle the stage. I spot a few of them looking intently at the sky. Following their gaze, I see the large lamp posts that were installed for the event, with men on long ladders unhooking the heavy floodlights -- not a single one of them is wearing a hard-hat. A five-member crew from the District Disaster Management Authority has arrived at the venue for a recce. While one of the officials tells me that he is primarily here to survey the garbage disposal, he does seem perturbed by the lack of protective gear for the workers. "Largely, I feel, a lot of the area is clean and no apparent damage, at least cleanliness-wise, has been done to this land," he says. On the ecology front, though, he is reluctant to comment. "The Yamuna looks as it did before, so at least they didn't dump the garbage there." But there's more to the damage than cleaning the river. Vimlendu Jha, environmental activist and executive director at NGO Swechha, says the worry for ecology does not stem from a "romantic notion of a blue river", but is an issue of basic survival. "Human intervention can never replicate the natural topology of an area. Such callous use of this land is eventually damaging for the public, both ecologically and in terms of public resources that will be spent in reversing the damage," he explains. "There is clear evidence that grasslands were chopped and marshes were filled with concrete. Using concrete on such land reveals how the organisers chose convenience over ecology." As I make my way towards one of the contractors for the tents, the distinct stench of a public urinal assaults my nostrils. As I peer further, I see a row of portable toilets that are lined together far away from the stage. The dignitaries and guests of honour were clearly insulated from such harsh realities, the odour from the Yamuna included. The contractors tell me that close to 1,000 people across various agencies and departments are involved in the cleanup and that it would take close to a month to dismantle all installations. The Delhi Development Authority, to whom the land belongs, has given no clear deadline for the handover of the land, according to them. As I return for a second visit two days later, there seems to be an improvement in the level of dirt strewn about. Trucks from SPML, a Delhi-based infrastructure company that has been engaged by Art of Living for waste disposal, are loading the garbage and ferrying it out. The landscape is now more black than green (most of the carpets have been rolled away) and there are fewer sofas in sight. The roof of the dinner shed has been uninstalled, though the structure remains. The dismantling of the stage, too, appears to have seen some progress. Where there were human footprints in the mud, there are now tyre-tracks from the various vehicles that have been moving several heavy goods out of the floodplain. As Jha says, the human imprint on the floodplain is now unmistakable. "Delhi gets 20 per cent of its drinking water from this area. If we are not careful, we will have another Chennai-like situation on our hands." For now, the 7-acre podium seems to have taken centre-stage. Image: A participant walks back after performing a dance during the World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna River in New Delhi in this picture taken on March 12. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters UN chief condemns deadly Istanbul attack as 'appalling violence' Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 March 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN chief condemns deadly Istanbul attack as 'appalling violence', 19 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efa641411.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. 19 March 2016 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned today's bombing in the Turkish city of Istanbul and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, consistent with human rights obligations. This is the latest in a recent series of terrorist attacks in Turkey, the Secretary-General said in a statement from his spokesperson. A week ago, a car bomb tore through the capital city of Ankara, killing dozens of people. Today, Mr. Ban again extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Turkey. In a separate statement, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expressed its condolences and solidarity with the people and Government of Turkey. Speaking on behalf of the entire international tourism community, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, said this tragic event reminds us once more that we are facing a global threat that requires a firm and coordinated response. Noting Turkey's destination for tourists, he said that it is time to stand by Turkey in facing this challenge. In a Tweet, UNDP Turkey said its staff shared the pain of those who had lost relatives, and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Ban welcomes announcement of release of Djiboutian prisoners by Eritrea Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 March 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Ban welcomes announcement of release of Djiboutian prisoners by Eritrea, 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efa67540c.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. 18 March 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has learned of the arrival in Djibouti today of the Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and the announcement of the release of four Djiboutian prisoners by the Eritrean authorities. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the Secretary-General commended the efforts of the Qatari mediation in brokering this process and the Eritrea for releasing the prisoners. Mr. Ban through the statement also expressed the hope that this will help address other regional outstanding issues between Djibouti and Eritrea and enhance regional peace and security in the Horn of Africa. 'No alternative to political settlement of the Burundian crisis,' Ban tells Security Council Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 March 2016 Cite as UN News Service, 'No alternative to political settlement of the Burundian crisis,' Ban tells Security Council, 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efa6ae40b.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. 18 March 2016 - Briefing the Security Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United Nations High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein today voiced concern about spiralling violence and rights violations in Burundi, and called for an inclusive political dialogue to peacefully resolve the 11-month crisis. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who visited Burundi last month as part of an international effort to end the crisis, urged the country's leaders "to summon the necessary courage and confidence" to launch a credible political process. "There is no alternative to a political settlement of the Burundian crisis," he toldthe Council, whose members had also visited the country in January of this year. Underscoring the importance of regional and international support for the peace efforts, Mr. Ban said that the East African Community (EAC), the African Union (AU) and the UN must work together to provide the "dedicated and professional mediation support" needed. Mr. Ban noted appointment of former President of Tanzania Benjamin Mkapa as EAC Facilitator, which he called an "encouraging development." His own Special Advisor, Jamal Benomar, has been representing the UN in discussions, and has deployed a team to Burundi. During his visit, Mr. Ban said that he underlined his deep concern over the volatile situation in the country. "I expressed my profound worry that the potential spiralling of violence risks relapse into civil war. I urged the Government to take measures to address the continued violence and the impunity that fuels it," he added. While there, the UN chief had discussed with President Pierre Nkuruziza the release up to 2,000 detainees, and that the President had previously announced the annulment of arrest warrants against 15 opposition figures and to re-open two media outlets. "We now look forward to the full implementation of these measures and expect further steps in the same direction," Mr. Ban said, including the release of all political prisoners and an end to restrictions on civil society and media organizations. While in Burundi, Mr. Ban said he had also urged the Government to address the continued violence and impunity that fuels the volatile situation in the country. The top UN official said despite assurances from the Government that the security situation is stabilizing, civil society and opposition parties told him "deeply disturbing" continuing allegations of violence, including those targeting women and children. "I cannot stress enough the profound humanitarian consequences that political unrest, violence and impunity carry for the population," Mr. Ban said. 'Many of Burundi's people live in terror' Also addressing the Council, High Commissioner Zeid drew international attention to the hundreds of people killed, thousands detained, and over a quarter of a million of Burundians who had fled the country. "Continued human rights violations, and impunity for perpetrators, mean that many of Burundi's people live in terror," he told the Council. "The country remains on the brink of a sudden escalation of violence to even more massive proportions." He drew attention to the increasing number of arbitrary arrests and detention since January. On a recent visit of staff from the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) to some detention centres in Bujumbura, "it appeared that almost half the detainees had been tortured or ill-treated, some seriously," Mr. Zeid said. The top human rights figure also called attention to the lack of progress in investigating multiple serious human rights violations reported over the past year. "I urge further and much more credible investigations into the multiple alleged mass graves in the country, as well as into the torture, sexual violence and killings that were reported in December and many other serious allegations," Mr. Zeid said. He took note of a recently released report into alleged extrajudicial killings during the events of 11 December 2015. In order to look into the human rights situation in the country, the secretariat of the independent expert team is due to arrive in April for a four-month deployment. The Government has yet to approve the visit, Mr. Zeid said, calling for the visit to be finalized. The UN expert team is comprised of three independent experts, per a Human Rights Council resolution from December 2015, mandated with undertaking "an investigation into violations and abuses of human rights with a view to preventing further deterioration of the human right situation." Burundi was thrown into crisis this past April when President Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term that he went on to win in July. Intra-Syrian talks advancing without 'excessive rhetoric,' says UN envoy Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 March 2016 Related Document(s) Security Council resolution 2254 (2015) [on the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic] Cite as UN News Service, Intra-Syrian talks advancing without 'excessive rhetoric,' says UN envoy, 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efa6ee40d.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. 18 March 2016 - As the first week of the new round of intra-Syrian talks ended today, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria said the "proximity system" of the discussions, whereby parties are meeting indirectly through his mediation, has contributed to the talks moving forward. "No walk-outs, no excessive rhetoric - some discussions but not excessive rhetoric - no breakdowns, in spite of the fact that I am still obviously detecting large distances, but that is part of why you have talks, or consultations or negotiations, otherwise we would have had one nice signing ceremony, which is not yet the case," Staffan de Mistura told reporters in Geneva. The UN envoy underlined that the talks have coincided with a "substantial reduction of violence" in the context of February's ceasefire agreement in Munich, despite some incidents today that "are not comparable at all to what we used to have." Describing the day's talks as "intense," he informed the press that his first meeting was with the Syrian women advisory board: "I met them because they have constantly very good advice, really, genuinely good advice, but they have also been very active in attempting, and to a certain degree succeeding in building a bridge between the various women of the different delegations." Mr. de Mistura noted that he also had a short "acquaintance meeting" with a group of individuals from Damascus and inside Syria. "As you know the Security Council resolution is very clear in terms of the mandate I am given. I am supposed to consult anyone who has something to say in order to be able to move forward on what has been and should be the Intra-Syrian talks, and eventually serious negotiations," he explained. He also met with the Government which "reiterated its own interest in having a commonly shared list of principles." Mr. de Mistura said identifying "the grey zone of areas of common ground" will be the focus early next week, when the talks continue: "Now principles are not just principles, they are the basis for then getting deeply into what we consider a common ground for what is the mother of all issues, which is the mandate for the political transition, no question on that," he stressed. Finally, the UN envoy met with the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) opposition group, which has reportedly already produced substantive papers. "They had gone deeper and I must say I am quite impressed by the level of depth in which they have been ready to engage the facilitator, the mediator, my team with substantial points regarding their own vision of governance, hence political transition," he indicated. Turning to the question of detainees, the UN envoy said it was raised and is "unquestionably a crucial one." He insisted that in addition to the delivery of humanitarian aid, it is essential to bring people back to their families, regardless of what side they are on. Meanwhile, by this time next week- the last week of the second round of the talks - Mr. de Mistura said the aim is to build "a minimum common platform" of not just principles but points that could lead to a better understanding of the direction in which the political transition is going. "In my opinion, [this] will be the main focus of the next meeting, which will be in April, and we are already aiming very clearly for that," he said. Security Council calls on Haiti to complete elections 'without further delay' Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 March 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Security Council calls on Haiti to complete elections 'without further delay', 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efa88b23b.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. 18 March 2016 - Deeply concerned by the continued suspension of electoral rounds in Haiti, the United Nations Security Council today called for the completion of the polling cycle without further delay to allow the Haitian people the opportunity to vote for their elected representatives in a free, fair, inclusive and transparent contest. In a statement to the press, the Council noted the 5 February political accord, which provided a Haitian-led and owned road map for the swift conclusion of the current electoral cycle and strongly urged all relevant actors to adhere to the accord and implement its provisions within the agreed timeline, and underscored the importance of formally reinstituting the Provisional Electoral Council in this regard. On 14 February, the Haitian National Assembly elected Jocelerme Privert as the island nation's interim President, one week after former President Michel Martelly departed without a successor. Mr. Privert will serve as interim President for 120 days, with an election scheduled for 24 April, following an agreement known as the 5 February Agreement between Haitian stakeholders to preserve institutional continuity and further the electoral process. Council members further noted in today's statement the increasing number of challenges Haiti faces which can only be effectively resolved through close coordination between a democratically-elected government and Haiti's international partners. Reiterating their strong condemnation of any attempt to destabilize the electoral process, in particular through violence, the Council urged all candidates, their supporters, political parties and other political actors to remain calm, refrain from violence or any action that can further disrupt the [] process and political stability. Stakeholders were also urged to resolve any electoral disputes through constructive engagement and the appropriate legal mechanisms. The Haitian Government was urged to hold those responsible for any violence accountable. The members of the Council commended the Haitian National Police, with support from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), for their efforts to maintain peace and protect the civilian population. They also welcomed the continued efforts of the United Nations, other multilateral agencies, regional organizations and UN Member States in supporting Haiti's critical needs. Briefing the Council yesterday on the situation in the country, Sandra Honore, Special Representative and Head of MINUSTAH warned that a protracted political crisis in Haiti may hamper the stabilization gains achieved in recent year and further decline the island nation's economic growth. Stressing that the next few weeks would be decisive for the short and mid-term prospects for Haiti's democratic consolidation, she said: There is therefore no alternative to the return, as soon as possible, to the path of institutional and political stability, through the completion of the pending elections. Honduras risks becoming 'lawless killing zone' for human rights defenders UN expert Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 March 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Honduras risks becoming 'lawless killing zone' for human rights defenders UN expert, 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efa8a840b.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. 18 March 2016 - An independent United Nations expert on the situation of human rights defenders today urged the Government of Honduras "to take immediate and concrete actions, or risk turning the country into a lawless killing zone for human rights defenders." UN Special Rapporteur Michel Forst's appeal came after the killing of yet another outspoken leader of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations Honduras (COPINH), Nelson Garcia, reportedly occurred on 15 March. Earlier this month, Berta Caceres, COPINH founder, prominent indigenous leader and environmental and women human rights defender, was slain. Garcia was allegedly killed shortly after he had witnessed a forced eviction carried out by security forces in the Rio Lindo area, South of San Pedro Sula. "This new tragedy points once again to major faults in the protection of rights defenders in the country," Mr. Forst said in a press release. "Amid unrelenting attacks against environmental and indigenous defenders, it is high time the Honduran authorities take concrete steps to ensure safety for all human rights defenders in the country, and their families," he stressed, recalling States' obligation to guarantee security and protection for all human rights defender or activists within its borders. "I urge the Honduran Government to publicly condemn the assassination of Nelson Garcia and ensure an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into his death," he said. "This cycle of violence will only stop when impunity is addressed and perpetrators of such attacks are put to justice." According to numerous reports received by the special rapporteur, Honduras has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world for human rights defenders, particularly those promoting rights related to environment and land issues. On 5 March, after the death of Berta Caceres, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights decided to call for precautionary measures for all members of COPINH as they were suffering an escalation of threats and harassment. "However, this has regrettably not prevented Mr. Garcia's murder," Mr. Forst concluded. Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. Iraq: UN and partners race to reach thousands fleeing areas west of Ramadi Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 March 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Iraq: UN and partners race to reach thousands fleeing areas west of Ramadi, 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efa90840d.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. 18 March 2016 - The United Nations relief wing today reported that humanitarian partners are rushing to provide emergency assistance to an estimated 35,000 people who have been newly displaced in hard-to-reach areas west of Ramadi. "Thousands of people who have been trapped in Heet for months are trying to reach safety," Lise Grande, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq said in a press release from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). She stressed that the UN does not have full access and "we are very worried that some of the families who are escaping are in areas very close to the front lines. We are worried for their safety." According to OCHA, displaced families are receiving ready-to-eat food, safe drinking water and hygiene kits through the Rapid Response Mechanism, which is managed by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme and supported by the UN's Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and nine non-governmental organizations. Health assistance is being provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has dispatched two mobile health clinics and two medical teams. "You can tell how difficult conditions are in Heet by how many people are seeking urgent health assistance. The mobile clinics dealt with 1,300 consultations during just their first two days," explained Mr. Grande. Prior to the displacement from Heet, more than 53,000 people had been displaced in Anbar Governorate since the beginning of the year. Many of these families have sought safety and help in already overcrowded camps and temporary settlements in and around Ameriyat al Falluja internally displaced persons complex, Habbaniyah Tourist City, and Bzebiz bridge. The United Nations and partners have requested $861 million for 2016 to provide emergency relief to 7.3 million vulnerable Iraqis. Only nine per cent - $75 million - has been received so far. "The humanitarian crisis in Iraq continues to worsen. Additional resources are urgently needed so we can help people who depend on humanitarians to survive," said Ms. Grande. OCHA says that the humanitarian crisis in Iraq is highly complex, volatile, becoming protracted and expected to widen and worsen in the year ahead. The crisis is driven by unpredictable, massive waves of displacement caused by armed conflict. From January 2014 to November 2015, 3.2 million people were forced to flee their homes in several big waves of displacement, and multiple smaller ones. UN human rights office 'deeply troubled' by arrest of social media activist in Bahrain Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 March 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN human rights office 'deeply troubled' by arrest of social media activist in Bahrain, 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efa935e6.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. 18 March 2016 - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today said it is deeply troubled by the arrest on Monday in Bahrain of the social media activist and human rights defender, Zainab Al Khawaja, who was detained along with her one-and-a-half year old son. "Ms. Al Khawaja was previously convicted on a number of charges, including insulting the King. Her father, who co-founded the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, has been in jail since 2011, serving a life sentence. There are also unconfirmed reports that Ms. Al Khawaja's infant son has been denied a birth certificate," OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva. In 2014, amendments to the citizenship law enabled the Government to revoke the citizenship of any Bahraini who "causes harm to the interests of the Kingdom," fails in his or her duty of "loyalty," or assists "a hostile state." At least 250 people have reportedly been stripped of their citizenship as a result, including 72 people in January alone this year. Those who lose their citizenship are forced to return their passports and ID cards and apply for residency permits or alternatively leave the country. Four such people have been deported since the beginning of February. OHCHR recalled that under international law, loss or deprivation of nationality that does not serve a legitimate aim, or is not proportionate, is arbitrary and therefore prohibited. It also highlighted that Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly says: "Everyone has the right to a nationality" and "No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality" Meanwhile, the UN right office reported that in addition to being rendered stateless, human rights activists are also facing problems travelling abroad. The prominent religious and human rights figure Maytham Salman, who works in Bahrain and abroad to prevent the incitement of hatred and violence, has reportedly been waiting for his passport to be renewed for more than two months. And another co-founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Nabil Rajab, still faces a travel ban, after being convicted - and then pardoned - for tweets he wrote in 2014. He faces further charges for more tweets he allegedly posted in March 2015. "We are also concerned about recent laws that seriously curtail the right to freedom of expression in Bahrain. A 2014 law amending the penal code provides for up to seven years in jail, and a fine, for offending the King, the flag or national emblem," said Mr. Colville. "It is also a crime to offend the National Assembly, the army, courts or government agencies or to develop hostility towards the system of government. These provisions are regularly used to censor and intimidate human rights activists and journalists documenting or raising awareness about abuses." He added that the UN Human Rights Committee, which monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which has been ratified by Bahrain, has made it clear that the mere fact that remarks might be considered insulting to a public figure in Bahrain is not sufficient to justify penalties. "In addition to restrictions on freedom of expression there is also a serious issue regarding the right to freedom of assembly in Bahrain. Gatherings in the capital have been indefinitely banned since 2013, and dozens of people - including minors - who have participated in protests have been prosecuted," the Spokesperson concluded. Bahrain: Stop Deportations of Nationals Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 20 March 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Bahrain: Stop Deportations of Nationals, 20 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efaa934.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. On December 7, 2015, the court of appeal, upholding a decision to strip eight people of their citizenship, ruled that the authorities can exercise their discretion and need not provide "specific means of proof" when revoking the citizenship of nationals who "cause harm to the state" or fail in their "duty of loyalty" to it. "These unlawful deportations are ripping families apart and causing untold suffering," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director. "Bahrain should stop the deportations immediately and restore citizenship to those who have been left stateless, especially when this was done without justification or because they criticised their government." The Bahraini Center for Human Rights told Human Rights Watch that, on the afternoon of March 15, 2016, 54-year-old Ali Esfandeyar became the fourth Bahraini whom authorities have deported since February 21, when they deported Shi'a cleric Mohamed Khojasta. On December 7, 2015, a court of appeal upheld the decision to strip Esfandeyar and seven others of their citizenship a decision that has left at least five of them stateless. Nine others are at risk of deportation after March 22, 2016, if a court of appeal upholds the decision to strip them of their citizenship. The nine were among a group of 31 Bahrainis whose citizenship the authorities revoked on November 6, 2012, claiming that they had caused "damage to security of the state." One of the nine, Taimoor Karimi, a lawyer, received a court summons on August 10, 2014, from the public prosecutor, citing "violations of asylum and immigration law" that include remaining in Bahrain without the residence license that all non-nationals over 16 are required to have. Karimi has four children, the youngest of whom is 14. He told Human Rights Watch that he is concerned that he may have to go to another country, away from his family and with no other nationality. "I am not a young man," he said. "This does not make sense." The others are Sayed Mohamed Ali al-Musawi, Sayed Abd al-Amir al-Musawi, Adnan Kamal, Habib Darwish, Ebrahim Darwish, Ismail Darwish, Maryam Sayed Ebrahim, and Sayed Abd al-Nabi al-Musawi. The court's decision cites a 2014 amendment to article 10 of the Bahraini citizenship law of 1963, which allows for the revocation of citizenship from persons who "caused harm to the interests of the Kingdom or behaved in a way inimical with the duty of loyalty to it." The judgment, which Human Rights Watch has reviewed, states that: It is established that the state has the right to assess what is and is not harmful to its domestic and foreign affairs. It has the discretionary authority to take all measures to ensure its security and safety, and these measures may broaden or narrow in accordance with the circumstances surrounding the state. It is established that the decision to revoke citizenship may be proved by any incident or evidence without a requirement for a specific means of proof. The administrative body possesses broad discretionary authority in this regard that is not subject to judicial review provided its decision is free of the abuse of authority. The court's reasoning effectively grants the authorities full discretion to revoke the citizenship of any Bahraini in the knowledge that the courts will not require them to provide any proof to justify their decision. The decision can be based on vaguely worded offenses such as "damaging state security" or failing in a "duty of loyalty" to the state. Another of those affected by the decision was Masaud Jahromi, 46, who was deported on March 7, 2016. He was among a group of 72 Bahrainis whose citizenship the authorities revoked on January 31, 2015. The Interior Ministry statement announcing the decision stated that those involved had either been involved in "illegal acts" that included a range of terrorist offenses, "spying for foreign countries," "defaming the image of the regime," and "inciting and advocating regime change through illegal means." At the time, Jahromi, who has a 3-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son, was chairman of the Computer Science Department at Ahlia University in Manama. Jahromi told Human Rights Watch that he received a phone call on March 7, 2016, telling him to report to the General Directorate of Nationality, Passport and Residence. He had appealed to the authorities in writing and in person to delay any deportation until June, saying that his wife was in ill-health and that the deportation would have a negative impact on his 12-yearold son's education. The authorities did not respond to his appeal. Instead, they drove him to the airport, gave him a Bahraini passport that identifies him as a Bahraini resident, not a citizen, and placed him on a plane with a passport issued the same day. Jahromi asked Human Rights Watch not to divulge his current whereabouts. But he said that his one-year passport expires on March 7, 2017, and he does not know if he will be able to renew his entrance visa when it expires. He said he has no idea why the authorities decided to revoke his citizenship: "I attended [anti-government] rallies in 2011, but everyone attended rallies in 2011," he said, referring to anti-government protests that the authorities repressed with disproportionate and sometimes lethal force. In 2015, authorities stripped 208 Bahrainis of their citizenship. They can be classified into three broad categories: human rights defenders, political activists, journalists, doctors, and religious scholars; Bahrainis known to be fighting alongside the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in Iraq and Syria; and individuals convicted of domestic terrorism offenses. With regard to the last category, Human Rights Watch has described Bahrain's courts as playing "a key role" in maintaining the country's highly repressive political order" and the Supreme Appellate Court held in September 2012 that terrorism need not involve the use or threat of violence but can be the result of "moral pressure." Article 29 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which Bahrain has ratified, states that "Every person has the right to a nationality, and no citizen shall be deprived of his nationality without a legally valid reason." Article 21 of the Arab Charter states that "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence." There is no Arab Court of Human Rights to interpret the charter and offer guidance on its implementation, but other international human rights bodies have applied a three-part test to determine whether the state's actions violate the right to family life. They have said that decisions must be made in accordance with law, must pursue a legitimate aim, and must be proportionate (and necessary in a democratic society), taking into account the impact of the deportation on the person's family. Although the Bahraini authorities have followed a legal procedure, the court of appeal's reasoning appears to grant the authorities absolute discretion to make decisions without considering the impact on the family life of those affected, no matter how arbitrary or unreasonable. "Bahrain's allies can and should press Manama to end this policy of banishing peaceful dissidents," Stork said. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch 15 political prisoners released, but dozens remain in jail Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 18 March 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, 15 political prisoners released, but dozens remain in jail, 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efac39411.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. We, the undersigned members of the Sport for Rights coalition, express our relief over the release of 15 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Human rights defender Rasul Jafarov, the founder of the Sport for Rights campaign, stepped out from Baku's Prison Number 10 into freedom on 17 March after spending 593 days unjustly jailed. The same day, the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment in Jafarov's case, acknowledging that his arrest and detention were politically motivated. Jafarov was one of 14 political prisoners included in a presidential pardon decree signed on 17 March. The other political prisoners pardoned through that decree included journalists Parviz Hashimli, Hilal Mammadov, and Tofig Yagublu; human rights defenders Taleh Khasmammadov and Anar Mammadli; NIDA civic movement activists Rashadat Akhundov, Mahammad Azizov and Rashad Hasanov; bloggers Siraj Karimli and Omar Mammadov; former government official Akif Muradverdiyev; chairman of the National Statehood party Nemat Penahli; and Musavat party activist Yadigar Sadigov. A further political prisoner, journalist Rauf Mirkadirov, was released on 17 March by the Baku Court of Appeals, which commuted his six-year prison sentence into a suspended five-year sentence. Mirkadirov had been unjustly jailed since April 2014 on politically motivated treason charges. "We are incredibly relieved for those released yesterday, including Rasul Jafarov, who was arrested in August 2014 after launching our campaign to draw attention to human rights abuses taking place in Azerbaijan. But none of these 15 people ever should have been arrested in the first place, and dozens more remain unjustly jailed now, neglected by this pardon decree. They must be released, and this vicious cycle of politically motivated arrests must end", said Rebecca Vincent, coordinator of the Sport for Rights campaign. While the release of these political prisoners was the right step, we note that they never should have spent a single day in jail. Further, dozens of other political prisoners remain in Azerbaijani jails, including journalists Khadija Ismayilova and Seymur Hezi, human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev, youth activist Ilkin Rustemzade, and opposition REAL movement leader Ilgar Mammadov, whose release has been ordered by the European Court of Human Rights. We reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, and for an end to the cycle of politically motivated arrests in Azerbaijan. We urge the international community to continue to press for the release of the remaining political prisoners as a matter of urgent priority, and for further concrete reforms to improve the country's dire human rights situation. Supporting organisations: ARTICLE 19 Civil Rights Defenders Committee to Protect Journalists Freedom Now Front Line Defenders Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Human Rights House Foundation Index on Censorship Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) International Media Support International Partnership for Human Rights NESEHNUTI Netherlands Helsinki Committee Norwegian Helsinki Committee PEN America People in Need Platform Polish Green Network Reporters Without Borders World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) (Photo: https://twitter.com/UlviyyaAli/stat...) The Washington County Sheriffs Department now has a year-round medication drop box in their office for the public to dispose of old medications. Washington County Sheriffs Department Captain Zach Jacobsen said the Foundations for Franklin County Inc. was started by the Franklin County Narcotics Unit. They are an organization that works with prevention and rehabilitation. It was founded by Jason Grellner, who was the commander of the Franklin County Narcotics Unit, said Jacobsen. Washington County got involved with them through the Multi-County Narcotics & Violent Crimes Enforcement Unit. We had signed an agreement to start working with them to do our narcotics and violent crime enforcement. That allowed us to have contact with them and explain our needs. Jacobsen said the Foundations for Franklin County Inc. received a grant to fund the boxes through the Franklin County Childrens and Families Community Resource Board. The Franklin County Narcotics Unit also received some boxes and Washington County received their box from them. He added that in the past they would have to get a Drug Enforcement Agency or DEA number from the DEA to have a drug-take back. Then they would have to have a venue to set it up at. It would have to be publicized to reach out to all these people so they know they could bring their medicine to us and it was only one day, said Jacobsen. Franklin County realized that it doesnt work. What if somebody has something going on that day and they cant get there? So they submitted a grant application and were awarded funds. Jacobsen said the boxes look like a post office box, but they were made specifically for medication drop offs. They are in sheriffs offices, pharmacies and a bunch of other places in Franklin County, said Jacobsen. People can come anytime they want to deposit their medications in a secure location, under camera surveillance and people cant tamper with it. Jacobsen said he talked to the officials in the Multi-County Narcotics & Violent Crimes Enforcement Unit that are assigned to them and explained their problems. I told them we really needed to something like that and a week later we had one, said Jacobsen. Its here Monday through Friday and the (public) can come anytime they want between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to deposit those medications, no questions asked. Jacobsen said after office hours, they can provide the medicine to a deputy. They can call a deputy to their residence and they will come pick up the medications with no questions asked. The only thing we need to know is the address of where to pick it up, said Jacobsen. They can also come to the jail at any time, they will have to utilize outside lobby and they can give it to them. That deputy that is working the jail will bring the stuff up here and throw it in the box. Jacobsen said whenever the box gets full the detectives from Franklin County will pull it out and take it Franklin County. They will deposit it in their bigger box and they will ship it off to an incinerator to have it destroyed. It helps the community and it helps the environment by people not flushing it down the toilet and the kids not getting ahold of it, said Jacobsen. Anything we can do right now to combat the prescription abuse we will. Jacobsen said the sheriffs department getting this drug take-back program year round is a big deal to him because they never had it before. We have boxes of medications in the evidence room filled with pills that we got from people, said Jacobsen. Until this agreement we never had the ability to get rid of them and now we can. Now we have a proactive approach to getting these pills off the streets. Jacobsen said that the Washington County Sheriffs Department will never be the one-man wrecking crew to clean the county up. He added that it takes everybody and he feels that this is an amazing first step in the right direction. I want to emphasize that if you dont have the ability to drive it to the sheriffs office we will come and get it, said Jacobsen. You can call in here, you can request to talk to me and you can talk to any of our deputies and explain the situation and what you have. We will come out there, pick that medicine up for you and bring it in here to dispose of it. Jacobsen said they are patrolling the county anyway so making a stop isnt a big deal. They will get the medicine and he said they can have it bagged up for them. They can remove the labels, but we would like to know what medicine is in the bottle if they know, said Jacobsen. If they remove their name and their contact information off the bottle that is fine. If they can leave the name of it and if they cant, its not a huge issue. Jacobsen said it will all get disposed of the same way. They just need to know what they have for accounting purposes. However, the imprints on the medicine can be looked up and they can find out what it is. Officials manhandle US photographer as she covers Goma street demonstration Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 18 March 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Officials manhandle US photographer as she covers Goma street demonstration, 18 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efac63411.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) condemns US award-winning photojournalist Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi's manhandling by members of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) while she filmed a peaceful street demonstration in Goma, the capital of the eastern province of Nord-Kivu, on 15 March. Four ANR officers used force against Alhindawi as they tried to arrest her but she managed to escape by clinging to a vehicle belonging to the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO. Alhindawi, who works for the magazine Causette and freelances for other media such as CNN, Al Jazeera, National Geographic and The New York Times, was the only journalist covering the march, staged by a group called LUCHA (Struggle for Change). "The fact that Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi, a foreign reporter, was one of the only journalist who dared to cover the LUCHA march is symptomatic of the unease and self-censorship that prevails today in Nord-Kivu province," said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. "We urge the province's authorities to allow journalists to do their work and to freely report what is going on within Congolese civil society." A civil society movement that defines itself as non-violent, non-partisan and peaceful, LUCHA is calling for democratic renewal in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 47 participants in the demonstration marched with their hands tied and their mouths gagged in protest against the systematic gagging of the movement. Nineteen of them were arrested for "disturbing public order" and are still detained. The march was held to mark the anniversary of the arrest of two LUCHA members, Fred Bauma and Yves Makuambala, during a meeting that LUCHA organized in Goma in March 2015 with representatives of similar movements in Burkina Faso ("Balais citoyen") and Senegal ("Y'en a marre"). The authorities portrayed the meeting as "terrorist" in nature, a description that was rejected by a parliamentary committee. Bauma and Makuambala nonetheless continue to be held in Kinshasa on a charge of conspiring against President Joseph Kabila. During a visit last month, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon voiced concern about the restriction of political space in the DRC. The clampdown and other developments are seen as signs that Kabila, who was been president for the past 15 years, may be tempted to indefinitely postpone the presidential election due to be held at the end of this year. The DRC is ranked 150th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2015 World Press Freedom Index. Photo: Charly Kasereka, VOA No free press means no free elections in Kazakhstan Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 19 March 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, No free press means no free elections in Kazakhstan, 19 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56efac9640c.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 campaign for tomorrow's parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan was marked by the lack of an alternative to the ruling party - a lack of pluralism that also characterizes the Kazakh media landscape. The witchhunt against critical media is not letting up in Kazakhstan, which is ranked 160th out of 180 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index. Made paranoid by the economic crisis and the advanced age of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president since independence in 1991, the authorities have been steadily reinforcing their media and information monopoly. "Independent media are indispensible for a democratic debate and, without them, no election is credible," said Johann Bihr, the head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). "We urge the international community to draw the necessary conclusions from this predictable farce. It would be disgraceful if the European Union, in particular, were to ratify its Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Kazakhstan when this country is openly violating its own undertakings." Imprisoned journalists Guzal Baidalinova, the editor of the independent news website Nakanune.kz, has been held for nearly three months in the southern city of Almaty on a trumped-up charge of spreading false news about the Kazkommertsbank. Her lawyer, who says he has not yet been allowed access to her case file, fears that that her provisional detention will be extended when the current period expires on 23 March. A Nakanune.kz reporter, Yulia Kozlova, was meanwhile finally acquitted and released on 29 February after being arrested on a trumped-up drug possession charge last December. Encouraged by the way national media outlets are persecuted, provincial strongmen do not hesitate to silence troublesome journalists either. In the northeastern city of Pavlodar, local newspaper editor Yaroslav Golyshkin's sentence to eight years in prison and confiscation of his property was upheld on appeal on 23 February. Convicted on charges of blackmail and extortion, Golyshkin is one of the scapegoats of a spectacular scandal involving the regional governor's son. The Pavlodar court took two days to reject his appeal, which was heard in his absence. His lawyer is now preparing to appeal to a national court in the hope that it could prove more neutral and less sympathetic to the governor than the local court. Stifled media outlets, controlled Internet The only remaining independent, Kazakh-language national newspaper, the daily Jas Alash, was ordered to pay 40 million tenge (more than 100,000 euros) in libel damages to the director of a clinic on appeal on 4 March. This ruinous damages award, which threatens the newspaper's survival, is a method that has been used systematically against independent media outlets in recent years. In late October, the authorities got the better of the opposition newspaper ADAM, previous versions of which had been published year after year only to be always banned. Tired of this cat-and-mouse game, owner Guljan Yergaliyeva has decided for the time being not to publish any more versions. The Kazakh Internet has long ceased to function as space for free expression. Since 26 January, Internet users and access providers have to get a "national security certificate" from state-owned Kazakhtelecom that gives the authorities direct access to their connection data and allow them to decrypt encrypted traffic. The list of activists who have been given jail terms for their Facebook posts includes Yermek Narymbayev, Serikhan Mambetalin and Bolatbek Bialov. The already fraught climate for the media in Kazakhstan became suffocating after the bloody crackdown on rioting in Zhanaozen in December 2011 and the closure of all the leading national opposition newspapers a year later. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe What you need to know about Powerball and the $580 million jackpot This 2016 stock show season is very significant to Callahan County Extension Agent Jerry Warren. After the final show of the year, Warren will retire from his post. "I am looking to retirement with mixed emotions, since Extension has been a great career," said Warren. When Warren joined Extension in June 1997, he had already had years of agriculture experience under his belt. The Gorman native attended Tarleton State University, before transferring to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville to compete his degree. Upon graduation, his first position was with the Farm Service Agency in Orange. Then he took on the County Director role in Clay County. But, his passion for farming pulled Warren back to his family farm in Gorman, growing peanuts and maintaining a beef herd for 20-plus years. As a producer, Warren worked with the Extension agents and Dr. Chip Lee, Area Plant Pathologist, conducting applied research. During this time, peanut production was shifting west to the lower Panhandle, and Warren was re-evaluating his vocation. "Dr. Lee suggested that I look in Extension, and helped me become a part of the A&M System. I owe him for the opportunity," said Warren. Upton County was his first Extension position. "I really enjoyed the atmosphere of that small west Texas town (Rankin) and the openness of the people," he recalls. The next stop was Terry County. This county was a natural fit for Warren, since his past production experience helped the growing peanut production industry. "The problems that they were having (in the Brownfield area), I had already seen them when I was in production myself," he said. Warren feels that field crops were definitively "his cup of tea" and the plains of Texas offered many opportunities. But, he was tapped by Extension, to relocate to Bexar County, and become an Urban Extension Agent in San Antonio. In September 2010, Extension was redefining several positions, and Warren had the opportunity to return to a rural county Callahan County. "San Antonio had its benefits, but Baird is more enjoyable to be in," he laughs. As Extension Agent in Callahan County, Warren looks back on several accomplishments. Foremost is the creation of the feral hog control program in which he united producers to work together as a organization to curb the damage caused by this pest. The program has teamed with Texas Department of Agriculture, receiving several grants. Warren has also planned and conducted the annual forage seminar with the 2016 event drawing the largest crowd ever. 4-H and youth development has been a major role. Under his leadership a viable show program was conducted for Callahan County 4-H members attending local and all major shows each year. Recently a new 4-H club was created in Cross Plains and boasts growing numbers. Warren was also active in the Texas County Agricultural Agent Association, serving on several committees of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. As Warren reflects over the past, he says that he just wished he had started sooner, since he has enjoyed each and every part of it. Retirement plans are to commute between a home in San Antonio and his farm in Gorman, and some enjoying of his property on Lake Palo Pinto. Warren's retirement date is set for April 1 Incidents reported Sunday by the Abilene Police Department: Burglary of a habitation and evading arrest, 1400 block of Bridge Avenue, Thursday. An officer was dispatched to a burglary call and as he approached the home from the alley, he heard someone exit through the rear door, cross the yard and jump the fence near his position. The man ran despite being told to stop and was soon caught. Stashed near the front door were multiple electronic devices, the man was arrested and taken to Taylor County Jail. Discharge of a firearm, 4300 block of Buffalo Gap Road, Friday. A man shot his firearm in front of a busy south side business, hitting himself in the leg. The investigation continues. Residential strong-arm robbery, 2200 block of Shelton Street., Saturday. A man was home alone when someone knocked on his door. When he answered, at least two men shoved past, pushing him down on the couch and striking him in the face. They then proceeded to search through his kitchen cabinets. When he said he was calling the police, they fled on foot. Theft, 1200 block of North 10th Street, Saturday. A man reported that two women he had allowed to live with him had stolen clothes, prescriptions and other items from the residence when he was not at home. Assault family violence, 600 block of Harwell Street, Saturday. Officer responded to a disturbance call where a woman said she had been punched and bitten by her boyfriend who had left the scene by then. She did have visible bite marks on her arm and foot but didn't want to press charges. The boyfriend then showed up later to retrieve his property and due to the presence of bodily injury, was arrested. In 2008, Barack Obama bent over backward to defuse suspicions from gun owners and their chief lobbying group, the National Rifle Association. 'I believe in the Second Amendment,' he assured one audience. 'I will not take your shotgun away. I will not take your rifle away. I won't take your handgun away.' A lot of good it did him. The NRA ran ads saying he 'would be the most anti-gun president in American history.' Four years later, with that fear unrealized, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre warned that Obama was plotting 'to ensure re-election by lulling gun owners to sleep' so he could then 'erase' the Second Amendment. That, of course, also didn't happen. Back in 2008, running against Obama, Hillary Clinton also tried to make nice with the gun-rights crowd, fondly recalling that she had learned to shoot as a child. But Obama's experience then and since proved there is nothing a Democratic presidential nominee can say or do to appease NRA sympathizers. So Clinton is taking a different approach this time. She's endorsed the gun control measures sought in vain by Obama after the Sandy Hook massacre, including universal background checks. She's slammed Bernie Sanders for supporting legislation passed in 2005 giving firearms manufacturers protection from some lawsuits. Clinton's message to the gun lobby is: Bring it on. That shift is notable particularly because of her husband's experience in the White House challenging the NRA. After winning passage of a federal ban on assault weapons, Bill Clinton saw his party wiped out in the 1994 elections, giving Republicans control of the House for the first time in 40 years. Democrats suffered a net loss of 54 seats; the then-president attributed 20 of those defeats to the gun issue. He also blamed that issue for Al Gore's narrow loss to George W. Bush in 2000. 'I think the NRA had enough votes in New Hampshire, in Arkansas, maybe in Tennessee and in Missouri, to beat us,' Bill Clinton said later. What's changed? Some states with lots of gun owners who once were up for grabs, like Arkansas and Tennessee, now appear out of reach for Democrats. Nationally, public opinion is on Clinton's side: Not only do 89 percent of Americans support universal background checks, so do 87 percent of Republicans and 84 percent of voters in households with guns. On top of that, it's become clear that the NRA will do everything it can to defeat any Democratic nominee. Clinton clearly figures that these days, trying to get along with the NRA won't win her any votes, and challenging it may. Changing demographics also matter. As Ronald Brownstein wrote in The Atlantic, 'Since 2000, Democrats have grown far less dependent on the blue-collar whites who are the most resistant to gun control measures, and have replaced them with growing groups like people of color and college-educated white women more open to the idea.' Clinton also thinks the issue can help fend off her primary opponent, because of his vote on a 2005 bill that substantially protected gunmakers, sellers and trade groups against lawsuits. Most Democrats favor greater regulation of firearms, and she can claim to speak for them better than Sanders does. In their debates, Clinton has used the issue to put him on the defensive. There are risks in her forthright stance. If she gets the nomination, she could turn out gun owners who might otherwise stay home on Election Day, in states where the contest is close. If a Republican is elected, the gun lobby will be able to claim credit. If not, though, the NRA is likely to face a president who is not on its side and has no reason to fear it. Chicago Tribune Today in history: On March 21, 1804, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte sets forth what has become known as the Napoleonic Code, a legal system for his country. It's the first standard of laws since the revolution, addressing property, colonial affairs, family and individual rights. When Napoleon took power in 1800, he faced a challenge of repairing an outdated and complicated system of laws. He presided over three planning sessions. While all male citizens were given the same rights, the rights of women and illegitimate children were greatly reduced. WINTERS Big Country folks are still paying it forward. Back in December, I wrote a column about Doris Haynes and the United Methodist Church in Novice sending a car full of homemade and store-bought snacks to U.S. troops stationed overseas. Haynes said she just wanted to let them know folks back home were thinking about them at Christmas time. Her story resonated with several people, especially Bob Murchison, who is the pastor for First United Methodist Church in Winters. "I just thought if that little church of 12 people can do that, then the community of Winters can certainly match that challenge," Murchison said. "And they have. We have 17 churches in Runnels County and all of them know about the cookie project." On Friday, those churches delivered. About two-dozen airmen from Dyess Air Force Base picked up 281 boxes of homemade cookies to distribute to their deployed comrades overseas for Easter. "This is totally awesome," Haynes said as she watched the airmen load the boxes. "When I started, I would have never guessed that it would have evolved to something like this." With each box containing about 24 cookies, though some had up to 48, the conservatively estimated number easily rounded up to 6,800 total cookies. Somewhere there's a dairy cow attempting a face-palm. It took a few weeks to get it this far. On March 9, a group of 10 children met at First United Methodist to bake a batch in their church's kitchen. Karen Mills, a local kindergarten teacher, coordinated that effort. "When my nephew was overseas he's about nine years older than my daughter my kids and I would make cookies and send them to him. He said those were some of the best things he got," she recalled. "He said he was the most popular guy in the barracks when he got cookies." Her nephew, Tim Loveland, served in the U.S. Army in the Middle East. "We would do that, and we would make him trail mix. We figured out you can fit a 2-gallon bag of trail mix in one of the flat-rate boxes, with a little room for some unshelled pecans on top a packing material," she said. "We would do that about every three months, and he said he would make it la-a-ast." She drew the word out, laughing. Mills used a basic cookie recipe pulled from an old church cookbook, adding different ingredients for different batches. Some were chocolate chip cookies, others had candy pieces mixed in. In one batch they poured a bottle of maraschino cherries into the dough, crushed the fruit up, and the spread the resulting pink goo onto a pan. Nobody was sure if it was going to come out right, it seemed slightly monstrous so they dubbed it "Cook-Zilla." But it still tasted pretty good when done. Sammie Milliner and her mother Lois Jones invited Milliner's 15-year-old neighbor Samantha Huffman over to help them bake on March 14. The Milliners live in Abilene but attend the church in Winters because that's where Jones lives. At 95 years old, she drove up to help with the baking. "We had a failure yesterday. We used the recipe on the Nestle bag and we put two pans in at the same time," Milliner admitted. "The bottom pan didn't cook and the top one was OK but it all ran together." "Except it was just right for me," quipped Wally, her husband. Milliner also turned to her church cookbook, finding a peanut butter cookie recipe and making that instead. For chocolate chip cookies, she enlisted her neighbor's help. "I found a recipe on the Martha Stewart website," said Samantha. Milliner heaped praise on her young neighbor's baking skill, and Samantha self-consciously smiled. "I get it from my father who is an excellent baker," she demurred. There was a little role-reversal as the three of them worked. Milliner and her mother watched closely and followed instructions, even asking a few questions, as Samantha showed them the recipe. The trio had a little over three-dozen cookies when they finished. Jones' late husband Sam served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Originally he had been assigned to the horse-drawn artillery at Fort Sam Houston. He had even ridden Pat, a horse who lived to be 45 years old and who now famously has his own gravesite at the fort. When that enlistment ended, Sam left the Army. "Then when Pearl Harbor happened, he just went right back in," Jones recalled. She didn't remember sending cookie packages to him, though. "They were moving so fast, they couldn't have gotten them anyway. He was one day with Patton, but otherwise he was moving all along," she said. It's different these days. The U.S. Postal Service, partnering with the service branches, efficiently moves letters and packages to military members wherever they are assigned. Murchison, a U.S. Navy veteran, understands the value of gifts like these from home, even if they're from strangers. For Christmas he hopes to organize an even larger cookie airlift operation by enlisting 300 Methodist churches in the region. If that happens, Dyess will need more than two Ford F-150 pickups and a Jeep to haul it off. "I know the kids overseas get pretty lonely over there and kind of feel bad," Murchison said. "I think this will show them that they are loved and they are supported by the people back home." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This just in... China has set lower targets for improving its energy efficiency by the end of 2020 after claiming it made major gains last year. In their annual reports to the National People's Congress (NPC) on March 5, Premier Li Keqiang and his top planning agency cited big advances in energy saving for 2015 and the previous four years. Under the 12th Five-Year Plan starting in 2011, China's energy use per unit of gross domestic product fell 18.2 percent, including a huge 5.6-percent cut last year, the largest in over a decade. Although China's total energy consumption continues to grow, the per-unit-of-GDP "energy intensity" index is seen as a key measure of its campaign to curb waste, carbon emissions, and smog. China has steadily increased its efficiency over the years, but it remains far behind other major economies. In 2011, for example, China's energy intensity was 5.4 times higher than Japan's, according to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) data. Analysts say that China performed especially well last year because of the downturn in the coal-fired heavy industrial sector, where power use fell 1.9 percent. While GDP growth of 6.9 percent was the slowest in 25 years, total energy consumption edged up only 0.9 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said. The big efficiency gain in 2015 boosted China's five-year performance well past the 16-percent target set out in the 12th Five-Year Plan, according to government calculations. Lowered goals Curiously, Premier Li and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) planning agency made no reference to meeting the five-year target in their NPC reports. But the government has apparently responded to its statistical over-achievement by lowering goals for efficiency under the 13th Five-Year Plan, aiming for a 3.4-percent gain this year and a 15-percent improvement by 2020. The reductions follow a pattern set after the government narrowly missed its targeted cut of 20 percent under the 11th Five-Year Plan ending in 2010, despite imposing power brownouts and blackouts on some factories and homes in a desperate attempt to reach the goal. The 15-percent target for the 2016-2020 period reflects tougher challenges in the future to make big efficiency gains without crimping the economy, but also the possibility that the government may have to resume stimulus measures to revive sagging GDP rates. "I think they are being conservative with a 15-percent figure for the 13th Five-Year Plan simply because of the economic uncertainty," said David Fridley, staff scientist for the China Energy Group at the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. After the 5.6-percent improvement in 2015, the government seems likely to have little trouble in lowering energy intensity by 3.4 percent this year unless wasteful infrastructure spending picks up dramatically. Gains questioned The relatively low GDP growth last year raises the question of whether the high efficiency gain was the result of a temporary industrial slump that may be reversed or more significant long-term restructuring. In the pattern of previous five-year periods, efficiency gains have also tended to drop after major goals are achieved. In its report, the NDRC listed annual energy intensity reductions of 4.8 percent in 2014, 3.7 percent in 2013, 3.6 percent in 2012, and 2.0 percent in 2011. But the challenge is more than just a case of percentage points in an arcane index, since efficiency is a leading factor in China's pledges on pollution and climate change. The five-year energy targets are seen as a key to meeting China's commitment to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) intensity by 40-45 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. The government has also promised to reach a peak in energy-related carbon emissions by 2030. At the same time, China is pushing ahead with plans for economic growth, calling for GDP to rise by 6.5 to 7 percent this year in keeping with Communist Party promises to double GDP and per capita income by 2020 compared with 2010. Balancing act Taken together, the economic and environmental goals are both a balancing act and a statistical feat. In his report, Li also targeted an 18-percent cut in CO2 intensity for the next five years in support of the pollution pledges. Last week, the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) gave China high marks for reducing CO2 releases by 1.5 percent in 2015, helping to keep global emissions flat for the second year in a row, according to preliminary reports. The IEA credited China's higher reliance on renewable energy sources, noting that coal provided less than 70 percent of the country's power last year, dropping 10 percentage points since 2011. But the government's apparent reticence with regard to achieving its 2015 efficiency targets may raise doubts about whether it has confidence in the energy intensity results. Some economists have questioned whether the official GDP figures for last year were overstated, considering that energy consumption rose only 0.9 percent. A downward adjustment of the economic figures would alter the intensity index, but the final revisions may take another year to complete. In the meantime, the government has released few supporting statistics for its efficiency calculations. Sketchy data Despite promises to promote transparency, official data has grown increasingly sketchy. Annual work reports, which once teemed with numbers, now omit important details. In February, the NBS reported a 3.7-percent decline in coal consumption last year without a corresponding tonnage figure. But a Reuters report on March 4, citing the NBS, said the decline was 2.2 percent. Last November, The New York Times reported that the agency had been under-reporting annual coal consumption by 17 percent for years. In its report, the NDRC said China produced 3.75 billion metric tons of coal without giving a growth figure. Both production and consumption are believed to have fallen for the second year in a row as power demand waned. Based on formulas that China uses for the energy content of "standard coal," the country may have burned over 3.8 billion tons of raw coal last year. But without better data on coal, which now reportedly provides 64 percent of China's energy, it may be impossible to gauge the accuracy of efficiency or emissions claims. NBS reports on industrial production are frequently inconsistent with previous data, undermining credibility in GDP figures. Provincial estimates have also been adjusted with undisclosed formulas to mesh with national totals. "When you go around and meet state-owned industry people, everybody laughs at the national statistics, so I don't know why foreigners believe them," one analyst recently told The New York Times. Leadership changes Confidence in official data has been further eroded by frequent leadership changes at the NBS. In February, the cabinet-level State Council announced the removal of Wang Baoan from his post as NBS director, one month after he was placed under investigation for "severe disciplinary violation" and after only nine months on the job. On March 4, just before the start of China's annual "two sessions" legislative meetings, the council said Wang, a former vice minister of finance, would be replaced by Ning Jizhe, who also serves as deputy head of the NDRC, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Parents and medical professionals hit out on Monday at a lack of official transparency surrounding the continuing problem of unsafe vaccines as authorities in Shandong said they have "busted" an illegal gang peddling out-of-date vaccines across the country. The Shandong government said on Saturday it had evidence linking some 300 suspects to illegal deals of vaccine sales in 24 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. Among those formally arrested in 21 cases spanning Inner Mongolia, Henan, Hebei and Shandong were a mother surnamed Pang and her daughter, who are being held on suspicion of carrying out illegal vaccine sales worth more than 570 million (U.S.$88 million), official media reported. The cases are likely to further shatter public confidence in the safety of vaccines amid a lack of clear information from the government, medical sources told RFA. "This is a matter of life and death ... but it's not easy to identify these things; we need to know which year they were produced in," a Beijing doctor surnamed Wang said on Monday. "They should make an announcement about this as soon as possible ... so we can locate these items and cut off the supply, so no more people are harmed." She said the government has yet to inform the medical profession which outlets are safe and which may be carrying illegal vaccines. "They didn't tell us the sources of these vaccines; where they were getting them from. There are no details," the doctor said. "It says online that the sales were made with the connivance of salespeople at the pharmaceutical factories." "Vaccines that are past their use-by date are sold off cheap, but they lose their effectiveness, and they can even give rise to side-effects," she said.' A huge profit Pang and the other suspects are believed to have bought 25 kinds of licensed and unlicensed vaccines from more than 100 pharmaceutical salespeople since 2010, state-run China Radio International (CRI) reported. The vaccines were then sold on at a huge profit, police in Shandong's provincial capital Jinan said in a statement. According to CRI: "The quality of the vaccines was questionable as they were not transported in approved conditions. Such vaccines have potential side-effects and can even cause disability or death if they become expired." Shandong-based Sun Hongli, whose child was affected by substandard vaccines, agreed that such practices could be a matter of life and death. "This is murder," Sun said. "[Are we supposed to believe that] the health-care authorities knew nothing about this?" "Of course they knew, because if they didn't, it would have been discovered within six months to a year, but this has been going on for several years now," she said. 'So much grief' Henan-based rights activist Liu Fengqin said she was very angry when she heard the news. "Of course the government is responsible," Liu said. "Vaccines that haven't been correctly refrigerated can be very harmful and can cause great harm to children, who are then unable to live independent lives." "This causes so much grief." Parents and rights activists say the problem of out-of-date or substandard vaccines is endemic in China's health-care system, which has scant provision for independent safety checks. Yu Tong'an, a parent of a child whose health was also damaged by a vaccine product in the southern province of Guangdong, called on Monday for the resignation of Li Bin, head of the Health and Family Planning Commission. "I think that this first requires the resignation of Li Bin, who should take responsibility before the nation," Yu said. "There is no foul language that would adequately express the level of anger I feel about this." "I have no words to express it." Hundreds hurt Last September, the parents of some 360 children in the central Chinese province of Henan said the children had suffered severe health problems and two deaths after being given out-of-date vaccines. And a 2014 investigative report in the China Economic Times said that improperly stored vaccines administered by Shanxi health officials for encephalitis, hepatitis B, and rabies between 2006 and 2008 had killed four children and sickened more than 70 others, with tainted vaccines being used as late as March 2009. However, health officials have frequently said that the children's health problems are unrelated to vaccines. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Pan Jiaqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. Mining operations by a Chinese coal company in northern Laos are causing structural damage to a road and houses in a nearby village, prompting complaints by local residents to central government authorities, sources say. Drilling by the Chinese Boualay Mangkonthong company has opened long fissures in a local highway and damaged power lines, houses, and school buildings in Namngeun village in Luang Namtha provinces Viengphoukha district, one villager told RFAs Lao Service. There are many cracks in the village and along Highway R3, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The company will not come to repair this, and will only bulldoze the surface of the road. We are waiting for the company to fix things, he said. Following complaints to authorities in the Lao capital Vientiane, officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport came to inspect damage to the village and the highway, noting several houses in imminent danger of collapse, the source said. Cracks as long as 300 meters (984 feet) were also found running along the road, he said. Disaster zone A Feb. 2 report by the ministrys department of roads and bridges has now identified a 5-km (3.107 mile) stretch of highway through the mining area as a potential disaster zone, sources say. The report also charges the mining firm, which has operated in the area since 2014 with a capital investment of U.S. $5 million, with responsibility to fix the road, though no mention is made of repairs to villagers homes. No new mine will be allowed to open in the area until the old one is closed, according to the report. Calls by RFA seeking comment from senior officials of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport in Luang Namtha and in Vientiane rang unanswered or were not returned. Extraction operations by Chinese and Lao copper mining companies have already damaged areas of northern Laos Oudomxay province, polluting water sources, destroying forests, and causing dangerous levels of soil subsidence, sources told RFA in earlier reports. Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh. Written in English by Richard Finney. This picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency shows that country's rocket launch of the earth observation satellite Kwangmyong 4 at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Feb. 7. 2016. North Korea has continued to prod the United States and its allies, launching projectiles into the ocean on Monday as Pyongyang appeared to express anger over U.S.-South Korean military training exercises and deepening U.N. sanctions. On Monday, North Korea fired five projectiles into the South China Sea, the South Korean military said. It is unclear if they were artillery shells or missiles, but they were fired from the northeastern city of Hamhung and flew about 125 miles. "Our military is keeping close tabs on the situation and standing by with a heightened defense posture," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement carried by that countrys Yonhap News agency. On Friday, North Korea fired a pair of medium-range missile into the Sea of Japan, marking the first time the country fired a medium-range missile since early 2014. The missile was believed to be a test of re-entry technology necessary for a long-range nuclear missile. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missiles flew 500 miles before crashing into the ocean. The country has also fired several short-range projectiles from its east coast since the U.N. imposed broad new sanctions after the country exploded a nuclear device and fired a long-range missile earlier this year. South Korea and the U.S. are conducting what South Korea's defense ministry called the largest ever joint military maneuvers, involving 300,000 South Korean troops and at least 17,000 from the U.S. Small detachments of forces from Australia and New Zealand also participated in Saturday's operations. The allies view the exercises as way to deter the North from military provocations. "At the end of the day, we sincerely believe peace through strength, and it is in the strength of our alliance that we believe can deter and avoid war," said Brig. Gen. John Jansen, the commander of the U.S. 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, according to Yonhap. Seoul and Washington were scheduled for talks Monday on implementing new sanctions on North Korea imposed on the North over its nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch last month. Pyongyang has repeatedly issued nuclear strike threats against both Seoul and Washington. The U.S. special representative for North Korean policy, Sung Kim, who is in Seoul, said Monday that North Korea "should refrain from all provocative actions, including missile tests, which are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions," the Associated Press reported. Pyongyang views the exercises as prelude to invasion. On Sunday, North Korean state TV broadcast photos of leader Kim Jong Un supervising landing and defensive drills, AP reported. The photos showed artillery blazing, navy ships landing as shells fell nearby, and soldiers running with the national flag. North Korea has a history of photo manipulation and there was no way to verify the authenticity of the photos. In a statement on Saturday attributed to its military, North Korea accused the U.S. and South Korea of holding the landing drill as part of an operation to advance into Pyongyang. Other North Korean media reports have referred angrily to an invasion they allege Washington and Seoul are planning against its regime. The revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK holding tightly the arms to annihilate the enemies with towering hatred for them are waiting for the dignified Supreme Command to issue an order to launch a preemptive strike of justice, it said in comments carried by the state KCNA news agency. Myanmar President-elect Htin Kyaw (R), his wife and lawmaker Su Su Lwin (C), and lawmaker Myo Aung (L) leave the parliament building in Naypyidaw, March 21, 2016. Myanmars parliament on Monday approved a proposal by the incoming government to reduce the number of ministries in the nations bloated bureaucracy in a move that will save more than U.S. $4 million over the next years. Lawmakers voted 611-3 in favor of the motion that cut the number of government ministries to 21 from 36 as well as trimmed the number of government ministers to 18, according to media reports. President-elect Htin Kyaw, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party will officially take over the government on April 1, told lawmakers that the savings would be directed to services that would help the developing countrys citizens during his five-year term. The country will save about 5 billion kyats [U.S. $4.13 million] from the reduced [number of] ministries and ministers, he said. We can use this budget for people in need to make their lives better, such as using it for health care, education and rural development. Htin Kyaw will submit a list of nominated ministers to parliament on Tuesday, while military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing will nominate leaders for the ministries of defense, home affairs and border affairs, which are controlled by the Tatmadaw, or government armed forces. Htin Kyaw, a close aide to NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi and who will run the government as her proxy, also emphasized to lawmakers the importance of the new ethnic affairs ministrythe only new portfolio added to the governments lineup of ministriesin repairing relations with the countrys various ethnic minority groups, some of whom continue to be involved in armed hostilities with the Myanmar army. Aung San Suu Kyi, who is prohibited from becoming president because she has foreign-born relatives, will remain head of the NLD and not likely assume a formal position in the new government, according to local media reports. Nevertheless, she has made ethnic unity and national reconciliation a government priority to end Myanmar's half-century of civil wars. The Rohingya question Tens of thousands of citizens have been displaced by conflicts between armed ethnic groups and the government military mainly in northern Myanmars Kachin and Shan states, while more than 100,000 Rohingya Muslims remain in camps in western Rakhine state where they have been forced to live following communal violence with ethnic Buddhists in 2012. The Rohingyas face discrimination from the government which sees them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even though many have lived in the country for generations. The government has denied them citizenship, restricted their movements, and disenfranchised them during the national elections last November, which the NLD swept. The United Nations estimated on Monday that about 25,000 Rohingya have left camps in Rakhine and returned to their home communities where they have rebuilt houses, Reuters reported. Vivian Tan, spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) told Reuters that some Rohingyas began moving out of the camps a year ago under a process led by the Myanmar government, and the number of camps for displaced people in Rakhine had fallen to 40 from 67. Roughly 120,000 other Rohingyas continue to live in the squalid camps, while thousands of others have risked their lives at sea over the last few years to flee persecution in the Buddhist-dominated nation. Human rights groups have criticized Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD for remaining silent on the Rohingya issue and not standing up for them. Volker Turk, the UNHCRs assistant high commissioner for protection, told the media following an event on refugees on Monday in Bangkok that the international community viewed the situation in Rakhine as complicated, and he hoped that the NLD would find a way to address it, Agence France-Presse reported. Both the U.N. and European Union indicated that hope that conditions would improve for the Rohingya under the NLD-led government had contributed to the decline in the number fleeing to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, the online journal The Irrawaddy reported. Enemies of the state Ba Shein, a lawmaker who represents the coastal Kyaukphyu constituency in Rakhine told AFP that he does not believe the new ethnic affairs ministry can resolve Rakhine states communal rifts. The ministry of ethnic affairs is concerned with Myanmar ethnics, he was quoted as saying. Bengali people are not one of our ethnic groups. Such sentiments prompted Cardinal Maung Bo, the countrys first Roman Catholic cardinal who has pledged to work towards peace and reconciliation between Myanmars Buddhists and Muslims, to brand those who discriminate against others on the basis of race as foes of the nation. Those who practice racial discrimination are enemies of the state, not the ones who build the state, he said Monday. It is important to take action against such people. We have to have justice first, then peace. Only peace can bring development. Reported by Win Naung Toe and Kyaw Tun Naing for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Buddhist monks line up in Bylakuppe, India, to cast their votes for a Tibetan government-in-exile, March 20, 2016. Tibets diaspora chose a new political leader on Sunday as tens of thousands cast ballots for a government-in-exile. The Tibet Sun and Phayul.com reported on Monday that incumbent Lobsang Sangay has a substantial lead over parliamentary speaker Penpa Tsering in the race for Sikyong, or the top leader of the government-in-exile. The official election results are scheduled to be released on April 27. The Sikyong is responsible for political and diplomatic decisions for the Dharamsala, India-based government-in-exile known as the Central Tibetan Administration. Sangays re-election comes at a critical time for Tibetans as the 80-year-old Dalai Lama scales back his involvement in the administration. In 2011, he announced that he was handing over his political authority to a democratically elected government. The election also comes at a critical time for the relationship Tibet has with China. Beijing has ruled Tibet directly ever since Chinese troops marched into the formerly self-governing Himalayan region in 1950. The election for Sikyong has been, for some people at least, an exercise in frustration, said Elliot Sperling, professor emeritus of Tibetan Studies at Indiana University. In the end, the Tibetan voting public has been left with two candidates who differ little, if at all, on their overall positions: they support Tibet being a part of China and have little concrete to say about actually dealing with China. Middle Way Approach The Dalai Lama fled Tibet and went into exile in India in the midst of a failed national uprising in 1959, and he is reviled by Chinese leaders as a dangerous separatist who seeks to split Tibetan areas from Beijings rule. In what he calls a Middle Way Approach, though, the Dalai Lama himself says that he seeks only a meaningful autonomy for Tibet as a part of China, with protections for the regions language, religion, and culture. With both Sikyong candidates backing the Middle Way, the election for the 45 seats in the parliament, or chitue, may better reflect the split among Tibetans over their relationship with Beijing. Some voters are turning to the chitue as a place in which at least some candidates are standing against the idea of legitimizing the incorporation of Tibet into the Peoples Republic of China, Sperling said. These campaigns have received less attention, so it will be interesting to see how they turn out. In interviews on Sunday, Tibetan voters expressed enthusiasm about the election. Firstly, I consider the selection and election of the Tibetan Sikyong to be very important, one voter in Bylakuppe, India, told RFAs Tibetan Service. Secondly, I consider it important to elect good people as members of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile. Said a female voter: The objective for which I have come here today is to hope a woman could stand in the election, so I cast my vote for a woman candidate [for parliament], hoping it will encourage as many women to run as possible. Policy or personality While the independence question forms a powerful undercurrent to the policy debates in the exile community, the 2016 elections focused more on personality than policy, said Robbie Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University. The election process this time has increasingly come down to conflicts over personality and character, said Barnett. I think this is a legacy of the long debate over the middle way and independence, deeply emotive topics which have tended to divert energy and attention from the everyday issues of political reform, development, education and so on. The election may have problems, but that hasnt stopped thousands from going to the various polling places where exile Tibetans congregate all over the world. On the positive side, this election has shown that any leader, even if he or she has impressive credentials or an important title, can and must be assessed on the basis of their record, Barnett explained. After this people will ask harder questions of future candidates, and will discuss the details of each candidate's words, practical achievements, and policies. Or as one voter put it: To vote today is an individual right. That right should be exercised. It is important to elect a good man. I have chosen that good man. Reported by RFA's Tibetan Service. With additional reporting by Brooks Boliek and Richard Finney. Translated by Benpa Topgyal. Written in English by Brooks Boliek. MINSK -- Belarusian businessman Yury Chyzh has been charged with large-scale tax evasion. Belarusian KGB spokesman, Dzmitry Pabyarzhyn, said on March 21 that Chyzh will remain in KGB custody while investigations into his case are under way. Chyzh was detained on March 11. He had been a close adviser to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka since the 1990s but had reportedly fallen out of favor in recent months. If convicted, Chyzh faces up to seven years in prison. In 2012, Chyzh, the owner of the Belarusian firm Triple, was included on a list of European Union sanctions imposed on Belarusian individuals and companies in response to the country's human rights violations. The EU ended five years of sanctions against Belarus and Lukashenka in February, citing improving human rights. With reporting by Belapan The verdict and sentence in the case of Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko comes down on March 21-22. So what happens next? On this week's Power Vertical Briefing, we look at the fallout from the Savchenko case as it is expected to play out this week. Joining me are Senior RFE/RL editor Steve Gutterman and Pavel Butorin, managing editor of RFE/RL's Russian language television program Current Time. Also on The Briefing, we look ahead to visits to Moscow by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Enjoy... NOTE: The Power Vertical Briefing is a short look ahead to the stories expected to make news in Russia in the coming week. It is hosted by Brian Whitmore, author of The Power Vertical blog, and appears every Monday. A leader of the ethnic Lezgin community in Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan has been found dead with numerous stab wounds. Russian media reports quoted Daghestani law enforcement officials on March 21 as saying that Nazim Gadzhiyev -- the leader of the Lezgin national movement Sadval (Unity) -- was found dead in his apartment in the regional capital, Makhachkala. Nearly a year ago, on March 24, 2015, an activist with the movement, Ruslan Magomedragimov, was also killed in Daghestan. Nobody has been held responsible for the killing yet. The Sadval movement was established in 1990 to promote the idea of unifying the Lezgin people living in Daghestan and neighboring Azerbaijan. Based on reporting by RIA and Regnum PRISTINA -- Kosovar Prime Minister Isa Mustafa has confirmed that his own brother was among a wave of migrants who illegally crossed into the European Union in 2015 -- and that his brother's asylum application in Germany ultimately was rejected. The revelation, first reported by an online news portal called Insajderi.com, has been an embarrassment for Mustafa. In February 2015, he had marked Kosovos seventh anniversary of independence from Serbia by urging citizens not to join the exodus and telling parliament that "people have no reason to leave Kosovo" -- despite crippling unemployment, poverty, corruption, and organized crime. Speaking to RFE/RL's Kosovo Unit on March 21, Mustafa said he only learned after the fact that his brother Ragip Mustafa had sought asylum in Germany's southwestern Rheinland Pfalz state for "personal and medical needs." The application was filed on June 24, just days before Kosovo's prime minister was received by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on an official visit to Berlin. After the prime minister's brother was refused asylum by Germany, he traveled to Tirana, where he underwent surgery for throat cancer. "He has been suffering for a long time now from a severe illness, for which he was not able to find treatment here [in Kosovo]," Mustafa said. "He never mentioned this issue with his family -- that he was planning to seek asylum and, through it, seek treatment." "I felt bad when I heard that," Mustafa continued. "But he has shared the destiny of many of our citizens who -- for social reasons, unemployment, or even hope for solving their problems -- have chosen that way of dealing with it." The number of Kosovars applying for asylum in the EU began to rocket during the last four months of 2014 after an inconclusive election in June of that year caused a six-month delay before Mustafa's coalition government took office in December. Migration experts say a main cause of the exodus from Kosovo appears to have been a unemployment rate of 35 percent during 2014 and an unemployment rate of 61 percent for young people aged 15 to 24. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says the number of Kosovar asylum applicants in Hungary -- the main entry point into the EU along the so-called Balkan migration route -- was only in the hundreds during the first eight months of 2014. But during the last four months of 2014, there were more than 21,000 Kosovar asylum applicants. The mass exodus continued to escalate through March 2015 until Serbia and Hungary, under pressure from the EU to stem the flow, began to impose tighter security along crossing points used by human smugglers. By then, another 30,000 Kosovo citizens had made their way into the EU to file for asylum -- either on their own or with assistance of paid human traffickers who helped them sneak from Serbia into Hungary. Ironically, their journey to the Hungarian border was made easier by the fact that Belgrade in 2012, at the urging of the EU, relaxed its visa rules and allowed Kosovars to travel through Serbia legally with Kosovo-issued documents. Previously, Belgrade had rejected those documents because it has never recognized its former southern province as an independent country. Altogether, about 70,000 Kosovars have applied for asylum in the EU over the past two years. That makes Kosovo the fourth-largest asylum seeking nation after Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In his interview with RFE/RL on March 21, Mustafa confirmed that other members of his extended family -- nieces and nephews -- also were among those who traveled illegally into the EU during the past two years to seek asylum. Like almost all of the 70,000 Kosovars who have applied for asylum in the EU during the past two years, their applications were rejected. That's because migrants from Kosovo cannot claim they are fleeing a war and have a more difficult time than refugees from Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan, who can show that they are fleeing persecution. "There were others from my broad family who were, at the time, deceived [by human traffickers]. They took that path hoping for something better out there," Mustafa said. "Luckily, everybody is returning and we are trying to work on advancing the health-care system so people find medical treatment in our country." Mustafa said his government is working hard to bolster economic growth and attract foreign investment, so that jobs can be created for Kosovar citizens. He said his government also is working "on strengthening the rule of law, so we can fulfill the visa-liberalization criteria [with the EU] and make it possible for those with certain needs to be able to travel to the EU and return to Kosovo without using illegal routes." As to the eyebrows that have been raised in Kosovo by the revelation that his own family members have sought asylum in the European Union, Mustafa said it is up to the public to decide "whether an issue of a sick man is to be an issue" for the whole country. With reporting by RFE/RL's Kosovo Unit ON MY MIND Since you're a Russia-watcher, I thought you might be interested in the latest product of The Power Vertical franchise. The Morning Vertical is a daily newsletter that provides short commentary (in this space), a quick rundown of the news, and a digest of analytical pieces about Russia that are sparking debate. It will also include a link to the Power Vertical's daily video primer, The Daily Vertical. The Morning Vertical is delivered to your inbox every Monday-Friday (except public holidays, when I am on vacation, or on work-related travel) at 7:30 AM, East Coast time in the UNited States. If you don't want to receive it, just click unsubscribe -- andmy apologies. If you want to continue receiving The Morning Vertical, I hope you enjoy it. IN THE NEWS Initial indications are that a court in the southern region of Rostov will find Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko guilty of the killing of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Russian news agencies are reporting. The verdict is scheduled to be read out on March 21-22. Prosecutors are asking for a 23-year prison sentence. Four more Russian athletes have tested positive for meldonium. A group of local lawmakers in St. Petersburg are calling on Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to fire Russia's controversial Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky. It's also a big week diplomatically in Moscow with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visiting the Russian capital on March 23-24 for talks on Syria and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier arriving for talks on implementing the Minsk cease-fire in eastern Ukraine. WHAT I'M READING Moscow's Divide-And-Rule Tactics Chatham House releases a new report today, "Russias New Tools for Confronting the West - Continuity and Innovation in Moscows Exercise of Power." The author, Keir Giles, argues that Russia's allegedly new "hybrid-war" strategy is actually a revival of traditional Soviet doctrine. "Today, as in the past, Western planners and policy-makers must consider and plan not only for the potential threat of military attack by Russia, but also for the actual threat of Moscows ongoing subversion, destabilization and active measures,'" Giles writes. In the same vein, Sijbren de Jong of the Institute for European Studies published a policy brief last week, "Confuse, Divide, And Rule - How Russia Drives Europe Apart." Columnist Natalie Nougayrede has an strong piece in The Guardian on Vladimir Putin's long game against the West. "Putin calculates that the ultimate geopolitical prize will come not in the Middle East but in Europe. That is where Russias historical obsessions truly lie. Reacting to that reality may well be the next struggle for the continent," she wrote. Russia's Game In Syria Is Russia really withdrawing from Syria? A growing number of analysts are saying no. Dmitry Gorenburg and MIchael Koffman have a post on the excellent blog, War On The Rocks, that argues that the alleged pullout "constitutes a political reframing of Russias intervention in order to normalize Moscows military presence in Syria, and make it permanent, while convincing Russians at home that the campaign is over." They add that "'the 'withdrawal' announcement is not about how Russia leaves, but about how it stays in Syria." Kommersant Vlast has an in-depth reconstruction on Russia's Syria operation. The report claims that Russia found Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria inadequate and mostly coordinated with Hezbollah against anti-Assad forces. Elves Vs. Trolls Michael Weiss has an report out of Lithuania in The Daily Beast about the country's cyber warriors, who battle Russia's Internet trolls. And yes, they really do call themselves "elves." Iranian factory workers and shopkeepers went on strike on October 22 as nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for "improperly" wearing a head scarf entered a sixth week, activists said. The death of 22-year-old Amini has fueled the biggest protests seen in the Islamic republic in years. Young women have led the charge, removing their head scarves, chanting anti-government slogans, and confronting the security forces on the streets, despite a crackdown that rights groups say has killed at least 215 people, including 27 children. Activists issued a call for fresh demonstrations as the Iranian working week got under way on October 22, but it was difficult to immediately assess the turnout due to curbs on Internet access. "On Saturday... We will be together for freedom," activist Atena Daemi said in a Twitter post that bore an image of a bare-headed woman with her fist raised in the air. The 1500tasvir social media channel said that there were "strikes in a couple of cities including Sanandaj, Bukan, and Saqez" but added that it was difficult to see evidence of them online as "the internet connection is too slow." Saqez, in the western province of Kurdistan, is Amini's home town, where angry protests broke out at her burial last month, sparking the nationwide demonstrations. The Norway-based Hengaw rights group also said that shopkeepers were on strike in Bukan, Sanandaj, Saqez, and Marivan. At Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, dozens of students were seen in a video tweeted by 1500tasvir clapping and chanting during a protest on October 22. Dozens of workers were seen gathering outside the Aidin chocolate factory in Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province, in other footage it shared. The videos have not been independently verified. People were also gathering abroad for rallies in solidarity with the Iranian protest movement. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Berlin to show support. Iranian activist Hamed Esmaeilion -- whose wife and daughter were killed when a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down near Tehran in 2020 --is expected to be the main speaker in the German capital. An online petition promoted by Esmaeilion asking the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations to expel the Islamic republic's diplomats has so far garnered nearly 657,000 signatures. In Tokyo, demonstrators held up portraits of Amini and others who have been killed in the crackdown, as well as a banner bearing the protest slogan, "Women, life, freedom." A teachers' union in Iran has called for a nationwide strike on October 23 and 24. The Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates said the "sit-in" would be in response to "systematic oppression" by the security forces at schools. The council identified in a statement four teenagers who had been killed in the crackdown -- Nika Shahkarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh, Abolfazl Adinezadeh, and Asra Panahi -- and said a large number of teachers had been arrested without charge. "Iran's teachers do not tolerate these atrocities and tyranny and proclaims that we are for the people, and these bullets and pellets you shoot at the people target our lives and souls," it said. Meanwhile Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran, stressed in a speech on October 20 to the protesters that there is a need to form a "pluralist provisional government" for the transition from Iran's Islamic republic. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian accused the United States of supporting the protests in an effort to win concessions in talks aimed at restarting the nuclear 2015 agreement. "The Americans continue to exchange messages with us, but they are trying to fan the flames of what has been going on inside Iran in recent days," Amir-Abdollahian said during a visit to Armenia. U.S. officials have dismissed Tehrans accusations that the weeks-long mass protests in Iran have been orchestrated by the United States or Israel With reporting by AFP and dpa Police in Pakistans port city of Karachi say a security guard has shot dead an 11-year-old boy who was wearing a "monster mask." They said the boy sneaked up on the guard in an attempt to scare him in Ferozabad area late on March 20, and the guard responded by opening fire. The boy was taken to hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The guard has been taken into custody. The initial investigation suggests that the guard was panicked and shot the boy. The boy's family and local residents staged a protest over the shooting. Reports say Karachi has thousands of private security guards, many of whom are poorly paid and have not received proper training. Based on reporting by Dawn, The Express Tribune, and the BBC The worldwide association of writers, PEN International, has called for jailed poets around the world to be released, including prominent Kazakh poet Aron Atabek. In a statement on March 21, which is marked as World Poetry Day, the London-based PEN International called on its members, supporters, and poetry centers of the world to send appeals to Kazakh authorities demanding Atabek be freed. Similar calls were made regarding jailed Eritrean poet Amanuel Asrat, Chinese poet Liu Xia, and the Saudi Arabian-born Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh. Atabek, 63, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2007 after being convicted of helping organize protests that resulted in the death of a police officer. Atabek has maintained his innocence, saying his imprisonment is politically motivated. He rejected a 2012 government pardon offer that would have required him to admit guilt. The results of Kazakhstan's lackluster parliamentary elections are in and they show that three parties will have seats in the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament. The ruling Nur-Otan party took nearly 81 percent of the vote; Ak Zhol, 7.47 percent; and the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan, 7.19 percent. Wait a minute. My mistake. I am so sorry. Those are the results from the 2012 parliamentary elections. The results of the March 20, 2016, parliamentary elections show, too, that three parties will have seats in the Mazhilis. Nur-Otan got 82.15 percent of the vote; Ak Zhol, 7.18 percent; and the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan took 7.14 percent. Not sure how I could have confused the two polls. But no biggie -- after spending the equivalent of some $10.7 million preparing for these latest elections, which authorities said were critical for Kazakhstan to combat the effects of the country's worst economic downturn in some 20 years, the composition of parliament is essentially the same as that of the previous Mazhilis. Officially, 77.1 percent of voters cast ballots in the March 20 poll, though reports and photographs from polling stations around Kazakhstan seemed to indicate little interest on the part of the electorate. The Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) provided its preliminary assessment on March 21, which cited an absence of real political choice for voters and an absence of diversity. While ODIHR monitors did notice some progress, the preliminary assessment said: "It is clear that Kazakhstan still has a long way to go towards fulfilling its election commitments." And remember, Kazakhstan held the OSCE rotating chairmanship in 2010. 'Friendly' Observers Six parties competed in the Mazhilis elections, of which only the the Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP) could be said to be a genuine opposition party. The OSDP received 1.18 percent of the vote. The usual group of monitors from "friendly" countries and organizations were present also and they turned in their typical glowing assessments on March 21. Yevgeny Serebrennikov was a member of the election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States. Serebrennikov, who is also the first deputy chairman of the defense and security committee of Russia's Federation Council, said: "The preparations and the organization of these elections can be practically called a model for the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States." The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which groups Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, also sent election monitors. The head of the SCO monitoring mission, Aziz Nasirov, said: "The elections were open, free and democratic," adding that "no violations of the electoral legislation were registered." The justification for conducting early parliamentary elections was the need for parliamentarians with a fresh five-year mandate to confront the challenges the country faces. Kazakhstan is dependent on oil exports for the bulk of the state's revenue and, as the price of oil has dropped on world markets, Kazakhstan's once bright future has clouded as well. The country's currency -- the tenge -- has dropped in value from 182 tenge to $1 in July 2015, to about 345 tenge to $1 just ahead of Mazhilis elections. Kazakhstan's government spent nearly a half billion dollars in February to keep the rate up amidst rising discontent from a population that had grown accustomed to improving standards of living over the previous decade. The Economist Intelligence Unit is forecasting that Kazakhstan will enter recession this year for the first time since 1998. And the result of the early Mazhilis elections served merely to preserve the composition of the previous parliament that was deemed ill-suited to bring the country out of crisis. With contributions from RFE/RL's Kazakh Service On Friday, March 18, around 7 p.m., my colleague was waiting in her apartment in downtown Moscow for a delivery from a nearby grocery store. When her doorbell rang she opened the door. But instead of groceries, there were two men claiming to be from NTV, a Kremlin-controlled television channel, who assailed her with aggressive questions about her income and alleged property holdings. When she refused to give them an interview, one of the men told her: "I got an assignment to ask you these questions!" On Sunday, March 13, the Rossiya 1 TV channel devoted 7 minutes of its prime-time show to RFE/RL. According to them, RFE/RL is a primary tool of U.S. propaganda; it is the "headquarters of a new cold war," and it is the "drafting center for soldiers of that war." The assignment seems to have also been issued in Kazan, where Russian ultranationalists created a special group on Facebook to monitor RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service postings, accusing us of being a U.S. tool to break up "Greater Russia." I anticipate that Russian state-controlled media, ultranationalists, and others who seek to control the Russian people will continue feeling as though they have these assignments to lie and harass. But what they have not anticipated is that more such assignments bring more audiences to RFE/RL. Our Russian-language service increased its audience by 42 percent in December 2015 compared to December 2014. RFE/RL Russian-language sites attracted 170 million visits last year; and in the last year, in Russia alone, we registered more than 23 million engaged users on Facebook. But Russia is not the only country that threatens RFE/RL journalists or seeks to suppress our work. In Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan our journalists are in prison; in Pakistan they have been kidnapped. In Afghanistan we received death threats from the Taliban; in Central Asia from Islamists. My colleagues from Crimea had to leave the peninsula. Our camera equipment was taken from us in several countries. RFE/RL websites are blocked in Chechnya and Tajikistan. Our family members and relatives have been harassed across the countries of our broadcasting region. Many in power are seeking more control over their citizens. But the more control they seize, the more their people seek out alternatives. Last year RFE/RL's digital entities received more than 430 million visits (70 million more than a year prior), and more than 115 million Facebook users communicated with RFE/RL (double the amount in 2014)! And this does not even include audiences on radio, TV, newspapers, YouTube, VKontakte, Twitter, WhatsApp, and the many other platforms where audiences seek out our original reporting on the economy, corruption, wars, extremist recruiting, migrant issues, local electoral practices, and human rights. If RFE/RL was not having success, rulers likely would not be taking these steps against RFE/RL, or at least not to the extent that they are doing lately. These attacks confirm the success of RFE/RL in carrying out its mission. The more bans and criticism we get, the better we are. Letting The Audience Decide We set the record straight; we do not kowtow to tyrants, and for that audiences trust us. This is why Kyrgyzstan's prime minister suggested that his ministers communicate with Kyrgyz citizens through RFE/RL; this is why Afghan officials are continuously grateful for our reporting; this is why Moldovan officials want more of our programs; this is why every week more than 26 million people across the world consume our reporting. RFE/RL does not take sides. We are not in the business of convincing, but rather our assignment is to inform. We do not have a license to lie, to harass, to label -- and we do not send reporters on such assignments. We will never send men to harass someone in her apartment late at night. That type of assignment is deplorable. It is not our mission to change power structures in Russia or anywhere else. Our job is to offer audiences in Russia the truth -- for example, the fact that these attacks on RFE/RL are just one part of a massive intimidation campaign. One by one, the voices of academics, scientists, minorities, migrants, activists, parents, teachers -- in other words, the voices that contribute to healthy social dialogue in all functioning democracies -- are being silenced, often brutally. Our job is inform audiences that RT (formerly Russia Today), for example, operates freely in Western countries but RFE/RL and other international media organizations are unable to deliver content on popular platforms in Russia. We had 36 FM affiliates in Russia when Putin came to power and today we have none. No chance to get on cable TV. Sometimes, we are blocked by law, sometimes by arbitrary enforcement of regulations, sometimes by intimidation of media outlets that would wish to air our content. The ban on our content on popular platforms shows that what we are doing matters and rulers know this. Our job is, as well, to inform audiences about a new wave of Russian dissidents who are dissatisfied with this crackdown on freedom of expression. It is up to Russians to decide whether they like it or not; and whether they want diversity and pluralism, or a society with only one voice in the room -- that of Vladimir Putin. We are there to show a possible choice to the audience; it is their decision to make that choice. Nenad Pejic is RFE/RL's editor in chief A Russian prosecutor has asked a court in the western city of Belgorod to sentence a hospital doctor to 10 1/2 years in prison for punching a patient to death. The prosecutor also requested on March 21 that Ilya Zelendinov be banned from practicing for three years after his release from jail. The incident, which took place on December 29, turned into a high profile case after security-camera footage appeared on YouTube and was aired on national television. In the video, Zelendinov drags the patient, Yevgeny Vakhtin, from the examination table, pushes him out of the doorway, and when Vakhtin returns, throws a single blow to his face. Vakhtin falls backwards onto the floor and dies instantly. Zelendinov then continues to scuffle with another man accompanying Vakhtin. WATCH: A Russian Doctor Hits A Patient In Belgorod Zelendinov and the hospital's head doctor, Vladimir Lutsenko, were fired over the incident, and Zelendinov was detained by authorities. The case comes amid reports of other abuses by medical staff in Russia during the past year. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax The head of Russia's Security Council says Ukrainian nationalism and economic pressures could destabilize the security situation on the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine two years ago. "This is mainly connected with political challenges and economic pressure from our Western opponents," Nikolai Patrushev said in the Crimean city of Yalta on March 21. Patrushev said Kyiv could seek to destabilize the peninsula by using the "nationalism factor." He added that extremists, nationalists, and paramilitary groups were forming on the Ukrainian mainland near Crimea. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the seizure of Crimea as a long-awaited moment of "historic justice." Crimea's annexation via a referendum in March 2014 was widely seen as illegitimate by the international community and followed a military takeover of the Black Sea peninsula. Based on reporting by dpa, Interfax, and TASS A lawyer for Nadia Savchenko said the jailed Ukrainian military pilot will reject any verdict in her high-profile murder trial, as a Russian judge began delivering the decision. Prosecutors want Savchenko sentenced to 23 years in prison on charges of complicity to murder over the deaths of two Russian journalists in war-torn eastern Ukraine, in a trial widely denounced by the defiant pilot, her countrys government, and the West as politically motivated. "She is not interested in the verdict. She believes that it has nothing to do with justice," Nikolai Polozov told journalists outside the courtroom in the small southern Russian city of Donetsk, near the Ukrainian border, where the judge began reading the verdict on March 21. The ruling will not be official until the judge finishes reading his conclusions, which is expected later on March 21 or on March 22. But Judge Leonid Stepanenkos words pointed to a guilty verdict. He told the courtroom that Savchenko, 34, had "deliberately inflicted death on two persons, acting by prior conspiracy, and on the motives of hatred and enmity." The judge also accused her of being part of a "criminal group" and of aiming to kill an "unlimited number of people." Russian news agencies treated the statements as a formal guilty verdict, and Savchenko's lawyers suggested the outcome was a foregone conclusion. "The verdict against Savchenko will be a guilty one. They will give her a lengthy term," Mark Feigin, one of the lawyers defending Savchenko, wrote on Twitter. The pilot, who is considered a hero in her home country, is accused by Russia of acting as a spotter who called in coordinates for a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists in 2014. Russian prosecutors have also charged her with illegally entering Russia. She denies the charges, saying she was seized in eastern Ukraine in June 2014 while fighting with a volunteer battalion against Russia-backed separatists, and taken to Russia against her will. Savchenko has remained defiant since court proceedings began in September 2015. She has gone on hunger strike several times to protest her detention and recently gave judges the middle finger. On March 21, she wore her trademark T-shirt with the Ukrainian trident symbol. Speaking in Donetsk during a court break, Polozov said Savchenko is determined to resume her hunger strike and stop drinking water in 10 days unless she is returned to Ukraine. Her case has sparked international outrage, with critics accusing the Kremlin of orchestrating a show trial. Amnesty International on March 21 slammed the proceedings as falling short of international standards and called for a retrial "that remains free of political interference." "It is abhorrent to send Nadia Savchenko to prison after such a flawed, deeply politicized trial," said Amnesty's director for Europe and Central Asia, John Dalhuisen. Germany's Foreign Ministry said the trial "breached the principles of the rule of law." Also on March 21, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's press service said the first lady, Maryna Poroshenko, had called on her U.S. counterpart, Michelle Obama, to help release Savchenko. The Ukrainian government maintains that Savchenko was abducted by Russia and should be treated as a prisoner of war. Her backers also say that at the time of the strike that killed the Russian journalists, she was already in the hands of the separatists and could not have participated. The European Union and the United States have firmly backed Kyiv, with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden stating earlier this month that Savchenko had become "a symbol of Ukrainian national pride and strength." More than 50 members of the European Parliament on March 8 signed a letter calling for sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and 28 other individuals in connection with her detention. Konstantin Kosachyov, the head of the International Affairs Committee in Russias upper house of parliament, rejected the letter and accused the lawmakers of illegally seeking to pressure the Russian court. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities are crying foul after Russia barred a lawmaker who represents Ukraine at peace talks with Moscow from entering the country and attending the verdict. Iryna Herashchenko, who oversees humanitarian issues at the truce talks, said Russia's FSB security service informed her on March 21 that she represented a national security threat. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry voiced "strong protest" and accused Russia of intentionally creating "an artificial barrier" to prevent Gerashchenko from being present when the verdict against Savchenko is handed down. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, Interfax, TASS, and pravda.com.ua KYIV -- Ukrainian authorities have detained a man suspected of involvement in the disappearance of the lawyer of a Russian citizen who is on trial for allegedly fighting alongside separatists in Ukraine's east. Ukraine's Deputy Prosecutor-General Anatoliy Matios said on March 20 that the suspect, a Ukrainian citizen, had been detained in the city of Odesa. Matios said the man had "confessed" that lawyer Yuriy Hrabovskiy's "kidnapping" had been organized by Russia's Federal Security Service. Hrabovskiy went missing in Odesa on March 5. His client, Aleksandr Aleksandrov, and another Russian citizen, Yevgeny Yerofeyev, were detained in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region in May 2015 and later charged with terrorism. The two men first admitted in a video that they were on active duty with the Russian military when they were captured, but later retracted that. Moscow contends Yerofeyev and Aleksandrov were not serving in the country's armed forces when they were detained by Ukrainian forces. With reporting by "112 Ukraina" TV channel A Russian judge has begun delivering the verdict in the case against the Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko. The reading of the verdict at the Donetsk city court in Russia's southern region of Rostov began on March 21 and was expected to take two days. Savchenko is accused of involvement in the killing of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine in 2014, charges she denies. Prosecutors want Savchenko sent to prison for 23 years. The case has sparked outrage in Ukraine and elsewhere, with critics accusing the Kremlin of orchestrating a show trial. Savchenko has remained defiant since court proceedings began in September 2015 in the small Russian town of Donetsk near the border with Ukraine. She has gone on hunger strike to protest her detention. On March 9, the judge wrapped up the trial and announced the reading of the verdict would begin on March 21 and take two days. Savchenko says she was seized in eastern Ukraine in June 2014, while fighting with a volunteer battalion against Russia-backed separatists, and taken to Russia illegally. She was accused of acting as a spotter who called in coordinates for a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists. The Ukrainian government says Savchenko was abducted by the Russians and should be treated as a prisoner of war. The European Union and the United States have led international calls for her release. "During the past 20 months, she has become a symbol of Ukrainian national pride and strength," U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement on March 8. A spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said on March 9 that Russia had not held discussions on handing over Savchenko to Ukraine and would not do so until the court announces its verdict. Savchenko has been held in custody in Russia since July 2014. Her trial began on September 22, 2015. More than 50 members of the European Parliament on March 8 signed a letter calling for sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and 28 other individuals in connection with Savchenko's "illegal" detention. Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the International Affairs Committee in Russias upper house of parliament, said on March 9 that the letter amounts to illegal pressure on a Russian court. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters Former Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder announced Monday he will moderate a forum for potential mayoral candidates early next month at Virginia Union University. So far, nine potential candidates have indicated they plan to attend and a 10th is on the fence. Its an impressive number of participants considering only two people have filed paperwork indicating they intend to run and no one has filed the requisite number of signatures to get on the ballot, which are due in June. Bob Holsworth, a longtime political commentator who will moderate the event with Wilder, acknowledged the forum is coming early in the process but said that doesnt mean voters shouldnt begin hearing from candidates. We thought it would just be really helpful to begin the discussion of a crucially important race in the city and region by inviting people who have said theyre going to run or who have been spoken of as likely to run, he said. Organizers said the following people have RSVPd in the affirmative: Council members Jonathan T. Baliles, Chris A. Hilbert and Michelle R. Mosby, Venture Richmond director Jack Berry, Richmond Public Schools teacher Chad Ingold, former Councilman Bruce Tyler, community strategist Lillie Estes and activist Rick Tatnall. Former Del. Joseph D. Morrissey said he received an invitation in the mail Monday and will also attend. School Board Member Jeff M. Bourne, who was listed by organizers as attending, said he was uncertain if he would participate because he hasnt yet decided whether to run for mayor. If I decide to run, then I would likely attend, he said. I expect to make a decision in the next week or so. Only one likely candidate said he wont attend: Levar Stoney, who serves in Gov. Terry McAuliffes cabinet as secretary of the commonwealth. In a text message, he said attending the forum would be premature. I am fully focused on serving the people of Virginia in the job I have and will make a decision about a campaign for mayor at a later date, he said. Of attendees, only Mosby and Estes have filed paperwork confirming their intentions to seek the office, while Tatnall and Ingold have both said definitively they intend to run. The remaining potential candidates have been noncommittal, saying they will make announcements in the coming months. The event is organized jointly between the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union University. It will take place on April 6 in VUUs Coburn Hall at 7 p.m. Holsworth said topics covered will include city finances, schools, regional collaboration and poverty. Just all the major issues the city will confront over the next four years, he said. A mentally ill black man who was jailed in Portsmouth after stealing $5 worth of junk food died in August in a cell covered in his own feces and urine while waiting for a bed to become available at a state mental hospital. At the time, 34 inmates were on a waiting list for a bed at Eastern State Hospital, but Jamycheal Mitchells name was not on the list, even though a judge had ordered him to be sent to the hospital in May, according to a report released Monday by the department that regulates mental health care in Virginia. The report details several clerical missteps that were made leading up to Mitchells death, but it does not address why more was not done about his rapidly deteriorating health while in the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth. An attorney for Mitchells family said the 24-year-old Portsmouth man lost 34 pounds in the first three months of his confinement. The Portsmouth General District Court told investigators it mailed the judges order known as a competency restoration order to Eastern State Hospital near Williamsburg on May 27, six days after a judge issued it, according to the report, issued by the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Investigators found no evidence the order was mailed or faxed or that it was received. Another copy of the order was faxed to Eastern State on July 31, but none of the weekly logs of inmates waiting for a bed prepared on Aug. 4, Aug. 11 or Aug. 18 contained Mitchells name, according to the report. An overwhelmed state employee placed the order in a desk drawer when she received the fax instead of adding Mitchell to the waiting list. The drawer contained a significant number of CROs that had not been entered, according to the report, but it does not identify how many. The employees identity has been redacted from the report, but it says she was astonished and distraught when she found the file in her desk on Aug. 24, five days after Mitchells death. She retired from Eastern State about a month later. The secretary for the director of Eastern State referred questions from a reporter to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Mitchell died in his cell Aug. 19 of probable cardiac arrhythmia accompanying wasting syndrome of unknown etiology, according to the Medical Examiners Office in Norfolk. Wasting syndrome is defined as extreme weight loss. Mitchells family is especially haunted by the images of his final days in the cell, Mark Krudys, an attorney representing the family, said in an emailed statement. Other inmates report Jamycheal uncharacteristically slumped on the rack in his cell and pleading for medical help, but his requests, and pleas from other inmates on his behalf, went unanswered. On July 31, a Hampton Roads Regional Jail staff member called the Portsmouth Department of Behavioral Healthcare Services and asked a staff member to evaluate Mitchell, according to the report, but the evaluation never took place. A message left for the Portsmouth behavioral health care department director was not returned Monday. Maria Reppas, spokeswoman for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, said in an email that the General Assembly recently passed legislation requiring court clerks to provide a copy of a forensic evaluation order to the appointed evaluator or hospital and an acknowledgement of receipt from the evaluator or hospital. Reppas said the department also hired a full-time employee at Eastern State to triage people on the waiting list and assist in their transition to and from jail. Since last fall, the hospitals facility director and staff review the waiting list weekly, and the department established a goal that anyone ordered to a state facility for competency restoration be admitted within one week of receipt of the order. No one in the department was available to comment beyond what was in the report, because Mitchells family has filed an intent to sue the state, Reppas said. The family is very concerned by the inactions detailed in the report, Krudys said. He would not comment on whether a lawsuit would be filed or whether the steps the state has taken after Mitchells death are sufficient. Mitchell allegedly stole a candy bar, a bottle of soda and a zebra cake from a convenience store in Portsmouth in April. Pressure had been building lately for state investigators to issue a report on Mitchells death. Pete Earley, a former Washington Post reporter who now writes about mental health issues, posted a blog entry a week ago questioning the length of time it was taking the Office of State Inspector General and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to complete their reports. Earleys son suffers from mental illness. A timeline of events in the report released Monday shows a gap in the investigation that spanned from Nov. 24 to Feb. 25. Reppas said she would seek an explanation for the lag. After reading the report on Monday, Earley said he was furious and outraged. For those of us who are parents, its another example of how marginalized persons with mental illnesses are, he wrote in an email. The ineptitude and indifference in the Mitchell case is a testament to how he simply didnt matter to those who were responsible for guarding him. Douglas Bevelacqua, a former state inspector general, said he could think of no credible excuse for the reports taking seven months to produce. His office issued its report of the near-fatal attack on state Sen. Creigh Deeds by his son within four months of the incident, and the investigation into the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre was completed by a former inspector general in the same length of time. Julie Grimes, a spokeswoman for the inspector generals office, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch last week that its investigators had not completed their report because they were still waiting on information from the Behavioral Health Department. Reppas said Monday that the report would be forwarded to the inspector generals office. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search? Search for: Search A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The jewellery industry is always looking for new geographic areas to operate in, and the Arab Gulf, with its thriving luxury market, low import barriers and excellent hub infrastructures seems to provide all the right characteristics. It is therefore not by chance that VICENZAORO, Italys leading jewellery event organiser, chose the United Arab Emirates as a venue for its largest initiative outside Italy. Between 14 and 17 April, VICENZAORO will be returning to Dubai for its second consecutive year, with a renewed and larger exhibition. Rough&Polished discussed with VICENZAORO DUBAI (VOD) General Manager, Mr Emanuele Guido, the perspectives for this new initiative, as well as his views on the international jewellery market. Mr Guido, could you please tell us something on how the event is being organised? VICENZAORO DUBAI is organized by DV Global Link, a joint venture between Fiera di Vicenza and the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and it based on a cooperation agreement with the Dubai Multi Commodity Center (DMCC), the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group (DGJG), LAzurde, the Gem Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) of India as strategic partners and DAMAS as exclusive retail partner. Finally the main players of the Dubai Jewellery Community with brands such as Dhamani, Lamarquise, Jawhara Jewellery, Malabar Gold and Diamonds and the 7Cs, be present at the four-day event. Our goal is to present VOD as the unique networking platform for jewellery, gold, precious stones and diamonds on the international stage, joining some of the worlds main players in the jewellery industry and provide them with access to strategic markets. What kind of resources and strategies can you count on? We created a dedicated team, based in Italy and Dubai as hub destination for the luxury sector. However, we were also very keen to undertake a roadshow this year, to extend the network of our selected contacts and to provide an excellent opportunity to set up new relations with the most established buyers in the trade, showcasing new products of exhibitors who will be present in Dubai. The promotion and the road show campaign to introduce VICENZAORO DUBAI is taking place across 23 countries and 31 cities in total with a specific door to door direct visit to retailers in 13 countries, 21 cities (UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, South Africa) and a direct tele-calling campaign providing the opportunity for VOD to reach out to top buyers from 10 countries (Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines) and discuss business opportunities ahead of VOD 2016. Will you be focusing only on the Arab and Middle-Eastern markets? VICENZAORO Dubai aims at being a global event and in its second edition there will be an even stronger international focus, not only on the region. As a matter of fact, one of the ultimate goals is to unite some of the worlds main players in the jewellery industry and provide them with access to strategic markets including the Middle East, Russia, Africa and Central and South-East Asia. By connecting with key players from the jewellery industry on a global level, we will provide a unique opportunity for businesses to forge collaborations with markets overseas to further strengthen their ties and networks internationally. How many buyers will be present at the exhibition? We are going to select over 400 buyers, twice the number from last year. This should guarantee sufficient trade volume during the fair, but we also expect these buyers to act as ambassadors for VOD, and spread the word about the event. Most of the buyers will be coming from Middle-Eastern and Arab countries, Africa, and Central Asia, but we also reserved some spots for Russia, China and South America. We are also inviting a particular category of semi-professional operators, which is Arab women who organize showrooms in private residences. This is a common activity in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. This type of buyers possesses significant spending power. Finally, on the last day of the event, we will invite all jewellery wholesalers in Dubai to visit the exhibition and the show will be open to all the public. What kind of products will manufacturers bring in Dubai? Are we going to see different collections compared to Vicenza? Manufacturers usually try to bring new collections to Dubai, as well as a selection of their best products already on the market. There, buyers will find collections that are closer to the local taste. I would therefore exclude minimalist jewellery, as well as the use of semi-precious materials. We will see larger pieces compared to Vicenza, and mostly made in gold, diamonds and gemstones. This kind of products better suits the preferences of Arab, Russian and African customers. Earlier on, you mentioned Russia as one of the countries for which buyers will be present. How important is the Russian market for Italian Jewellery? On a global perspective, Russia is the fifth largest consumer of golden jewellery. Considering that Russian women traditionally like to wear several jewellery pieces and full parures, that market has strong potential. We usually divide the wider Russian market into two separate areas: European and Asiatic. The European area is mainly developed around the Moscow-Saint Petersburg axis, which attracts 70-80% of the luxury sector. That area has a rather European taste, and a large portion of high-end jewellery is actually imported from Italy, even though Hong Kong for diamond jewellery and Turkey for lower-end golden products are also relevant exporters. Today, due to well-known geopolitical turbulences, trade with Russia has decreased compared to a few years ago. The ruble is going through a phase of reduced purchase power, and this is having a big impact on mid-to-high end jewellery import. Hence, we have Italian manufacturers who used to work predominantly with Russian buyers, and are now in search of new markets to preserve their sales volume. Nonetheless, the Russian market remains of fundamental importance for Italian jewellers. The Asiatic area of the Russian market encompasses not only vast portions of Russia, but also several Post-Soviet republics, which are strong jewellery consumers. Countries such as Kazakhstan can count on strong private buyers, on the same level as Bahrain or Saudi Arabia. Their taste is closer to that of the Arab countries, as both prefer more sumptuous pieces. It is a very dynamic area and we want to further develop our contacts there. And what is the relationship between VICENZAORO and Russian buyers? As said before, not only the Russian market, but all markets in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet area are crucial for us. In the short term, jewellery export may be influenced by factors such as diplomatic relations or the price of gold, but our interest is towards long-term goals. The international situation is going to change in the future, and we want to create solid relations with our customers. This is why we recently decided to add a Russian-speaking element to our team, so that we can have a 365-days-a-year interaction with Russian buyers. In the last years, VICENZAORO has gone through a process of internationalization: apart from Dubai, where you are directly organizing the event, you will also be present at JCK Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Mumbai. Why has the VICENZAORO brand not been able to penetrate the Russian landscape yet? There are certainly some limiting circumstances. The first one is, most obviously, the language barrier. The second element is that jewellery events in Russia follow a different concept than ours. They are partly consumer and partly professional, meaning that they are open to the general public and tend to sell directly to customers. As a consequence, exhibitors at those fairs are usually local import companies or Russian jewellery manufacturers. The VICENZAORO model is a bit different, in the sense that we are mostly interested in working with professionals. A second limit is that of trade barriers. In the past we have had some issues in sending our material through the customs, despite that material being just printings for promotional purposes. You can imagine that, should the same thing happen with valuable jewellery products, it would be problematic. Do you see any other possible form of cooperation? Yes, we have been looking closely at the jewellery manufacturing sector in Russia lately. Traditionally, local manufactures have been working mostly for their internal market. Today though, we see that they are becoming increasingly interested in exhibiting their collections abroad. At the Hong Kong Gem and Jewellery Show, as an example, we saw that a Russian pavilion was launched, which means that the country is finally embracing an export perspective. This is important for us, because we are interested in providing a platform for those Russian premium manufacturers who would like to exhibit at our events. Matteo Butera, Rough&Polished (Rapaport) - The Hong Kong show that ended March 7 revealed a diamond industry that is focused on the very short term. Dealers who spoke with Rapaport News were relatively upbeat about the exhibition, but uncertain of market developments in two-to-three months. Their caution largely stems from restrained demand among jewelers, who were looking to replenish the limited amount of inventory they sold during the Chinese New Year, but not much more than that. Also on everyones mind is the large volume of rough that recently entered the market and whether there is sufficient demand to absorb the new polished expected in the coming months. GJEPC and BDB hosted a delegation from the Korean Diamond Exchange (KDE) on 5 Mar, and discussed steps to boost bilateral ties between the two countries. The Consulate General of Republic of Korea in Mumbai. Seungho Baek accompanied the Korean delegation comprising Nam Chang Soo President, KDE and Yu Seong Woo, a member of the exchange. The Indian industry was represented by Anoop Mehta President BDB, Mehul Shah Vice President BDB, Sanjay Shah GJEPC Diamond Panel Convener, Manish Jiwani a member of the Diamond Panel and Sabyasachi Ray Executive Director, GJEPC. Soo Nam said that the Korean government is willing to provide luxury tax exemption to Indian exporters, as Korea will open Korea Diamond Bourse in SEZ shortly. While Anoop Mehta noted that if diamonds and jewellery are exported directly to Korea instead of being routed through Singapore, Hong Kong, etc as at present, it would address concerns over the trade deficit. Mehul Shah and Sabyasachi Ray pointed out that value addition of 10-12% could be achieved in the case of diamonds. Responding to a request from the Korean delegation, Ray said that Council would inform details of the concerned authority from Korea negotiating India-Korea CEPA. Nam also said that with the Korean market opened, Indian companies are welcome to start offices in the tax free zone. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished The prime ministers audacious use of an obscure and rarely used provision in the constitution that allows the governor general to recall both houses of parliament caught his political opponents by surprise. If the doible dissolution will happen, Australians were due to go to the polls before the end of the year. A double dissolution, last used in 1987, is a mechanism designed to break deadlocks. It can occur when a bill is repeatedly blocked in the Senate. In a double dissolution election, all seats are up for grabs. Australias complex system of voter preference distribution previously allowed micro parties to secure Senate seats, even if they receive a very small percentage of the primary vote. The New Zealand dollar weakened against the other major currencies in the Asian session on Monday. The NZ dollar fell to 5-day lows of 1.6702 against the euro and 75.13 against the yen, from last week's closing quotes of 1.6567 and 75.71, respectively. Against the U.S. and the Australian dollars, the kiwi dropped to 4-day lows of 0.6751 and 1.1232 from Friday's closing quotes of 0.6786 and 1.1173, respectively. If the kiwi extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.70 against the euro, 73.00 against the yen, 0.65 against the greenback and 1.13 against the aussie. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Forex News Honghua Group Ltd, a Chinese land drilling rig manufacturer, announced Monday that its unit Honghua Golden Coast Equipment FZE entered into a sales agreement with Kuwait Drilling Company K.S.C on March 15, with a total amount of approximately $15 million or about HK$118 million. Pursuant to the sales Agreement, a 7,000-meter cluster well drilling rig is expected to deliver to Kuwait Drilling by the end of 2016. The latest deal follows the sales agreement of a 9,000-meter ultra-deep drilling rig with Kuwait Drilling on January 1. The company said the newly signed drilling rig contract marks the breakthrough of its cluster well drilling rig entering into Kuwait market for the first time. Mr. Zhang Mi, Chairman of Honghua said, "The Sales Agreement marks a solid and strategic step towards enhancing the leading position of new rig sales in the Kuwait market and expanding our influence in the region. It has also laid a significant solid foundation for further in-depth cooperation with KDC and better sales achievement in the future." For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Commodity currencies such as the Australian, the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars weakened against their major counterparts in the Asian session on Monday, as lower base metal as well as crude oil prices weighed on resource stocks. The absence of any major economic data is contributing to quiet trading in the . Crude oil for May delivery are currently down $0.47 at $40.67 a barrel. Oil prices fell after U.S. Baker Hughes rig count data released on Friday showed that the number of oil rigs in the U.S. rose for the first time since December. Concerns over supply glut also led to fall in prices. Last Friday, the Canadian dollar rose 0.21 percent against the U.S. dollar, 0.05 percent against the yen and 0.25 percent against the euro. Meanwhile, the Australian and the New Zealand dollar showed mixed performance against their major counterparts. While the aussie and kiwi rose against the U.S. dollar, they held steady against the yen. Against the euro, the aussie held steady and the kiwi rose. In the Asian trading, the Australian dollar fell to a 6-day low of 84.22 against the yen, from Friday's closing value of 84.74. The aussie may test support near the 82.00 region. Against the euro and the U.S. dollar, the aussie dropped to a 5-day low of 1.4899 and a 4-day low of 0.7569 from last week's closing quotes of 1.4815 and 0.7596, respectively. If the aussie extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.53 against the euro and 0.73 against the greenback. The NZ dollar fell to 5-day lows of 1.6702 against the euro and 75.13 against the yen, from last week's closing quotes of 1.6567 and 75.71, respectively. If the kiwi extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.70 against the euro and 73.00 against the yen. Against the U.S. and the Australian dollars, the kiwi dropped to 4-day lows of 0.6751 and 1.1232 from Friday's closing quotes of 0.6786 and 1.1173, respectively. On the downside, 0.65 against the greenback and 1.13 against the aussie are seen as the next support levels for the kiwi. The Canadian dollar fell to 4-day lows of 1.3070 against the U.S. dollar, 85.11 against the yen and 1.4743 against the euro, from last week's closing quotes of 1.3003, 85.70 and 1.4648, respectively. If the loonie extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.35 against the greenback, 82.00 against the yen and 1.51 against the euro. Against the Australian dollar, the loonie edged down to 0.9915 from Friday's closing value of 0.9878. The loonie is likely to find support around the 1.01 area. Meanwhile, the safe haven yen rose against its major rivals. The yen rose to 125.43 against the euro and 160.65 against the pound, from last week's closing quotes of 125.65 and 161.47, respectively. If the yen extends its uptrend, it is likely to find resistance around 122.00 against the euro and 156.00 against the pound. Against the U.S. dollar and the Swiss franc, the yen edged up to 111.22 and 114.72 from Friday's closing quotes of 111.54 and 114.97, respectively. The yen may test resistance around 110.00 against the greenback and 112.00 against the franc. Looking ahead, at 3:45 am ET, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker is due to participate in a conference at the Bank of France in Paris. At 5:00 am ET, Bank of Finland Governor Erkki Liikanen will hold a news conference on monetary policy and global , in Helsinki. Around the same time, Eurozone current account data for January is also due to be released. European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio will speak at a European Capital Markets conference organized by Chatham House in London at 5:30 am ET. In the New York session, U.S. existing home sales data for February is slated for release. At 12:40 pm ET, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart is expected to speak on the economic outlook and monetary policy before the Rotary Club of Savannah. The markets in Japan are closed for the Vernal Equinox Day holiday. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News As President Barack Obama makes an historic trip to Cuba, the results of a new CBS News/New York Times poll found that a majority of Americans support ending the trade embargo against the communist island nation. The poll found that 55 percent of Americans favor ending the trade embargo against Cuba, while 27 percent believes the embargo should remain in place. Another 18 percent said they don't know. While 64 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents support ending the embargo, Republicans are more divided on the issue. Forty-three percent of Republicans favor ending the embargo, but 38 percent are opposed. Obama has taken a number of steps to normalize relations with Cuba, including re-opening the U.S. embassy in Havana and enacting regulatory changes that allow more Americans to travel to and do with Cuba. However, the president has acknowledged that full normalization of American-Cuban relations requires action by Congress, including legislation to end the trade embargo. The poll found that 52 percent of Americans approve of Obama's handling of relations with Cuba, up slightly from 50 percent last July and up eight points from 44 percent in December of 2014. Fifty-eight percent of Americans also said they favor re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, while just 25 percent are opposed. CBS News noted Americans have long supported the move, pointing to a Gallup poll conducted back in 1977 that showed 53 percent of Americans in favor of re-establishing diplomatic relations. While most Democrats and independents favor re-establishing diplomacy, Republicans are divided 44 percent in favor and 42 percent opposed. Despite agreeing with Obama on re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, most Americans oppose the president's proposal to close the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay. Fifty-two percent of Americans said the Guantanamo Bay prison should continue to operate, while 38 percent said the facility should be closed. The CBS/New York Times survey of 1,022 adults was conducted March 11th through 15th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by a wide margin in a primary of Democratic voters living abroad. Democrats Abroad, the international arm of the Democratic National Committee, revealed that Sanders received 69 percent of the vote compared to 31 percent for Clinton. Responding to the news in a statement, Sanders said, "This political revolution that is gaining momentum across America is now resonating all over the world." "There is a clear path to victory as we begin the second half of the delegate selection process," he added. "We are waging a strong campaign and plan to take it all the way to the Democratic National Convention this summer in Philadelphia." Sanders picked up 9 pledged delegates as a result of the primary, while Clinton still secured an additional 4 delegates. Democrats Abroad said 34,570 voters from over 170 countries around the world cast ballots in the primary, reflecting a 50 percent jump in turnout compared to 2008. Sanders has now won 10 primary contests compared to 19 for Clinton, although the former First Lady still has a big lead in delegates. (Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News "" . . Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. 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 ... By SA Commercial Prop News Dr Andrew Golding, CE of the Pam Golding Property group. Pam Golding Properties wishes to make it clear that the content of the Special Assignment broadcast on SABC 3 on Thursday 12 April, 2012, is devoid of any factual foundation insofar as it relates to PGP. The content is misguided, misleading and defamatory in the extreme. The findings of their so-called investigations are fundamentally incorrect insofar as they relate to PGP and we categorically deny any corrupt, unethical or unlawful business practices on our part. We marketed the La Perla project in and around 2003 and 2004 on behalf of the developer on the basis of the investors having leasehold rights, a fact which was detailed and explained to the investors with whom PGP dealt. Moreover the leasehold nature of the transaction was expressly stated in the sale agreements concerned. During the period of the mandate we facilitated 10 transactions out of the 52 available units. The couple interviewed on Special Assignment did not purchase at La Perla through PGP as implied in the broadcast, and we have no involvement in or knowledge of their transaction. The developer was authorized by the Mozambique authorities to develop the land as a tourism project, and had the necessary approvals. In terms of our mandate the developer undertook to deal in all respects to obtain all approvals required by the Mozambican authorities. The developer, assisted by his legal advisors, developed and approved all sales and marketing documentation. In addition, the developer appointed his own attorneys to attend to the property registrations. All investors deposits were paid directly into the developers attorneys trust account and at no stage did PGP receive any investors funds. At the time we commenced marketing the approvals had been granted and were revoked after the termination of the project and our involvement at La Perla had ceased. As far as we are aware we are not under investigation by any authority, nor have any legal proceedings of any nature been commenced against Pam Golding Properties in South Africa or Mozambique. PGP provided Special Assignment with all of the information requested by them prior to the broadcast, however this information was excluded from the broadcast. Given the defamatory and prejudicial nature of the content PGP has demanded a written retraction and apology from the SABC and reserved all of our rights including the rights to claim damages. By SA Commercial Prop News - I-Net Bridge The PPC board last week broke its silence after more than a month of public campaigning against it by activist shareholders and former CEO Ketso Gordhan, who asked investors to back his return to the company. The PPC board on Friday last week warned that should shareholders vote to replace it at a shareholder meeting on December 8, the company risked becoming destabilised, while the drastic move could also take its toll on staff morale and PPCs African growth plans. It can clearly not be in the best interest of all stakeholders to lose the entire institutional memory of the current board members, who between them have about 36 years of tenure on the board, PPC said while announcing the date for the meeting. Against a rally in the JSEs all share index, shares in PPC fell 1.61% to R27.45 on Friday as market uncertainty continued to fuel the volatility of PPCs stock. Foord Asset Management, which holds 8.6% of PPCs voting rights, on October 23 demanded a special meeting, together with Visio Capital Management, which holds 1.68%, and Nedbank Private Wealth, with 0.08%. In their formal request for the meeting, the shareholders said: The current board needs to be replaced with a functional board with the correct expertise to run the company. This needed to be done hastily in order to restore continuity to the operations and strategy of the company and is in the best interest of all stakeholders including shareholders and employees. The PPC board last week broke its silence after more than a month of public campaigning against it by activist shareholders and former CEO Ketso Gordhan, who asked investors to back his return to the company. The company sought to shore up investor confidence ahead of the crucial vote, with the announcement of an important deal in Ethiopia, and another saying it had all but secured a major funding deal. It also finally hit back at Mr Gordhan by publishing an embarrassing set of reasons he had given the board when he had wanted to fire his finance director, Tryphosa Ramano. PPC said on Friday that the allegation that the board was dysfunctional is strongly denied. JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli police said they do not believe an arson attack on a Palestinian home Sunday was carried out by Jewish attackers. The house that was set ablaze belonged to a key witness to an arson attack by Jewish perpetrators that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents last year. Palestinian officials say attackers broke the bedroom window of Ibrahim Dawabsheh's home and set the house on fire. Dawabsheh and his wife escaped. He was unharmed but his wife suffered from light smoke inhalation. Dawabsheh, a relative of last year's victims, is a witness to the attack that killed them and is currently testifying before an Israeli court in the trial of two Jewish extremists. Last July, suspected Jewish settlers hurled firebombs into a home, killing 18-month-old Ali Dawabsheh. His mother, Riham, and father, Saad, later died of their wounds. Ali's 4-year-old brother Ahmad survived. Ibrahim Dawabsheh told Israeli Channel 10 TV News, "the minute I saw the fire, I was reminded of Saad's family, of course." Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said an investigation was underway into the fire in the West Bank village of Duma. The police and Shin Bet security service announced Sunday, "the evidence that was found at the scene of the crime does not have the characteristics of a targeted arson by Jewish perpetrators." Samri and the statement did not offer further details on why police doubt the fire was the work of Jewish extremists or who they suspect the perpetrators might be. Duma council head Abdel-Salaam Dawabsheh ruled out the possibility that a local resident carried out the arson. He said Palestinian detectives were investigating the fire as well. He called on Israel to protect the village, which is under Israeli jurisdiction and out of the reach of Palestinian police. He said after the July arson, locals maintained a volunteer night guard for four months but could not sustain it without financial support. The deadly July 31 firebombing was condemned across the Israeli political spectrum, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged "zero tolerance" in the fight to bring the assailants to justice. Investigators placed several suspects under "administrative detention," a measure typically reserved for alleged Palestinian militants that allows authorities to hold suspects for months without charge. But as the investigation dragged on for months, Palestinians complained of a double-standard, where suspected Palestinian militants are quickly rounded up and prosecuted under a military legal system that gives them few rights, while Jewish Israelis are protected by the country's criminal laws. Locals protested Israeli soldiers who arrived to investigate the arson Sunday. "This is a clear message of the settlers that they enjoy security and stability, they act under the army's protection and can get to any Palestinian house and carry out any crime," Nablus governor Akram Rajoub told Israeli Channel 10. Amiram Ben-Uliel, a 21-year-old West Bank settler, has been charged with murder in the July arson. He and other alleged accomplices are part of a movement known as the "hilltop youth," a leaderless group of young people who set up unauthorized outposts, usually clusters of trailers, on West Bank hilltops land the Palestinians claim for their hoped-for state. The group has been accused of carrying out so-called "price tag" attacks in which they vandalized Palestinian property, as well as mosques, churches, the offices of dovish Israeli groups and even Israeli military bases to exact a cost for Israeli steps seen as favoring the Palestinians. Dear Editor, I find it very interesting that the government officials are saying that there is no poverty in Samoa. Although it mentioned that there is more hardship than poverty, I would say that there is poverty is Samoa. I have just returned from a trip to visit my family in Samoa and realised how hard some of those families live there. Im also fascinated by the comment that people need to budget their money wisely by paying their bills first. I would like to say to budget, one needs to have money to budget with. From what I know and have seen as a Samoan person with families in Samoa the majority of families live on zero income. Most of the money they do get will be from families living overseas. This shouldnt be classed as income. The wage, if one is lucky enough to have a job, the starting rate is around 2-3 tala an hour. That amounts to only around 120.00 tala a week. And as most Samoans live with extended families, that amount soon dwindles into nothing. So my question is how can you expect a person to budget on nothing and if lucky enough to have a job how to budget on an average wage of 120.00 tala a week? Poverty comes in different forms and just because a family can manage to erect a fale to have a roof over their heads does not mean they dont live in poverty. E.M Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji are encouraged to register for the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category ballots. The registration opens on Friday, 1 April and closes at 4.00 pm on Friday, 29 April. Immigration Instructions recognise the special relationship between New Zealand and Samoa, and the Pacific Access Category countries of Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji. Each year, up to 1,100 Samoan citizens, 250 Tongan and Fijian citizens and 75 I-Kiribati and Tuvaluan citizens are selected by ballot to be considered for the grant of residence in New Zealand. Eligible citizens of these five countries must be aged between 18 and 45 to register under the ballot. The successful registrants selected from the ballot process will have until 10 March 2017 to lodge their resident visa applications; the principal applicant must also have an acceptable job offer from a New Zealand employer. Those submitting registrations are reminded to make sure that they have the required forms and necessary documents. Only one ballot registration form is needed for each family. Photocopies of birth certificates must also be provided for everyone named on the registration form. Immigration New Zealand will contact each registrant via a mobile text message or email to acknowledge receipt of their registration form including their Client Registration Number. Registrants will need to hold on to this number to check the status of their registration after the ballots are drawn on 10 June 2016. Registering for the Samoan Quota is free but there is a NZ$75 registration fee for the Pacific Access Category. This fee is reduced to NZ$30 for those who have registered in a previous year. An additional service fee of FJD$19 is payable for Fijian and I-Kiribati citizens registering in Fiji and an additional fee of AUD$12 is payable for I-Kiribati citizens registering in Kiribati. Mumbai: Hrithik Roshan, who often embarks on adventurous outings with his sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan, recently had another fair share of it in the city of Dubai. Unaffected by his legal battle with Kangana Ranaut, Hrithik took some time from his busy schedule for a quick getaway. The 41-year-old actor shared his travelogue in photos on microblogging site Twitter, the recent one features his sons and himself on a float. Hritik Roshan shared this picture and wrote, "Wanna get rid of some of your fears? Try competing with 2 fearless kids!! #Whataday! #dubai #victory #hrx" The actor will soon resume shooting for Ashutosh Gowariker's period drama, 'Mohenjo Daro'. After wrapping up the film, he will begin shooting for Sanjay Gupta's 'Kaabil'. Hritik Roshan shared this picture and wrote, "My brother frm another mother! @AshishJThakkar TONS of thanks! Us 2 b astronauts! Nuts! #Mara #Africa #love #truth" Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has blamed the negligence of staff at the National Hospital for the shortage of some antibiotic drugs. In doing so, he has dismissed claims that the National Health Services has run out of cash to pay for the supply of Amoxicillin Suspension and Augmentin Suspension. Speaking to the media, Tuilaepa said this happens from time to time in the public service when staff members are negligent. Tuilaepa pointed out that N.H.S has been left without a General Manager following the resignation of Leota Laki Sio to run in the election. This has resulted in some of the problems. Still, he said the shortage should never have happened. He added that the shortage of medication is not the only problem. According to Tuilaepa, there is a backlog of people waiting to be transferred overseas under the Overseas Treatment Scheme. Last week, N.H.S. Acting General Manager, Soi Maatasesa Samuelu Matthes assured that they have placed a new order that should arrive this week. Soi said the shortage was due to the increasing number of patients mainly children diagnosed with the flu at the hospital. The N.H.S. is now looking at ways to solve the problem and weve already negotiated with private pharmacies in relation to the situation, she said. These (antibiotics) are still available at those (pharmacies) except us. Some of the medications that are short include amoxicillin suspension and augmentin suspension. Students from St. Marys College will join their peers from other schools and officials to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (S.D.G) this morning on Beach Road. The school is among 17 schools allocated with an S.D.G to promote as part of the global celebration of the United Nations Development Programmes 50th Anniversary. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is scheduled to deliver the keynote address after the parade from the Fire Station towards the government building. For St. Marys, they have been tasked with S.D.G 14 which is to Protect all Life Underwater. The all girls school has taken this task seriously by teaching their students the importance of our Marine life. Faafetai Taula, a teacher at the School, said the students have been learning about the importance of marine life. Marine life is very important in Samoa because the people depend on resources it provides. Many people earn money through fishing and its their livelihood, Mrs. Taula said. Our oceans provide the people with so much and we should keep it safe. For today, fifteen year 9 students have been selected to represent the college. They have prepared a skit. Well be doing a skit with our girls about a family of marine animals. Its about a turtle and an octopus couple who do their usual chores every day, Mrs. Taula said. Their children wanted to leave and the couple advised them of the dangers of the ocean but they went anyway. The skit will show how serious the threats to marine life are. The children return with four missing due to threats to marine life; the first one died due to acidification of the water, the other died due to the dangers of the dead zones, another died from overfishing and the last one died due to pollution. According to Mrs. Taula, we can reduce these issues by limiting the use of fossil fuels, use fewer plastic products because majority of the plastic wastes end up in the ocean, maintaining areas near water can reduce debris ending up in the ocean and make safe sustainable seafood choices to eliminate the risk of species extinction. Mrs. Taula acknowledged U.N.D.Ps move to use the event to encourage students participation. I think its a very good idea that U.N.D.P has made the move to have the year 9s be part of the march rather than the usual senior classes, Mrs. Taula said. This is the very first level in the college and the kids feel very special to be invited to take part in the march. They will also get the opportunity to learn from other schools that will showcase the S.D.G they were tasked with. Even after the march the school has plans to continue teaching on the importance of marine life. Lessons for children to further understand the importance of marine life is applicable to our school and all others in Samoa, Mrs. Taula said. The kids need to know how important the ocean is and how we need to keep it safe. The ocean will be theirs to take care of in the future and its good to start them early. Todays programme begins at 8.30am. It ends with a tree planting ceremony at the Vaiala seawall at 3pm. The former Speaker of Parliament, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao, says he couldnt be happier being appointed as the new Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. He believes that his new calling is what he has earned for his work, faith and trust from his colleagues in Parliament. Im humbled and feel comfortable in the sense that what you reap is what you sow, Laauli said. Although I wanted so badly to continue my work as Speaker, I know the role is in good hands. I am ready to take on this new role and try to uplift the ministry. Being selected from 50 M.P.s to be Cabinet Ministers, Laauli said he is glad the Prime Minister has taken him on board to be one of his crew. The portfolio was held by former M.P. for Lefaga and Faleaseela, Le Mamea Ropati who was recently appointed as a member of the Council of Deputies. Acknowledging the hard work from Le Mamea over the years at M.A.F., Laauli said he wants to continue on the same path. How he will do that is by eyeing the untapped overseas markets. With agriculture as the backbone of the economy, he said there are a lot of benefits for locals and growth of foreign exchange. I believe the Ministry has done a lot of work in the past years and the next step now is to look for more markets overseas - not only for agriculture but also for our fisheries department. There are a lot of species in the sea that we dont use but can be (exported) for overseas markets. Everyone in Samoa has access to agriculture through land whether they are employed or unemployed. This makes things easy but there is a need to gather people at the end of the rope and work for the development of their families, villages and country. Laauli is a professional chef who enjoys cooking from different cuisines using locally-planted produce. He is the son of a former Cabinet Minister and founding member of the Human Rights Protection Party, the late Polataivao Fosi Schmidt. The General Secretary of the biggest denomination in Samoa, Reverend Dr. Afereti Uili, has assured that the construction of the $13million tala Jubilee Church at Malua should be completed some time this year. When exactly that will be, the General Secretary of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (C.C.C.S) does not know yet. This is not a house for a family which we can build today and expect it to finish tomorrow, he told the Samoa Observer. This is one of the biggest projects by the church and the engineers need time to monitor and implement every safety aspect in carrying out the construction of the Jubilee. Dr. Afereti was responding to questions from the Samoa Observer about the progress of the project. He dismissed claims that the progress of the project has been stifled by issues of finances. The project, which started in 2014, was initially estimated to cost $7m. At the time, the construction should have opened last year. But that did not happen. Today, the cost of the project is reportedly $13million. Last year, the Church's Chairman of the Finance Committee, Le Mamea Ropati Mualia, confirmed that C.C.C.S had borrowed $15million from the Samoa National Provident Fund (S.N.P.F) for the project and other developments. The $15million is not only to complete the construction of the Jubilee Church, it is also to fund the other developments by the Church, Le Mamea said at the time, adding that they were working extremely hard to control the churchs spending. Yesterday at the project site, it was empty. There were no workers on site and a house used to be occupied by builders and helpers was empty. Overgrown grass have threated to take over the foundation of the building. But Dr. Uili said the project is continuing. Were awaiting the final costs of materials from the construction company, he said. These materials include the roof, ground floor, windows, steps and others and hopefully we can get this done in the next few days. In the meantime, Dr. Uili said construction engineers are working to ensure the building meets all the requirements and safety standards. The Samoa Observer understands that work on the project ceased towards the end of last year. At the beginning of the year, the Church advertised for a Clerk of Works for this particular project. A clerk of works is an inspector on Construction site who checks to see that work is carried out properly and that health and safety rules are being followed, the ad reads. If you want a practical work and good at solving problems and have a good eye for detail, you could be the one the church is looking for. It could not be confirmed if the position has been filled yet. Back in 2014, former General Secretary, Reverend Dr. Iutisone Salevao said six construction companies had expressed interest in the building. Ii the end, the project was awarded to Shanghai Construction. It was not possible to get a comment from Shanghai Construction yesterday. Think a minuteJesse Owens was a world-class athlete in track and field in the 1930s. He was told that because he was a black, African American, there was no way he could win against the white Nazi German athletes at the world Olympics in 1936. That year the Olympics were held in Berlin, Germany. Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator, refused to even look at the African American athletes. The white German athletes were praised and cheered on the field, while Jesse Owens and the other American athletes were insulted and ignored. Yet Jesse did not let Hitlers cruel, evil prejudice intimidate or stop him. In fact, he was determined more than ever to reach his goal of doing his very best. Remember, One of the great joys in life is doing what people say you cant. Jesse made mistakes in his first two long jumps, but he did not let that discourage him. Then, on his last jump, Jesse won! He went on to win all three other events in which he competed. So Jesse Owens came home to America with a record four Olympic Gold Medals! A Japanese proverb says: If you fall down seven times, stand up eight times. We all fail and fall down. Thats OK. But to stay down and not try to get up again is whats sad and serious, because you give up hope. Remember: We all failat least the best of us who are brave enough to try something new. So just because you may lose sometimes does not mean you are a loser. The famous inventor Thomas Edison said: Many people who failed in life did not know how close they were to success when they quit trying. When challenges come your way, including when you fail, you still have the choice to keep going and reach your goal. What you do with a great opportunity depends on what you already are; and what you already are depends on your years of daily choices. This is why we need Jesus to develop in each of us His inner strength and perseverance that is greater than any obstacle we face. You will never regret asking Him to take full charge of your heart and way of living from this day forward. Just think a minute Nawazuddin Siddiqui is known for his powerful performances in films like 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Badlapur', 'Manjhi' and 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'. Mumbai: His is one of the best rags-to-riches story and now actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui plans to publish a memoir that will chronicle his journey from a small village to Bollywood stardom. "I will try to be as honest as I can in the book but there will be a little fiction too. The main focus will be on my village from where I came out and established myself. All the ups and downs will be there," Siddiqui said about the upcoming book, which is being written by a former journalist. He has back-to-back releases but the actor hopes the book will be out by next year. Siddiqui, known for his powerful performances in films like 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Badlapur', 'Manjhi' and 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', left his village in Muzaffarnagar for Delhi to try his luck in theatre. He also worked as a watchman for a brief period before joining NSD. The actor, 41, shifted to Mumbai in 2000 but success continued to elude him as he appeared in many blink-and-you-miss roles before finding a substantial part in Anurag Kashyap's 'Black Friday'. However, it was his role of a revenge-seeking son in Kashyap's 'Wasseypur' that finally helped Siddiqui arrive on the scene. "Playing a gangster in 'Wasseypur' was my most challenging role," said Siddiqui on the sidelines of Spring Fever 2016. The actor is mostly known for his intense roles but he is looking forward to change that with his upcoming romantic drama. The yet-untitled film, directed by Sohail Khan, will see Siddiqui and the 'Singh is Bliing' actress Amy Jackson teaming up for the first time. "It's a romantic film. I have just begun shooting for it. I have never done any love story. Since, I am doing it for the first time, I am excited about it. There will be romantic songs too but they will play in the background. We are yet to decide the film's title," he said. The 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor, 41, said the film has finally given him the opportunity to romance, something that was not offered to him earlier. "I never befriended a girl till my initial years in NSD. I tried a lot but I failed in it everytime, similar to my career. It was a huge culture shock for me to see girls smoking as I was from a conservative setup," the actor said. Besides the romantic film, he has also finished shooting 'Te3N', with Amitabh Bachchan. "I am playing a priest in 'Te3N'," he said. Siddiqui, who has worked with Salman, Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan, said Bachchan is one of the most professional actors he has worked with. "Bachchan sahab is very professional on set. He comes with his line prepared. He also sits back and sees the end result unlike us, who go to the vanity to relax after giving a shot. Even Shah Rukh bhai is somewhat like him. But Salman bhai is different." He was recently embroiled in a controversy when a lady accused him of assaulting her over parking issue and filed an FIR against him. Siddiqui, however, claims that he was falsely implicated. "I have hired two bouncers after that incident. It was nothing of that sort as it was projected by that lady. She was shooting a video of mine and I just said 'What are you doing?'. But it was later presented in a different way. It had nothing to do with parking," he said. Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/21/2016 -- Europe Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Market - Opportunities and Forecasts, 2014 - 2021, projects that the European Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems (CGMS) market would grow at a CAGR of 38.0% from 2015 to 2021. Sensors segment is anticipated to generate the highest revenue in the European CGMS market during the forecast period. The European CGMS market is expected to witness dynamic growth, owing to increasing incidence rates of diabetes, growing per capita healthcare expenditure, and rising disposable income of individuals. In addition, CGMS offers various benefits over conventional glucose monitors such as higher precision, greater sensitivity, and periodic monitoring. CGMS technology is applicable in "artificial/bionic pancreas"; hence, several CGMS and insulin pump manufacturers focus on the development of novel and advanced CGMS. CGMS can be used across all age groups and various healthcare settings. However, unfavorable reimbursement policies for CGMS is expected to hamper the market growth. Glucose sensors is expected to dominate the European CGMS component market during the forecast period due to CE approval on CGMS sensors and supportive reimbursement policies. Moreover, technological advancements in this sector have led to the development of sensor-augmented pumps that can be linked with CGMS devices for real-time monitoring using various wireless monitoring systems such as smartphones. Germany is the leading revenue-generating country, owing to favorable guidelines about pricing and fixed reimbursement budget allocation for CGMs devices. In addition, the European CGMS market is estimated to exhibit significant growth in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark due to advanced diabetes care facilities and robust clinical guidelines and standards for diabetes management. Key findings of the study: U.K. is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 40.9% during the forecast period. Germany generated one-fourth of the total market revenue in 2015 and is projected to be the maximum revenue generating country till 2021. Sensors segment accounted for about two third of the market revenue in 2015 and is projected to exhibit prominent growth during the forecast period. U.K., Germany and France contributed over half of the market share in 2015. Renowned companies, such as Senseonics and Rubin Medical, have adopted the collaboration strategy to commercialize their CGMS products in Denmark and Sweden. Increasing number of diabetic patients, well-structured diabetes management regime, and proactive initiatives taken by the government have encouraged several CGMS companies to invest in Europe. Medtronic Inc., Dexcom, Inc., Abbott Diabetic care, Senseonics Incorporated, Insulet Corporation, Echo therapeutics, Glysens Inc. and Animas Corporation are some of the prominent players in the European CGMS market. For more information Visit at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/allied-market-research/europe-continuous-glucose-monitoring-systems-market-opportunities-and Find all Scientific and Technical Instruments Reports at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/scientific-technical-instruments About Market Research Reports, Inc. Market Research Reports, Inc. is the world's leading source for market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest market research reports on global markets, key industries, leading companies, new products and latest industry analysis & trends. Yearly/Quarterly Report Subscription: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/subscriptions Karachi, Sindh -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/20/2016 -- 99Sauna.com is a recently launched blog that has been designed for the purpose of informing people about the various best portable outdoor saunas and infrared blankets through in-depth and comprehensive reviews and buying guides. The team working on the website has accepted the responsibility for them to research and select the most important information that can help their readers attain a better, healthier and fit lifestyle. Recently saunas and there unexpected benefits have been in the news, the real benefits of infrared and home saunas are now beginning to emerge as a new research suggests that the warm and relaxing pastime may lengthen lifespan in men by reducing fatal cardiovascular problems. The recently published report in JAMA Internal Medicine states the findings that men who visited the sauna more, and spent a longer amount of time in it were found to have lower their risk of dying from various cardiovascular diseases and fewer fatal heart problems. These findings encourage the use of sauna for people around the world if they want to live a long and heart problems free life. However, doctors warn People who are dehydrated and have high blood pressure against the use of saunas. The research was carried out by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland that provided fascinating insights about how the use of a sauna may have hidden health benefits. The research was carried out in Finland, in which around 2300 middle-aged men were observed for about 20 years. 99Sauna.com is making it easier for their readers to incorporate the many benefits of sauna use through their best saunas reviews. Using the information provided on the website readers will be able to learn how to build a sauna that meets their specific needs. Currently, there is a wide variety of saunas available of different types, models and makes. 99Sauna writers and expert reviewers have broken down the information to make it easier for their readers to find the best products in the market. The team has dedicated a lot of time and effort to collect the information reader can base their purchase decisions on. The review team has also extracted real user reviews from the internet and has included them in their assessment, to ensure that their reviews look into the matter from all angles: good and bad, to provide their readers an all-inclusive review. The website also features information about the risk associated with infrared saunas. About 99Sauna.com 99Sauna.com is a recently launched best sauna review website. For more information, please visit: http://99sauna.com/ Media Contact: info@99sauna.com Sohaib / Karachi / Sindh / sohaibhasan2011@hotmail.com Portsmouth, VA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/21/2016 -- ResearchPeptides.com, one of the world's leading peptide online forums and guides, reveals that IGF 1 or Insulin-like growth factor 1 also known as the somatomedin C is currently undergoing several studies and researches to determine its possible benefits in dealing with life-threatening diseases such as cancer, tumor and diabetes. The IGF 1 is a type of protein embedded in the human body. The molecular structure of IGF 1 is quite similar to the molecular structure insulin. According to ResearchPeptides.com, the IGF 1 plays a huge part in the development of a child and it continuously plays an important role in the muscle growth and development of adults. In a study being conducted by Dr. Jaime Guevarra-Aguirre, an endocrinologist studying the Laron population with the longevity specialist Dr. Valter Longo, the two revealed a wonderful development and breakthrough after several years of continuous research and study. For over 30 years, Dr. Jaime Guevarra-Aguirre visits southern Ecuador where a third of the population of individuals with Laron syndrome lives. All of the individuals experiencing Laron syndrome came from one ancestor who introduced the mutated genes. Laron syndrome is far different from dwarfism. Though the physical appearance of persons with Laron syndrome and dwarfism are quite similar, the former doesn't lack growth hormone. Laron syndrome causes a defect in the receptors found in the liver that is expected to connect to the bodily hormones and produce the IGF 1. As a result, the person with IGF 1 can't grow taller than 4 feet. Aside from that, the persons with Laron syndrome are healthy and their life span is relatively longer than those who experiences dwarfism. But, because of the absence of IGF 1, it can also prevent the development of cells that can lead to cancer and diabetes. Due to the positive effects of controlling the growth of IGF 1 in mice, Dr. Jaime Guevarra-Aguirre and Dr. Valter Longo conducts research and study to develop a medicine that would block IGF 1 in humans. The research continues to push through. However, Dr. Jaime Guevarra-Aguirre and Dr. Valter Longo reveals that the answer regarding the effectiveness of the medicine that blocks IGF 1 can take up to a decade. In connection with this ResearchPeptides.com informs the general public about the update and news regarding the development of the research being conducted by Dr. Jaime Guevarra-Aguirre and Dr. Valter Longo. About Researchpeptides.com Researchpeptides.com is a blog or a forum website where people can learn and share their views about specific topics and all its other important aspects. Interested people should sign up and create a publicly viewable profile. The forum provides verified topic discussions from all its members for the purpose of research. Contact: Dimitry Vital PR and Marketing @ Research Peptides Forum Telephone: 757-394-2311 Website: http://www.researchpeptides.com Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/21/2016 -- Publisher's commercial banking forecast series covers 62 countries accounting for 80% of global GDP. Each report, researched at source, features Publisher's independent assessment and 5-year forecasts to end-2017 for the commercial banking sector in each market. Using its expertise in both country risk and financial markets analysis, Publisher has created exclusive models to forecast a wealth of key variables on the commercial banking sector. Historic and forecast data are provided for the sector's total asset and liability growth, client loans, and client deposits. Forecasts for key ratios including the loan-deposit ratio and the loan-asset ratio are also included, as well as core macro-economic forecasts. Data is presented in both local currency and US dollar terms. Each report examines key drivers of growth and future prospects, including the macroeconomic situation, the level of development and potential for growth of the banking sector, the commercial initiatives of major players, government policy and the regulatory environment. Central to Publisher's analysis are our unique Commercial Banking Business Environment Ratings. Publisher's unique country-comparative Risk-Reward Rating provides a clear, quantified, independent assessment of the opportunities and dangers of operating in each market. The methodology draws together our in-depth knowledge of competitive pressures, our comprehensive industry market forecasts, and our Country Risk team's unrivalled analysis of economic, political and operational risks. The reports also feature profiles of leading banks, covering total assets, liabilities, client deposits, lending, bond holdings, main products and services, competitive positioning and ownership structure. For more information Visit at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/business-monitor-international/spain-commercial-banking-report-q2-2016 Publisher's commercial banking forecast series covers 62 countries accounting for 80% of global GDP. Each report, researched at source, features Publisher's independent assessment and 5-year forecasts to end-2017 for the commercial banking sector in each market. Using its expertise in both country risk and financial markets analysis, Publisher has created exclusive models to forecast a wealth of key variables on the commercial banking sector. Historic and forecast data are provided for the sector's total asset and liability growth, client loans, and client deposits. Forecasts for key ratios including the loan-deposit ratio and the loan-asset ratio are also included, as well as core macro-economic forecasts. Data is presented in both local currency and US dollar terms. Each report examines key drivers of growth and future prospects, including the macroeconomic situation, the level of development and potential for growth of the banking sector, the commercial initiatives of major players, government policy and the regulatory environment. Central to Publisher's analysis are our unique Commercial Banking Business Environment Ratings. Publisher's unique country-comparative Risk-Reward Rating provides a clear, quantified, independent assessment of the opportunities and dangers of operating in each market. The methodology draws together our in-depth knowledge of competitive pressures, our comprehensive industry market forecasts, and our Country Risk team's unrivalled analysis of economic, political and operational risks. The reports also feature profiles of leading banks, covering total assets, liabilities, client deposits, lending, bond holdings, main products and services, competitive positioning and ownership structure. For more information Visit at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/business-monitor-international/switzerland-commercial-banking-report-q2-2016 Publisher's commercial banking forecast series covers 62 countries accounting for 80% of global GDP. Each report, researched at source, features Publisher's independent assessment and 5-year forecasts to end-2017 for the commercial banking sector in each market. Using its expertise in both country risk and financial markets analysis, Publisher has created exclusive models to forecast a wealth of key variables on the commercial banking sector. Historic and forecast data are provided for the sector's total asset and liability growth, client loans, and client deposits. Forecasts for key ratios including the loan-deposit ratio and the loan-asset ratio are also included, as well as core macro-economic forecasts. Data is presented in both local currency and US dollar terms. Each report examines key drivers of growth and future prospects, including the macroeconomic situation, the level of development and potential for growth of the banking sector, the commercial initiatives of major players, government policy and the regulatory environment. Central to Publisher's analysis are our unique Commercial Banking Business Environment Ratings. Publisher's unique country-comparative Risk-Reward Rating provides a clear, quantified, independent assessment of the opportunities and dangers of operating in each market. The methodology draws together our in-depth knowledge of competitive pressures, our comprehensive industry market forecasts, and our Country Risk team's unrivalled analysis of economic, political and operational risks. The reports also feature profiles of leading banks, covering total assets, liabilities, client deposits, lending, bond holdings, main products and services, competitive positioning and ownership structure. For more information Visit at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/business-monitor-international/vietnam-commercial-banking-report-q2-2016 About Market Research Reports, Inc. Market Research Reports, Inc. is the world's leading source for market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest market research reports on global markets, key industries, leading companies, new products and latest industry analysis & trends. Yearly/Quarterly Report Subscription: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/subscriptions Shrinking glaciers, a changing economy and environmental worries are forcing the Bhutanese to question whether their dependence on hydropower is the realistic way forward. The winner of the INASP/SciDev.Net data challenge is a story of a solar water heater (SWH) installation at the Tenzinling hotel in Paro. The hope is to encourage similar domestic installations throughout the country. Thirty years ago, Bhutan, a country of around 780,000 people, saw an opportunity to move away from an agriculture-based economy by harnessing fast-flowing rivers and mountainous gullies to produce valuable hydroelectricity. Mainly funded through grants and loans from India, five major hydroplants around Bhutan now produce up to 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity, about five per cent of its potential hydroelectric capacity of 30,000MW. As part of an ongoing cultural and economic relationship between the two countries, during 2015-16, Bhutan will receive just under US$100 million from India. In return, Bhutan exports roughly 75 per cent of its hydroelectricity to its energy-hungry neighbour. This large supply of clean energy encouraged the two countries to commit in 2009 to producing 10,000MW of hydroelectricity in Bhutan by 2020, including plans to build an extra 12 plants. The first, Dagachhu in Dagana, began operating in 2015. The first Chukha plant began operating in 1986, following by Kurichhu (2001), Basochhu (2005) and Tala (2009). As of early 2014, less than a fifth of the 10,000mW target has been achieved. Hover over the hydropower stations (blue dots) for more info or click here to expand the map. But growing concerns about the hydroplants environmental impact particularly the dams and the methane produced as submerged vegetation rots and the upheaval of communities displaced by construction, have raised doubts about whether the hydropower target is realistic. Delayed monsoons, monsoon failure and reduced winter snowfall already affect the flow of Bhutans rivers. Uncertainties around climate change and its impact on Himalayan glaciers, whose meltwater raises river levels in summer, add to concerns over future hydropower production and whether putting all the countrys eggs in one (energy) basket is too high a risk. Most recently, unforeseen geological problems during the construction of the Punatsangchhu-I plant caused costs to spiral from 35 billion to 94 billion ngultrums (US$520 million to 1.4 billion). This will have a direct impact on the debt ratio and the future cost of unit electricity. This section of the 2020 project has been postponed until 2019. Bhutan also urgently needs to create jobs outside the power sector for its increasingly educated and urban population. Electricity demand is rising, due to a rural electrification project that has succeeded in connecting an estimated 93 per cent of households to the electricity grid. Growing tourism also creates more demand for electricity, particularly from hotels looking to encourage visitors with comfortable facilities. Ultimately, hydropower availability is seasonal and during the cold winter months, when river flow is naturally lower, Bhutan cannot meet domestic power demand. This shortfall means it has to buy back electricity from India at higher cost. The traditional priority of Gross National Happiness over Gross Domestic Product includes focus on sustainable socio-economic development and environmental conservation, meaning industrialisation is strictly contained. Energy consumption continues to grow in Bhutan due to urbanisation and increasing tourism. Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world to have negative carbon emissions. It currently produces far less carbon than is absorbed by its forests. In addition, people in rural areas (more than 60 per cent of the population) who are not connected to the grid burn wood to cook, produce animal fodder and keep warm, producing carbon dioxide. Fuel wood is also heavily used for industrial production, agro- and forest products, road construction and in hospitals, schools, military camps and monasteries. The search for alternative sources of renewable energy such as solar and wind power has therefore become a priority to reduce the countrys dependence on hydropower and cut carbon dioxide emissions. Despite its immense hydropower potential, Nepal has an energy crisis. Peak domestic demand is about 1,300MW, but it only generates around 770MW of electricity. Power cuts are common, particularly during winter, when people fall back on diesel generators for power. Fuel shortages impact everyday life and particularly hospitals and health clinics, which rely on diesel generators during outages in energy supply. Harnessing solar power has helped several hospitals and clinics in rural Nepal to replace the need for diesel. The burns unit at Kirtipur Hospital in Kathmandu Valley is powered by a 2.8kW photovoltaic system. It cost US$10,000 to install and keeps the two operating theatres and intensive care unit running, even when diesel runs low. Solar power helps us run our services and even when we experience energy problems, we dont have to send away any of our patients in the burns unit who need emergency care, says hospital doctor Shankar Rai. He says the hospital is now planning to upgrade the system to 30kW in the near future. Power generated from solar powered systems in Nepal Total supply from solar: 50mW Small systems installed in homes: 15mW 2,000 systems installed in schools, health centres and small and medium businesses like hotels: 6mW Large solar powered systems used by telecom companies: 40mW Bayalpata Hospital in Acham district in rural western Nepal has been running a solar photovoltaic system that can provide backup power for hospital equipment and machinery even when there is no grid electricity for three to four days. The system also ensures internet access is maintained. While Nepals subsequent governments have only focused on exploiting the hydropower potential of the country, ongoing fuel shortages have forced policymakers to look towards a mixed energy model. Solar energy, which until a decade ago was only used for lighting in communities not connected to the grid, is now increasingly used in rural areas, in urban homes and by small and medium-sized businesses. In 2015, Deependra Pourel, a technical expert working for the European Union-funded Sustainable & Efficient Industrial Development initiative in Nepal and Bhutan, developed a project to test the practicality of a solar water heater (SWH) in the kitchens of the Tenzinling hotel in Paro, home to Bhutans only international airport. The project was designed to pilot SWH use in the tourism sector, to help the hotel save grid energy and money, and improve its environmental performance. Data from the project will also be used to test the feasibility of rolling out similar installations elsewhere in Bhutan. In winter, the temperature in Paro dips to below -4 degrees Celsius. The hotel has 21 bedrooms and a dining room serving breakfast and dinner. The kitchen struggles to cope with the demand on hot water for laundry and washing up. Even after the installation of the SWH, hot water still ran out by 3pm every day. Pourel and his team identified that this was due to usage patterns all the laundry and the washing up were done at the same time and the type of tap used. The tap had a flow rate of 20 litres per minute thus exhausting the hot water in less than an hour. The success of the solar project allowed Pourel to devise a schedule for the staff where, for example, staff staggered their chores, allowing the water heated and stored in the thermal tank to be fully utilised. He also recommended washing dishes in filled sinks and use of low-flow taps. Tourism is vital to the Bhutanese economy and harnessing solar would make it more sustainable. Bhutan is blessed with good irradiance of 5kW/m2 and we should cash in on this. At the moment, very few people use solar energy. We need to raise peoples understanding that it could work for them and that utilising free and abundant renewable energy will cut our emissions from wood burning, increase our available hydropower for export and lower the cost of importing electricity for all of us. Deependra Pourel is the winner of a data challenge offered to INASP-supported researchers to encourage collaboration between journalists and academics to produce data-driven stories. Deependra is a professional architect interested in integrating renewable energy into the built environment. His Bhutanese project was jointly funded by SEID, Jattu Solar Battec and the Tenzinling resort and spa . Images thanks to: Tashi Penjor, James Morgan, Brian Sokol and Panos. Scientists in Tanzania have developed a high-yielding, salt-resistant rice variety that could benefit millions of farmers across Africa. The variety, dubbed SATO1, can yield several tonnes of rice per hectare even in salty ground up from just 0.5 tonnes for traditional varieties that grow poorly in such soil, the researchers say. Farmers are now able to produce six tonnes per hectare, the highest yield ever recorded in the history of rice production in the entire eastern and southern Africa countries. Sophia Kashenge, Chollima Agro-Scientific Research Centre, Tanzania The rice is being used as part of a wider project that combines salt-tolerant varieties identified in Japan after the 2011 tsunami with treatments designed to reduce salt concentrations in the earth. The combination of better rice and soil treatment has led to the reclamation of severak hectares of land previously almost incapable of producing rice. The research is yet to be published in a scientific journal, but the work, funded by USAIDs Innovative Agricultural Research Initiative, covers 680 hectares of land and supports 1,774 households in Ndungu, a salt-prone area in Kilimanjaro district in northern Tanzania. Farmers are now able to produce six tonnes per hectare, says Sophia Kashenge, a researcher at the Chollima Agro-Scientific Research Centre in Tanzania, which managed the project. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, there are set to be four times as many people to feed in Africa by the end of the century as there are now, so farmers will need to increase their food production. Tanzania has seen its population increase from roughly eight million in the 1960s to nearly 45 million today. The country also has one of the fastest growing urban populations in East Africa rising by 4.7 per year, according to the government. The expanding urban middle class prefers rice over other staples, and the agriculture ministry is keen to ensure that local rice production can keep up with demand to discourage expensive imports. But Mike Nenguny, a policy officer at the Kilimo Kwanza initiative, which supports agricultural decision-making in northern Tanzania, says irrigation systems in the area are in poor condition and would need to be repaired before rice can be grown at a larger scale. He adds that farmers are constrained by water shortages, insufficient fertilisation because of cost and availability, and plant diseases. I applaud the work of our local scientists for the development of new SATO1 rice seed, but more support is needed to put our rice production on greater heights, Nenguny says. Mumbai: Kangana Ranaut, who is currently shooting for Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Rangoon' in Arunachal Pradesh will be back in the city to promote a brand which she endorses. The actress has found herself tangled in legal battle with ex-flame Hrithik Roshan. As her lawyers are currently fighting out in court with the defamation lawsuit, the actress is choosing to play safe at this public event. As this is the first time she will be interacting with the media after the controversy, she is bound to be bombarded with questions pertaining to the case. Here are a few things that Kangana's team has strictly warned the organisers about. Chinas attempts to reverse decades of deforestation are looking hopeful, scientists say, but the problem may simply be moving abroad. Analysis of satellite imagery, published in Science Advances last week, shows that between 2000 and 2010 tree cover increased by 20 per cent or more in roughly 1.6 per cent of China's territories, while less than 0.5 per cent have seen tree loss. The authors from Michigan State University (MSU) measured these changes against economic, geographical and social policies. They suggest much of the credit is owed to the Chinese governments Natural Forest Conservation Program implemented in 1998. The policy introduced logging bans, and reforestation laws and incentivised alternative employment for forest workers. But despite the domestic success of the policy, the papers co-author Jianguo Liu, director of MSUs Center for Systems Integration, says the country might simply be farming out the problem. "While China has largely stopped cutting down trees within its borders, it is still importing a lot of forest products from other countries, which could be causing deforestation there, he says. The authors also say their estimates are conservative because the imagery from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite is not granular enough to pick up reforestation of small parcels of land, meaning some efforts may have been missed. According to Tim Forsyth, a professor of environment and development at the London School of Economics, the papers focus on tree cover offers only a very reduced vision of forests, because it does not take account of the quality of the forest or its impact on biodiversity or livelihoods. WWFs director of forests Rod Taylor says the news is positive for China, but agrees this kind of satellite imagery analysis "can miss lots of shades of grey. For instance, it cant differentiate single species plantations from rainforest or identify selective logging of high-value wood in tropical forests, he says. Restriction of domestic wood supply is also likely to increase imports from other countries with worse forest governance, Taylor adds. But Liu says the movement of wood in and out of China is more complicated than simple imports. Often China is importing these products to make things like furniture that is then exported to developed countries, says Liu. WWFs Taylor says the next step for China would be to follow the United States and Europes lead by introducing stronger vetting of the sustainability of wood imports. FLORENCE, S.C. Over the past few years, weve seen many changes in the framework of Florence Countys business community. New businesses have opened their doors, and others have announced moves out of town. However, the net result is a positive and growing business climate in the Pee Dee, and in particular, in Florence County. For some time now, South Carolina has been an attractive place for manufacturing and business operations to locate. Recently, the county has seen that trend spread with new companies such as Ruiz Foods setting up operations. Its important to remember that with the larger new businesses and manufacturers that locate in our area comes a secondary business benefit to supply those large operations. The big industries bring in investment and jobs, their employees shop at local businesses and eat at local restaurants, and many secondary suppliers also decide to locate in the area to be closer to the large industry. All of this allows for improved employment opportunities. These small- and medium-size businesses need support. Moreover, thats where the Greater Florence Chamber of Chamber has to keep its mission current and up-to-date. We need to be offering the services these businesses require and expect. The Florence Chambers goal over the past two years has been to adjust our program and project agendas to match todays business needs. Thats why we have focused on education by being a part of the new Junior Leadership Florence County and Fellows in Education efforts. We have strived to offer our membership and the community more accessibility to our local, state and federal representatives. Weve done this through our annual Membership and Outlook Luncheons as well as our semiannual Legislative Breakfasts. Weve worked hard to help facilitate and promote small, minority and female-owned businesses through our award-winning PRISM initiative. Overall, the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce manages more than 50 civic, business and community programs each year. With the recent growth and with the expansions yet to come, our community needs an active and effective Chamber of Commerce. Over the past year, the chamber has worked to make significant strides, and you can expect to see even more changes in 2016. You can anticipate added visibility of chamber staff, even stronger business-supporting agendas and increased civic participation. Were proud to be a part of the revitalization of downtown Florence, and were equally thrilled to participate in the growth around our Civic Center area and our interstate exchanges. Its an exciting time to be in Florence County as we help to "Promote and enhance a favorable business climate and improve the quality of life to make Florence the best community in which to live and operate a business. With the likes of Star Wars Luke Skywalker and Batmans The Joker featuring on his acting CV, Mark Hamill has become accustomed to devoted fans. Following his speech at the famed Oxford Union, the actor was accused of revealing a plot line. With the line being misinterpreted by fans, the actor was forced to set the matter straight, but he did so by trolling overzealous fans on Twitter. The legendary actor took to social media whilst also wishing his co-star john Boyega a happy birthday. Congratulating the actor on turning 24, Mark wrote, Happiest of Birthdays to the Finntastic @JohnBoyega a swell fella whos just sonsational in #EP8 Hmmm- Typr or spoiler? YOU decide! #Troll (sic). The actor continued his trolling, accusing Episode VIII director Rian Johnson of ruining the film. Retweeting a photo on Rians timeline he posted for a bit of fun on St. Patrick's Day, the actor made a tongue-in-cheek accusation. Bharadwaj seen cleaning the statues at Filmnagar Director-producer Thammareddy Bharadwaj has gifted Tollywood many memorable films. But now he will also be remembered for a noble service he did on Sunday. The neglected statues of Chittoor Nagaiah, Samudrala Raghavacharya and Raghupathi Venkata Rantnam Naidu were cleaned under his initiative. The statues, erected near Film Nagar years back, were never taken care of properly and became a garbage dump yard, with authorities taking no action to clean it. Thammareddy cleaned these three statues and appealed to the Telugu Film Chamber and Movie Artistes Association to ensure its regular and proper maintenance. Six films of Nara Rohith are releasing almost one after the other. After the recent Tuntari, the actors Savitri is hitting the screens on April 1. But before that, the audio release of Raja Cheyyiveste will take place on March 25. Sources say that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and actor-MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna will be attending as chief guests at the function in Vijayawada. Korrapati Sai of Eega fame is producing the film while Pradeep Chilukuri is making his debut as a director. Nandamuri Tarakaratna is playing the villain in this film and Isha Talwar is the female lead. Producer Korrapati Sai has good rapport with Balakrishna and he decided to make the event a big one. A lot of public is also expected along with many film and political celebrities, says a source. DEME is one of many other companies from Belgium wanting to invest in the new port development, Tillekaerts was quoted on the sidelines of a visit by Princess Astrid of Belgium to Bandung to witness the signing of a letter of intent between Wallonia, a region in Belgium, and the West Java provincial administration. DEME has experience in developing major ports, such as building infrastructure in Dubai and land reclamation in Singapore, Tillekaerts said. There already is a small port in Patimban, and it has the potential to be expanded up to 200 hectares or more, with Subang government administrators reviewing the city's plans to see how to accommodate a new terminal expected to have a capacity of between 6.6-7m teu a year, according to Transportation Ministry data. Patimban also has an 8km access road from the port to the Munduraya section of the north coast main road. Patimban Port is to be a replacement port in the region for the ill-fated Cilamaya Port in Karawang, West Java, which was scrapped because of concerns it would affect the expansion of state-run oil and gas firm Pertaminas nearby offshore operations. The government has moved the project further east. However West Java Deputy Governor Deddy Mizwar was coy on actual project details, declining to reveal the exact location where the new port will be developed and only saying that the location would be between Subang and Indramayu. Those are the possible places to build a new port, he said. Bengaluru: A 15-year-old girl, who had set herself ablaze after being harassed by her boyfriend on Thursday, died at Victoria Hospital on Saturday night. The girl, Soundarya, was a resident of Jantha Colony Jagjeevan Ramnagar. The only child of her parents, Soundarya was said to be in love with Praveen, 19, a vagabond. Both were neighbours and the families knew each other for sometime. JJ Nagar police on Sunday morning arrested Praveen and booked him under Section 306 of IPC (abetment to suicide). Investigations revealed that Soundarya and Praveen fell in love a few months ago. Praveen told his parents about Soundarya and expressed his desire to marry her. On Praveens insistence, his parents met Soundaryas parents, who refused to marry off their daughter as she was still a minor. Soon, after the refusal, Praveen started threatening Soundarya and used to blackmail her, saying he would circulate her videos and MMS clips. Unable to bear the torture, she set herself ablaze. Her parents rushed her to Victoria Hospital where she died around 11.15 pm. The police took a statement from the girl after they were alerted by the hospital authorities. She told the police that Praveen had threatened to make her intimate videos public after she refused to marry him. Based on her statement, a case was registered against Praveen, a senior police officer said. Families with several children are usually forced to gift one child to the cause. (Photo: DC) Ranchi: With dwindling forces and unwilling parents, Maoists in Jharkhand have found a new recruitment strategy for child soldiers -- a lottery system. Though the outlawed organisation has previously claimed that it does not recruit children below 16, the outfit however has boasted its 'bal dastas' or child soldiers, whom it claims have been gifted by parents after being motivated by the organisations friendly approach, said a report in Hindustan Times. In the past, the recruited children were majorly occupied in non-combat roles and were trained in computer and imparted other technical skills. But falling numbers of the armed group has forced them to introduce children in more risky situations, following which parents have become sceptical in gifting their children to the insurgents. Sexual exploitation of girls is also prominent. The insurgents thus resort to other strategies to beef up their numbers including kidnapping and the lottery system, which they claim is a less biased system of recruitment. In the 'lottery system' children are recruited through a lucky draw, where their names are written down in small bits of paper and are drawn in random. Families with more than one child is usually forced to 'gift' one child to the cause. The tactics has created an environment of fear and insecurity in Naxal held areas and parents send their children away to distant relatives. So, there is virtually no teenager in Naxal areas. And once a Maoist foot soldier, it is never easy to get back into the mainstream. People who wish to put the combat life behind are accused of being police informants and are killed. Elaborating on his daughters plight who was forcibly taken away when she was 11, 38-year-old Fandu Munda said, Six years later when she abandoned the rebel outfit to start life afresh, they accused her of being a police informer and killed her. The lack of access to police stations in the Maoist stronghold makes it impossible to file police complaints, resulting in no records with regards to abducted and forced child combatants. While NGOs and state government make impassioned appeal to leave the children alone, villagers buckle under their own helplessness. Police come like guests and go. We are left at the mercy of the Maoists. Challenging their decision invites punishment, hence I have driven my husband and children away to a nearby town and stay alone here, said a government teacher. BENGALURU: Six days after a blanket ban on plastic of all sizes and microns, the BBMP has been cracking the whip against plastic sellers in and around markets. But despite the ban, people continue to carry plastic bags, which points to lack of awareness on the ill-effects of plastic on environment. The BBMP, which has formed special squads, has been raiding shops and business establishments for the last two months. But the drive has been stepped up over the last six days since the ban has come into effect. A large amount of plastic bags and articles, including plates, cups, spoons and others, have been seized. As there have been no alternatives, shops in malls and other business establishments continue to dish out plastic bags to their customers. The government should encourage people to use brown bags and attractive jute bags. Unless alternatives are available, an effective ban on plastic is impossible. Unfortunately, the government has not made any headway in providing the alternatives. The BBMP and BDA should rope in Resident Welfare Associations to create awareness, the residents said. BBMP Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Subodh Yadav said that the Palike is coming out with a penal clause to punish violators. Some shops have already come out with alternatives, because of stern enforcement. However, some small shops and those which still have stocks are still to fall in line, he said. Once the penalty clauses are fixed and enforced, the use of plastic will drastically come down. Also responsibilities have been fixed with district commissioners and revenue authorities, apart from the BBMP and KSPCB, he said. Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Chairman Lakshman said that the notification of March 14 has failed to mention thermoform plastic coated covers. This will be brought to the notice of the government, he said. Ms Kalpana Kar, a solid waste management expert, said that only fear of law can bring deterrence among manufacturers and the people. Officials will soon be empowered with the rule to penalise violators, she said. Apart from enforcing the ban on manufacturing units, the pollution control board needs to focus on research and development to find ways to scientifically process certain plastic materials, she said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The St. John Coltrane African Orthodox Church will leave its storefront sanctuary on Fillmore Street at the end of April, ending a long eviction fight, the church has confirmed. In an agreement reached with its landlord, the church founded by the Most Rev. Franzo W. King, archbishop, 48 years ago, will depart its home in the West Bay Conference Center after Sunday services April 24. It is true, but it is not the church being saved, said King, when reached by phone Monday. We got an extension of 60 days, but it is not some kind of mutual loving situation. The church, which is widely known for its Sunday morning meditation to Coltranes 33-minute signature work, A Love Supreme, had been served with a three-day eviction notice in September. A vocal rebellion that included a petition with 4,000 signatures bought the church seven more months. In return for the church leaving peacefully, West Bay will dismiss the eviction action. West Bay is a private nonprofit controlled by Floyd Trammell, himself a pastor at both the First Friendship Institutional Baptist Church and at San Francisco General Hospital. King has pointed out the irony of a black church being evicted by a black church, while Trammell has steadfastly declined to comment. He did not respond to a request for comment Monday. A statement issued by Trammells attorney, under the headline West Bay Conference Center v. St. John Coletrane Church, explained his position: West Bay takes very seriously its mission to provide space, at below market rates, to organizations that serve our community. In a perfect world, we would provide that space at no cost. Unfortunately, however, West Bay operates in the same ruthless economy that has engulfed the entire Fillmore District. The survival costs are staggering, and they continue to grow. Meanwhile, King has informed his flock that it will be moving on, but he does not know where or when. We are looking and have invitations, but we dont need to be couch hopping on Sundays, said King, who wants to find someplace permanent. The order, commonly known as the Church of John Coltrane, has been in four locations in the old Fillmore district, and he would like to find a fifth. This is supposed to be the Jazz Preservation District, and we would love to continue serving in that district, he said. We would love to stay in the city, but I dont know if the city has the heart for a black institution. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @samwhitingsf Back in early January, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting examined the water tank program in Tulare County. What began as an emergency response measure to the drought was becoming the norm for hundreds of families who no longer had running water. At the peak of the crisis, Tulare County reported about 1,400 private well failures. To combat the problem, the county began installing 3,000-gallon tanks and delivering water to residents for free. Homeowners were the only ones who qualified for the program initially. Socorro Ambriz's well ran dry in July. She didn't qualify for the tank program because she rented her home. So Ambriz and her family cobbled together a system to get water into her house. Her brother made two trips every week to fill barrels at a nearby water station. She would then pump water out of those barrels into a boxy plastic tank, which would feed water into her home. After our story ran, Ambriz paused her routine. Heavy rains brought water back to her well, at least for now. But more than 800 domestic wells still are dry, according to Tulare County officials. And where the water has returned, the supply remains unpredictable. Ambriz knows that, and so do county officials, who have advised residents to continue using their tanks because the well water could contain unsafe levels of arsenic or nitrates. Tim Lutz, of the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency, said residents should test their water before using it and, until they know it's safe, continue to use bottled water for drinking and cooking. But no one knows how long the water will last. Dan McManus, a geologist with the California Department of Water Resources, said the water supply could get residents through the summer, but that hinges on the amount of rainfall, structure of the wells and when farmers begin to pump groundwater. Wells that are in loose, sandy soil can recharge much faster than those in hard-packed soils, such as fractured rock. Ambriz was the only resident we interviewed who has seen water return to her well. Racie Jeffers' well went dry more than a year ago. She has relied on a county-issued tank to supply water to her home since September. She considered applying for a loan to deepen her well, but she said she wouldn't know how to pay it back. Jeffers is a retired cook who lives on Social Security benefits. Duane Ezell's problems started earlier: The five wells that serve his 14 rental properties ran out of water in summer 2014. He said every driller he tried to book had a backlog. When he couldn't find a driller, most of his tenants left. He hasn't charged the few tenants who stayed any rent in more than a year and a half because there's no water. The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted to add renters to the water tank program in December. This story originally appeared on KQED.org. New Delhi: Congress on Monday took a dig at Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu for hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "God's gift to India" wondering whether his flattering chant was much different from Dev Kant Baruah's "India is Indira and Indira is India" remark for which he was castigated. "When Baruah symbolically said Indira was india and india was Indira he was castigated; is Naidu's chant abt Modi being god's gift much diff?", party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi asked in a series of tweets. Baruah was the President of the Congress during the Emergency in the mid-seventies and is chiefly remembered for his sycophancy to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "jaya's cabinet prostrates with idolatry & fawning flattery condemned; Wht of whole modi cabinet (eg: Naidu &Swaraj) paying verbal obeisance?", Singhvi said suggesting that Modi's cabinet is no different from that of the Tamil Nadu CM which prostrates before her. Another party spokesman Sanjay Jha was sarcastic and recalled the Gujarat riots in 2002 when Modi was the Chief Minister. "God's gift indeed ! Go ask the family of Ehsan Jafri and over a thousand mercilessly killed, and their families and children. #Shameless" God's gift indeed ! Go ask the family of Ehsan Jafri and over a thousand mercilessly killed, and their families and children. #Shameless Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) March 21, 2016 "Dadri and Jharkhand lynching is a sickening manifestation of the decline and fall of India under Narendra Modi. #Shame", Jha said on the micro-blogging site Twitter. Dadri and Jharkhand lynching is a sickening manifestation of the decline and fall of India under Narendra Modi. #Shame Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) March 21, 2016 At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Manish Tewari remarked that the jury is still out whether the Prime Minister is God's gift to India or God's gift to the oligarchs of India. Moving the political resolution at the just concluded BJP national executive here yesterday, Naidu hailed Modi as a "God's gift to India" and a messiah for the poor. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The mother of an Oakland teen who doctors declared brain-dead more than two years ago is still insisting that her daughter is alive and well, according to the Root. Nailah Winkfield updated a Facebook group with a photo over the weekend of herself looking into the closed eyes of 15-year-old Jahi McMath. "Jahi as healthy and beautiful as ever, proving the naysayers wrong. A fighter, A warrior, A blessed child, Gods got your back little girl, keep fighting. Your testimony will be a great one," Winkfield wrote. She added: "Prayers going up from many, all the prayers, good wishes combined with your mothers love for you which is pure and soothing will definitely keep you going. Stay blessed everyone and thank you for your prayers and love." The Facebook post in the "Keep Jahi McMath on Life Support" group has since been removed, but many media outlets such as the Root picked up the story before it was removed. The family updated the page Sunday night with a new post asking people to refrain from leaving criticism. "This page was created to support this lovely child, Jahi McMath and her family, if you are here to spew your negative thoughts please kindly delete your comments and remove yourself because each and every comment will be read, and if deemed necessary, both you and your comments will be removed and you may be permanently banned," the latest post reads. Doctors declared Jahi legally dead in December 2013 after she went into cardiac arrest following a routine surgery to treat sleep apnea at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. The Alameda County coroner issued a death certificate for the 13-year-old. But Jahi's heart continued to beat, and her family protested the removal of a ventilator in court and continued to fight legal battles to keep her on life support. In the end, the family won an injunction to prevent doctors from removing Jahi from life support, and she was released to her parents. She was moved to an undisclosed facility in New Jersey where medical staff performed a tracheostomy and inserted a feeding tube. Some media reports indicate Jahi, still connected to a ventilator, is now being cared for in a New Jersey apartment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A storm passing through the San Francisco Bay Area Monday brought heavy rain to the city around lunchtime and showers were forecast to continue into the afternoon commute. A high-surf advisory was also expected to kick in Monday afternoon for the coastline between Sonoma and Monterey counties, with waves expected to be 15 to 20 feet. The storm, however, is expected to bring anywhere from a quarter of an inch to a half an inch of rain to San Francisco by Tuesday morning, according to Bob Benjamin, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Monterey. A strong band of rain moved into San Francisco around 1 p.m. drenching the city for about half an hour. Another round of showers is expected later on Monday afternoon during the commute hours. By Monday night, showers will become scattered and intermittent, he said. The coastal mountains in the North Bay should get an inch while the valleys are predicted to pick up around half an inch of precipitation. The dry weather should return on Tuesday afternoon and continue for the foreseeable future with temperatures ticking up to the high 60s and into the low 70s through the week, according to Benjamin. The high-surf advisory is to begin at 3 p.m. on Monday and continue through 9 p.m. on Tuesday. These large waves can be erratic and unpredictable so use caution near the surf zone as these large waves will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean waters, the weather service advisory says. Hamed Aleaziz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to let the city of Oakland take part in the defense of the huge Harborside medical marijuana dispensary, which the federal government is trying to shut down. The city sought to intervene in the case, saying it would lose millions of dollars in taxes from a shutdown. City officials also said closure of Harborside would increase crime by forcing many of the dispensarys patients to turn to street dealers. The case began in July 2012, when then-U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag sued to confiscate Harborsides property along the Oakland Estuary. The dispensary has remained open, with the case on hold, while the court decided whether the city could participate. Federal judges agreed that Oakland has interests of its own at stake, but ruled that neither the city nor any other outsider has a right to intervene when the government seeks confiscation of private property for alleged legal violations. The Supreme Court turned aside Oaklands appeal without comment Monday. The Harborside Health Center is the nations largest licensed marijuana dispensary, with about 108,000 patients. Harborside is fighting the forfeiture suit in federal court, arguing that it violates several federal laws and the Obama administrations stated policy of deferring to laws in nearly half the states, including California, that have legalized marijuana for medical use. One law the dispensary cites is a budget amendment passed by Congress that prohibits the Justice Department from spending federal funds to interfere with a states implementation of its own medical marijuana laws. Obama administration lawyers have argued that the amendment doesnt affect cases against individual marijuana suppliers, but U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco ruled in October, in a case from Marin County, that the budget language prohibits the government from shutting down dispensaries that comply with state laws. Breyers ruling, if upheld on appeal, would halt federal action against Harborside and other locally licensed dispensaries. Oaklands court challenge, though unsuccessful, pointed out the inconsistencies in the governments position, said Cedric Chao, the citys lawyer in the case. The case is Oakland vs. Lynch, 15-941. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Apple on Monday introduced iPhone and iPad models aimed at consumers who want new features but dont believe bigger is better. The 4-inch iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro are updated versions of larger-screened, more expensive models. They represent an attempt by Apple to entice customers who, so far, have resisted parting with their older devices because they dont like the size of more recent models. The iPhone SE, for example, keeps the compact dimensions of older iPhone 4 and 5 models. But it includes features that, until now, were only available on the larger and more expensive iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, which have screens sizes of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, respectively. Apple sold more than 30 million 4-inch phones last year, and some customers pleaded with us to keep the smaller phones in the lineup, said Greg Joswiak, a product marketing vice president, during a press briefing at Apples Cupertino headquarters. More for you Teen on flight to Hawaii says her iPhone burst into 'eight-inch flames' The iPhone SE includes such advanced features as a fingerprint reader, Apple Pay, a 12-megapixel camera and a 64-bit A9 processor. It is available in silver, gold, rose gold and space gray. Jacqueline Tanzella of San Francisco said she held onto her iPhone 5S because it was the right size for me, but now plans to buy an SE. As a runner and active person, I really need something that can fit in my pocket or bike bag or arm strap, said Tanzella, a 32-year-old startup employee. Gartner analyst Brian Blau said that while none of Apples announcements Monday were groundbreaking, they could be useful to the company and its customers. This was, to some degree, filling the holes in the product lineup, he said. In particular, the iPhone SE could be a compelling offering to people who hang on to their phones too long, Blau said. Eventually, the phones feel underpowered, and if you know people who have newer devices, you feel like youre left out because your apps wont work the same way. Mondays briefing also touched on Apples ongoing legal fight with the federal government. CEO Tim Cook kicked off the event by saying the company would continue to resist government attempts to force Apple to unlock data in peoples iPhones. We have a responsibility to help you protect your data and to protect your privacy, Cook said. We owe it to our customers, and we owe it to our country. We will not shrink from this responsibility. Apples new iPhone enhancements are meant to counter competitors such as Samsung, which earlier this month released its latest large-screen phones, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. With iPhone growth slowing, the iPhone SE can address the large number of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C customers that are long overdue for an upgrade, said analyst Geoff Blaber of CCS Insight. However, he said, pressure is likely to mount on Apple to reveal the next big source of growth. The challenge is that few areas can rival the size, reach and disruptive significance of the smartphone market. While Apple still boasts a loyal following, social media sentiment about Apples brand dipped in January and February, according to a report by the Adobe Digital Index, the analytics arm of Adobe Systems. The last round of product enhancements just didnt get as much enthusiasm, said Tamara Gaffney, the research units director and principal analyst. The index analyzed consumer sentiments posted online and conducted a survey of 1,000 U.S. residents in February. Apple has sold more than 200 million 9.7-inch iPads. So now the company has added that size to its more powerful iPad Pro line, introduced last year. The line now includes an $899 version with 256 GB of memory. Apple touts iPad Pros as potential replacements for about 600 million Windows PCs that are 5 years old or more. Microsoft is pursuing a similar strategy with its Surface tablets. Both the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro are available for preorder Thursday, with deliveries starting March 31. But analyst Patrick Moorhead, president of Moor Insights & Strategy, was skeptical about whether the smaller iPad Pro would increase Apples tablet sales. The new features are exceptional, but I dont think this very quickly expands the category, he said in an email. Apple on Monday also dropped the price of its entry level Watch to $299 and introduced new wristbands, including ones made of woven nylon. But the company did not upgrade the Watch itself. Finally, the company released an updated iOS 9.3 mobile operating system that includes Night Shift. The feature, which turns on after dark, changes the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch displays to reduce eye-straining blue light that affects sleep. Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChronicleBenny This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate We've been told time and time again tech giants in Silicon Valley are losing talent at rapid rates. But where are they going? According to job search engine Indeed.com, Bay Area job seekers are looking to Seattle as a top destination for their next career move. In recent years, Seattle has been experiencing a tech boom that has solidified the city as a U.S. tech hub. Seattle, along with San Jose, San Francisco, and Austin, Texas make up a small list of cities known as the "four tech hubs." "One thing that really surprised me is how focused job seekers are on a very small number of cities in the U.S.," said Tara Sinclair, chief economist of Indeed. "Seattle is one of those cities." With the cost of living in San Francisco being at an all-time high, Bay Area job seekers are looking to move to cities where they can maintain or increase their current income while obtaining a higher quality of life. "We've seen that there's more interest now than before for people in the Bay Area to move out," Sinclair said. In December, a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco averaged about $3,620 a month while a one-bedroom in Seattle averaged about $1,600 a month. This alone makes the move to Seattle and other cities more appealing to San Franciscans. Even Redfin's CEO, Glenn Kelman, speaking at an event last month about keeping Seattle affordable, pointed out how expensive San Francisco has gotten since he left a decade ago, Geekwire reported in February. "I don't even feel like I can afford to walk down the street there," Kelman said. The migration of Californians to Washington is nothing new. As reported by the Washington State Department of Licensing, California was the largest source of licensed drivers coming into the state from 1999 through 2015. In 2015, 37,624 new drivers arrived in Washington from California. That's nearly 16,000 more than from next-highest Oregon. This, of course, raises the near-constant question of whether Seattle will simply become what San Francisco is now. With high-earning tech workers swallowing up rentals and real estate, the price of a home in Seattle has been rapidly rising, and unfortunately it doesn't look to be easing off much. Which means the expensive real estate market Californians are trying to escape might be following them. "I think the proper analysis is to compare Seattle's potential future to the present situation in the Bay Area," Sinclair said. "And that's a potential risk." Pat Sullivan Houston engineering and construction company KBR said Monday that it was awarded a contract to design a liquefied natural gas project near Vancouver, Canada. The Woodfibre Liquefied Natural Gas Project will be a liquefaction and export facility. Woodfibre LNG Limited is a subsidiary of Pacific Oil & Gas Limited, part of the Singapore-based Royal Golden Eagle group of companies. Bill Hutchinson A man was hospitalized with a life-threatening injury after being shot in the chest while sitting in a car in San Franciscos Mission District, officials said Monday. A 34-year-old man was sitting in a car with a friend at 21st and Shotwell streets when a gunman, who has not been identified, approached them about 3 a.m. on Saturday and started a verbal altercation, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Ron Chapple/Getty Images A disabled 62-year-old San Francisco man was knocked out of his wheelchair and beaten unconscious after getting into an argument with a 30-year-old man near the citys Balboa Park BART Station, police said Monday. The incident occurred about 6:20 p.m. Saturday near the BART station at Geneva and San Jose avenues, leaving the victim hospitalized with a facial laceration from being tipped out of his wheelchair, and punched and kicked by the man, police said. Citing paperwork blunders by federal prosecutors, a judge in San Francisco has dismissed many of the criminal charges against FedEx Corp. that accused the company of conspiring with Internet pharmacies to deliver drugs that were illegally bought online without a prescription. Before any charges were filed, the U.S. attorneys office and defense lawyers discussed a possible settlement and signed a series of written agreements to put the case on hold and suspend legal deadlines. But in those agreements, prosecutors mistook a similarly named FedEx subsidiary for the parent company of the package-shipping chain, which didnt sign the agreements. Little impact expected By the time the negotiations ended in 2014 and prosecutors obtained a grand jury indictment, the five-year statute of limitations the deadline for filing charges had already lapsed for 14 of the 18 charges against FedEx Corp., U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said in his ruling Friday. Prosecutors admitted their error but asked Breyer to excuse it, arguing that lawyers for FedEx had known of their mistake from the start, had contributed to it with documents that failed to distinguish between the companies, and should have cleared things up. The judge was unsympathetic. The government appears to have forgotten that in a criminal prosecution, the defendant is not required to make the governments case, Breyer wrote. More bluntly, during a March 2 hearing on the issue, he told a federal prosecutor that some level of competence would require a governmental agency to check sources, such as FedExs Securities and Exchange Commission filing that spelled out its corporate structure. Apart from embarrassment, the ruling may not have much impact on the case. While the broadest conspiracy charges against FedEx Corp., dating from 2000 through 2009, were dismissed, they remain pending against the subsidiary, Federal Express Corp. also known as FedEx Express while the parent company still faces charges of conspiring with another group of pharmacies from 2002 through 2010. Dismissal of the additional charges will have no effect, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirstin Ault told Breyer at the March 2 hearing. However, the dismissal might limit prosecutors ability to use contacts between Internet pharmacies and FedEx Corp. as evidence of a conspiracy by FedEx Express. The case is the first known criminal prosecution against a transportation company for allegedly shipping illegal drugs. The 2014 indictment accused FedEx and its subsidiary of plotting with two pharmacy groups to distribute medications, including narcotics, to customers who had no legitimate medical need or valid prescription for the drug. FedEx says its helping U.S. Prosecutors said FedEx shipped drugs valued at least $820 million between 2000 and 2010. Criminal penalties could include a fine equal to twice the value of the drugs. FedEx has denied knowingly delivering illegal drugs and said it helped the government prosecute rogue Internet pharmacies whenever it learned that it was being used for illegal shipments. No FedEx entity is guilty of anything more than attempting to assist the government in doing its job of enforcing the law, and we will demonstrate this at trial, the company said after Breyers ruling. The office of acting U.S. Attorney Brian Stretch declined to comment on the ruling, which involved events during the tenure of then-U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Petaluma woman who suffered facial swelling, bruising and black eyes from an encounter with a sheriffs deputy is accusing the Sonoma County district attorneys office of retaliating against her for filing an excessive force claim. The unusual case and unusual proceeding, as a judge called it last week, could put Sonoma County prosecutors on the witness stand as they answer for why they charged the woman, 19-year-old Gabrielle Lemos, with resisting arrest one day after she filed her lawsuit against the county and weeks after they initially declined to file charges. At issue is whether the misdemeanor charge against Lemos amounts to vindictive prosecution. While the criminal charge is pending, she cannot proceed with the civil suit she filed in federal court, according to her attorney, Izaak Schwaiger, who called the district attorneys move to charge unethical and a desperation play. Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch who was not directly involved in the decision to charge Lemos said the vindictive prosecution allegation, filed in Sonoma County Superior Court in response to the charge, was baseless. The case dates back to June 13, the night of a party for Lemos celebrating her graduation from Petaluma High School, when she got between a sheriffs deputy and one of her sisters, Karli Labruzzi. The deputy, Marcus Holton, pulled up to the Lemos family home to investigate a possible domestic violence situation involving Labruzzi and her boyfriend, who were sitting outside the house in a truck. Holton questioned the boyfriend outside the vehicle and then, according to the federal complaint, dragged Labruzzi off the passengers seat. Lemos ran up to Holton and said her sisters rights were violated by being yanked out of the truck without cause, and demanded that a female officer be present, according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleges that Holton then shoved Lemos backward and told her that no one else was coming. Family members tried to defuse the situation, and Lemos mother told her to get back inside the house. But as Lemos was walking up the driveway toward the house, the lawsuit said, Holton grabbed her from behind, put her in a choke hold, then lifted her off the ground and tossed her face-first onto the driveway. Deputy Holton put his knee in the back of Gabbis head and began grinding her face into the gravel, despite her screams and her familys pleas to stop, the complaint alleged. Deputy Holton yelled Stop resisting! as blood pooled on the ground under Gabbis face. Deputys rebuttal In court filings, Holtons attorneys denied the characterization of the altercation. Lemos was handcuffed, transported to a hospital, then jailed on suspicion of resisting arrest and battery on a peace officer. Photos taken at the hospital and in the following days showed swelling and bruising to Lemos face. Holton, who previously came under fire for shooting a man in 2011 because he suspected the man was reaching into his waistband for a weapon, remains on patrol as a deputy. After three court appearances, the district attorneys office declined to charge Lemos. In September, she was told the case had been rejected for filing. But on Nov. 13, the day after Lemos filed her federal complaint which named the county, the sheriff and Holton as defendants the district attorneys office filed one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest against her, putting the civil case on ice, Schwaiger said. Ravitch said that members of her office made the decision to charge Lemos in early October and that there is a paper trail to back it up. But Schwaiger alleged the criminal charge was a direct response to his clients excessive-force complaint and not based on further investigation. The district attorneys office admitted it received all the evidence in August. Theres no other possible reason, Schwaiger said. They had to reverse-engineer some justification. Judges action Last week, as first reported by the Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, a Sonoma County Superior Court judge heard arguments in the vindictive prosecution claim, which the district attorneys office attempted to quash out of concern that prosecutors work-product privilege would be violated if they were forced to testify. Judge Gary Medvigy on Wednesday decided to allow prosecutors to testify under subpoena for why they charged Lemos when they did, saying the timing of their actions cant be ignored. Its a question of fact as to when the decision was made by the D.A.s office, and why it was made, because thats the crux of the defense motion, that it was made for vindictive purpose, Medvigy said, according to a transcript of the hearing. So Im going to hear the evidence. Im going to pierce the privilege. The district attorneys office is now appealing Medvigys decision to a three-judge Sonoma County panel. The proceedings have the potential to set a legal precedent in the county for the degree to which prosecutors can retain their work-product privilege, which shields materials attorneys use to prepare for litigation. The next hearing is scheduled for April 13. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov According to estimates, nearly 750 km of new track is required for providing rail connectivity from Amaravati to Bengaluru through the Rayalaseema. Vijayawada: Funds will be a major problem for railway development in Andhra Pradesh, especially as central funds are not easy to come by. The state government has plans to establish new railway lines from Amaravati capital to other important destinations across AP. The state plans to undertake such projects jointly with the Union government and the railway ministry, under a provision that the state would have a 51 per cent share in the projects. All the projects would require huge funds. As high as Rs 50 crore is needed for laying of rail line per kilometre, but the railway ministry has allocated a meagre Rs 1,200 crore for all the projects under the purview of AP and Telangana states. The AP government is keen on establishing new railway connectivity from the capital city to Rayalaseema districts and Bengaluru. It would require Rs 7,500 crore even at the rate of Rs 10 crore per kilometre. However, the ongoing projects and sanctioned projects have been allocated minimal funds in the recent Budget. According to estimates, nearly 750 km of new track is required for providing rail connectivity from Amaravati to Bengaluru through the Rayalaseema districts. But, new track can be erected at the rate of only `10 crore per km, which is comparatively four times lesser than the normal track expenditure. Already, land for the first lane was available and land was acquired for the second lane also, said a senior railway official. He said the existing projects were also waiting for fund release. The completion of projects is impossible with the funds allocated in the recent Railway Budget, says South Central Railway Mazdoor Union zonal leader Ch. Shankar Rao. The state government also could not provide the funds as it was approaching the foreign agencies for funding various projects, he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ballston Spa The Saratoga County courtroom fell silent Monday as Thomas H. Gorman entered to be sentenced for driving drunk into a group of Skidmore students walking near campus, killing Michael Hedges and injuring two others. County Judge James Murphy III sentenced Gorman, 65, to the maximum term up to 15 years in prison. In the audience of three dozen people were the two surviving victims, Toby Freeman and Oban Galbraith, and two other students who witnessed the Halloween night crash and waited to speak about the horror of it. The tragedy unfolded as the students walked back to campus on Clinton Street around 11:20 p.m. after an "Angels and Demons"-themed party. The police investigation found no signs of braking or skid marks before Gorman's 2009 Kia Optima hit Hedges, Galbraith and Freeman. The car also grazed the arm of another student, Will Blauvelt, who in his impact statement addressed Gorman directly. "I watched my friends roll and bounce off the car," Blauvelt said. "But by the time I could run to them, they were already on the ground, not moving." Katie Horblit saw her fellow students on the ground hyperventilating and heard their blood-curdling screams. She said when Galbraith, her friend, breathed, it sounded like he was drowning. She held his bleeding head and realized her hand was soaked in blood. "That was the moment I began crying and screaming hysterically," Horblit said. Police said Hedges was knocked 15 to 20 feet through the air. Blauvelt said: "I first started to break when I heard Mike screaming. Whenever he stopped breathing for more than five seconds, I would start to scream at him to hang in there." He knew then his friend was going to die. "Each breath was forced, and a struggle. It was the sound of a losing battle." Police said Gorman's car, its windshield cracked, stopped 100 yards down the road. When police arrived, he was still inside. His blood alcohol content tested 0.20, more than twice the legal limit. "I'm sure that you don't remember that night," Horblit said to Gorman. "Perhaps you remember a hysterical girl who screamed at you and tried to attack you as you were dragged from your car." Galbraith said he woke up on the way to Albany Medical Center Hospital wondering, "Why is this happening and why am I here?" In the hospital, he realized what had happened. Galbraith suffered a torn knee ligament, lacerated liver, a detached shoulder, punctured lung and broken ribs. He also heard screams in another room. He later learned they came from Freeman, whose leg was badly hurt. In the aftermath, the Skidmore community mourned. "The whole campus felt somber for weeks after," Blauvelt said. "There were nothing but blank faces." Horblit said she visited the hospital and saw her friends on so many painkillers they could barely speak: "When we visited Toby, he was only able to say a few things, and one of them was, 'I feel so guilty. This is all my fault. I said we should walk.'" Blauvelt said while he always considered himself level-headed, something happened to him at the vigil held the Monday after Halloween. He said as he listened to people talk about Hedges, his arms began to shake. "I had absolutely no control over my body," Blauvelt said. Galbraith and Freeman began their physical recovery, but their emotional well-being suffered. "While the physical pain will eventually fade, who I am as a person has irrevocably changed," Galbraith said, and he was "a shell" when he returned to campus. Freeman, who played basketball with Hedges, said every day he tries to walk, but sometimes he just sits in silence and looks at his leg: "Soon I'll be able to walk, but emotionally, no one can give me back what I lost on Halloween." Horblit, reading a statement on behalf of the victims, urged Murphy to give Gorman the maximum sentence. Gorman was convicted of an alcohol-related offense, driving with ability impaired in 2013. A prosecutor told the judge Gorman repeatedly placed the blame on anything but his own decisions and had cited glaucoma and poor lighting on Skidmore College as factors. Murphy gave Gorman a chance to speak. In a quiet whisper, this time he apologized to the victims and their families. "I am very sorry for what happened the night of Halloween, Oct. 31," Gorman said. "As a parent, I understand and I am very sorry for the pain I have caused." "I re-live this accident every time I close my eyes," he said. "I will suffer for this for the rest of my life." Murphy then sentenced Gorman to 5 to 15 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter and 2-6 years in prison for vehicular assault. The terms will be served concurrently. "I don't think you can fully grasp the devastation you have caused," Murphy said. "This is no accident. This is a crash you caused." Galbraith had told the court what he had come to understand about that night: "It's unfair that just a few feet can separate the three of us." He said he was shocked by what he came to feel. "Mr. Gorman, in spite of all you've done, I don't hate you," Galbraith said. "I hate your heinous actions that day." jlawrence@timesunion.com 518-454-5467 @jplawrence3 Eliot Brenner is the new president and chief executive officer of Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut Inc., a nonprofit that provides mental health and family services in lower Fairfield County. Brenner was appointed in December to fill the vacancy created when longtime leader Sherry Perlstein retired. A clinical psychologist, Brenner has worked at the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, among other institutions. The Child Guidance Center is the states designated Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services provider for Stamford, Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan, providing emergency help through the regions 211 hot line. Q: The demand for mental health services in the region has gone up in the past few years. There have been at least three student suicides in Stamford in three years. Is there, as some have said, a mental-health crisis? Or are people, especially children, more willing to seek help? A: I believe at least four factors are at play here. First, research conducted by The Centers for Disease Control has shown that the prevalence of child mental health disorders is increasing. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among children ages 12-17. Second, because of financial pressures on public and private insurers, there are fewer options for children needing a higher level of care such as inpatient hospitalization or treatment in an intensive outpatient program. This means that children who might have been hospitalized 25 years ago are now being seen on an outpatient basis in the community at schools or at agencies like the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut. Third, as the stigma of mental health disorders decreases, more children are seeking help, so there is more awareness of their struggles. This is a good thing, because it means that kids who might not have received help in the past are now able to receive state-of-the-art, evidence-based treatments at places like the Child Guidance Center. Finally, there is some evidence that access to information about suicide through the Internet and social media can actually increase suicidal behavior. Q: What role can school districts play in addressing the mental health needs of students? A: With adequate funding, school districts can play a vital role in the prevention of mental health problems. They can implement programs beginning at kindergarten that focus on social emotional learning and teach children interpersonal skills including empathy, problem-solving and conflict resolution. Research shows that these kinds of programs enhance coping skills and improve academic outcomes. In addition, schools need to hire licensed and certified mental health practitioners to provide early intervention services for children showing early signs of developing mental health and behavioral problems. In this way, schools can collaborate with community mental health agencies like Child Guidance Center in referring more complex or time-intensive cases for which the school does not have adequate resources. Child Guidance Center also has also begun to make its staff available on site in schools to provide easy access to treatment. Q: Over the past few years, the Child Guidance Center has had to scale back some programs due to financial constraints. Meanwhile, the number of calls to the emergency mobile psychiatric hotline has gone up by more than 40 percent. How do you hope to manage those competing factors? A: Child Guidance Center continues to grow its programs and the number of children and parents we serve increases each year. Last year, we served approximately 3,000 children and more than 3,500 parents. The demand for our services continues to increase in all of the communities we serve Stamford, Darien, New Canaan and Greenwich. As a result, we continue to hire more staff to meet these community needs. For example, we recently hired a bilingual office director to oversee services in our Darien and Greenwich offices as well as a bilingual psychologist to direct our nationally accredited psychology training program. Q: Last year, the organization opted for a one-year lease at its Greenwich site rather than renewing its five-year contract. Is there still a concern that one of the sites might have to close? A: The Child Guidance Center is 100 percent committed to continuing services in all the communities we serve because the demand has never been greater. Even in wealthy communities like Greenwich, nearly 60 percent of the children we serve are Medicaid-eligible. We are committed to helping children regardless of their families ability to pay and are grateful for the private foundations and individual donors whose generosity comprises 30 percent of our budget. If the state addresses its budget deficit by making large cuts to nonprofit human services agencies like the Child Guidance Center, we will need to raise even more money from private donors so that we can continue to provide critical services to those who need them most. Q: Youve been involved in family services in the public and nonprofit sector for some time. How has the landscape of family services changed in the past decade? A: With the Affordable Healthcare Act, there have been sweeping changes in the delivery of health care, including the delivery of mental health services. More than ever, public and private insurers are focused on improving value and access. Insurers want to know that they are getting value for every dollar spent and that consumers are getting better outcomes. Public and private insurers also want to ensure that all consumers have access to health care services. This is why you see urgent care centers located in rest areas of I-95, and why telemedicine is becoming more widespread. At the Child Guidance Center, we have increased access to services by providing mental health services in homes, schools and at convenient locations in the community. We also ensure value by providing evidence-based practices that are supported by scientific research. In child welfare, another area of family services, there has been a shift away from out-of-home placement to keeping kids with their biological families whenever possible by providing support services. For those children who need out-of-home placement, the focus has been on family foster care rather than on group care facilities such as group homes or residential treatment. Family foster care generally yields better outcomes and is less expensive. HARTFORD A bill that would allow parents and guardians to get their children into the states medical marijuana program gained overwhelmingly committee approval Monday. But there was criticism from some lawmakers on the Public Health Committee that the bill was over-reaching by adding new diseases to the list of 17 approved ailments. Under the bill, proposed by the state Department of Consumer Protection, which runs the medical-cannabis program, parents would be limited to using the liquid form of marijuana extract only after consultation with two physicians. This is such great news, and it fuels us Connecticut moms and dads to fight even harder, said Dana Haddox-Wright, whose daughter, Ella, suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Dravet syndrome, which causes life-threatening seizures. We can only hope that some hearts and minds can be changed along the way, Haddox-Wright said in an email after the committee vote. I urge those who are opposed to this measure to spend a day with a family who is begging for this to pass. Our childrens lives hang in the balance and they cannot afford another day without access to medical cannabis, which has no proven negative side effects. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Jason Rearick / Jason Rearick Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Jason Rearick / Jason Rearick Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Currently, adult patients need a single physician to certify them for participation in what is considered the nations most strictly written medical marijuana program, which has about 9,000 patients. Patients can obtain 2.5 ounces of dried marijuana flowers, or equivalent measures of edible or liquids, each month. The legislation regarding children, which next heads to the state House of Representatives, would also foster research on the effects of marijuana, which is still classified as a Schedule I drug by federal authorities, classifying it as without medical value and highly addictive. But in recent years marijuana has emerged as way to control pain without highly addictive narcotics; and in children, a therapy to drastically reduce childhood epilepsy, Dravet syndrome and other neurological disorders. Rep. Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, co-chairman of the Public Health Committee, told members of the panel that after four years, Connecticuts medical cannabis program is a success. We have children in our state who suffer from certain medical conditions, where medical marijuana has proven it can help them to live a more normal life, a more stable life or to put them at ease, Ritter said. And we currently restrict and deny that. The legislation includes an expansion of the eligible ailments for adults, including irreversible spinal cord injury, cystic fibrosis and terminal illness requiring end-of-life care. Rep. Prasad Srinivasan, R-Glastonbury, a physician who is ranking member of the committee, said there is still little research on the effects of medical marijuana. In particular, he noted that in the case of at least one of the original 11 diseases in the program, Theres nothing to show that glaucoma patients get better on medical marijuana. Ritter said that the General Assembly can always vote to remove ailments from the list, which has grown to 17. kdixon@ctpost.com; This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Tens of thousands showed up at rally at Seattle's KeyArena for a raucous speech by Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders. And when KeyArena filled to capacity, thousands more were camped outside near Seattle's International Fountain in an overflow area to listen to Sanders speak. "I think Seattle is ready for a political revolution," Sanders said to cheers inside the arena. Beau from Covington was first in line at 5 a.m. - 12 hours before the event was to begin. Doors were expected to open at 2 p.m. "I wanted to be here and get as close as possible to see Bernie as close as possible and support him and his cause," he said. Sanders' Seattle speech came a few hours after more than 7,500 people turned out to a high school in Vancouver, Washington for a Sanders rally. The Vermont senator spent the past week in Arizona, and now is taking his campaign to Washington and other West Coast states that he hopes will help him make up ground after a solid delegate lead built up by Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Clinton has a lead of more than 300 delegates over Sanders from primaries and caucuses following a sweep of five states last Tuesday, so the Pacific Northwest has become important territory for him. Washington state, Alaska and Hawaii hold Democratic caucuses on Saturday, and Washington has the most delegates ultimately at stake with 101. In a packed Vancovuer gymnasium, Sanders declared the nation's economic, campaign finance and criminal justice systems as being "rigged" and criticized pharmaceutical companies for rising drug costs. He vowed to recalibrate the economic disparities he accused corporate America of creating by raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Washington is reliably Democratic when it comes to presidential elections. It hasn't gone for a Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984. The rally was an unprecedented event for Vancouver's 167,000 population, which has been historically overlooked during presidential campaigns. Clinton campaign volunteers held a phone banking event at a home in Seattle's Mt. Baker neighborhood. "Kind of our strategy is to get as many delegates as possible. So, every vote counts," said 14-year-old Beatrice Cappio, a volunteer. "Turnout's the real key." Hillary Clinton and her family will be campaigning across the state this week in advance of the state's caucuses on Saturday. Former President Bill Clinton will be here Monday to campaign for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Late Friday, Clinton's campaign announced she would campaign in Seattle and Everett on Tuesday. John Minchillo/AP COLUMBUS, Ohio A coalition of liberal groups staged rallies around the country on Monday targeting Republican senators who oppose confirmation hearings for President Obamas Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. More than 50 of the events with the theme Do Your Job! were scheduled Monday. Some 25 to 30 people turned out in Ohio, where Sen. Rob Portman has stood firm with other Republicans in arguing that the next president should fill the court vacancy after American voters weigh in this November. WASHINGTON A front-runner under attack from all sides, Republican Donald Trump demanded that his partys skeptical establishment embrace the inevitability of his presidential nomination as he stormed into Washington on Monday. Democrats responded by debuting a multipronged assault, shifting their rhetoric and resources against the man they expect to face in a contentious and ugly general election campaign. If people want to be smart, they should embrace this movement, Trump declared at a news conference, shrugging off passionate resistance to his candidacy from both parties. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton touched off her partys fresh anti-Trump campaign during a morning foreign policy speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Conference, questioning the former reality television stars readiness to guide the nation through delicate international entanglements. We need steady hands, Clinton told thousands at the pro-Israel gathering. Not a president who says hes neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday and who-knows-what on Wednesday because everythings negotiable. Israels security, she proclaimed, is non-negotiable. Trump kindled criticism from Republicans as well as Democrats earlier in the year when he pledged to be sort of a neutral guy on Israel. While the U.S. is officially neutral in the Middle East conflict, his statement marked a rhetorical departure for U.S. presidential candidates. During his chance to face the pro-Israel activists, Trump on Monday promised there would be no daylight between America and our most reliable ally, the state of Israel in his administration. But he also repeatedly referred to Palestine instead of the Palestinian territories as he read from prepared remarks, using a term many pro-Israel activists oppose. Clinton and her allies have readied a three-pronged effort against Trump that targets his character, credentials and controversial statements about women and minorities. That began in earnest on Monday, with labor unions, members of Congress and the presidential candidates all escalating their criticism. The harsh words came the day before Clinton is likely to extend her delegate lead over Sanders in primary contests in Arizona, Utah and Idaho. On the Republican side, Trumps remaining rivals are fighting in Arizona and Utah to stop him from building an insurmountable lead. Chennai: The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum Chennai, (North) has directed Jet Airways to pay a compensation of Rs 55,000 to a former Principal Sessions Court Judge, Chennai for failure to provide him a seat in a flight to Bhopal from Mumbai despite having a confirmed air ticket. The judge, who was proceeding to attend a national judicial conference in Bhopal, was left in lurch by the airline staff in Mumbai airport in 2012. In his petition, N. Authinathan said that when he was working as Principal District Judge in 2012, the Madras High Court had nominated him to participate in National Conference of Senior District Judges on Court Management for Enhancing Quality Responsiveness and Timelines of Justice, in Bhopal during April 21-23, 2012. The meeting was organised by the National Judicial Academy. He paid `23,308 to the manager of Gay Travels, Nungambakkam for air tickets to Bhopal and return to Coimbatore. He was scheduled to fly from Coimbatore to Mumbai at 3.10 pm on April 20, 2012 by SpiceJet flight, at 6.50 pm on the same day from Mumbai to Bhopal by Jet Airways. While returning, he was scheduled to take Jet Airways flight (9W 2043) at 8.50 am on 24.4.12 from Bhopal to Mumbai and by SpiceJet flight 12.50 pm from Mumbai to Coimbatore. After reaching Mumbai airport, he approached Jet Airways staff, who gave him a boarding pass without mentioning a seat number. On completion of regular security check, the Jet Airways staff took him to the aircraft point and made him wait. Meanwhile, the staff informed that all the seats were taken. He said, despite having a confirmed ticket, I was left in the lurch and unable to board the flight and prevented me from attending an important judicial conference. I was denied comfortable night stay at Mumbai by the Jet Airways personnel and stayed in the airport lounge with great agony and pain, he said. In its reply, the manager, Gay Travels, said the company did not commit negligence since it issued all confirmed tickets to him. Jet Airways stated that it was true that the flight 9W 2043 was marginally overbooked and when Authinathan reached the counter for boarding the flight, the flight was already full. Overbooking in flights was accepted practice amongst all airlines across the globe. This was done to curb the possibility of flights departing with unoccupied seats because of non-arrival of passengers at the check-in counter before its closure. The airline sought dismissal of the petition. The bench comprising its president, K. Jayabalan and member T. Kalaiyarasi said Authinathan, who possessed a confirmed ticket, was not allowed to travel from Mumbai to Bhopal. He was made to wait in the airport throughout the night till his departure next day causing intolerable mental agony to him. This proves that the airlines committed deficiency in service. The bench directed the Jet Airways to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 for causing mental agony and Rs 5,000 costs. Mumbai: Authorities in Maharashtras Latur have banned groups of people from gathering near water sources in the drought-ridden city following violent skirmishes between increasingly desperate residents, officials said on Monday. Dnyaneshwar Chavan, the police chief of Latur, said that no more than five people were allowed at wells and public storage tanks at any one time over growing fears of water riots. "There have been incidents of violence," Chavan said. Latur, about 400 kilometres east of Mumbai, lies deep in the heart of the arid central belt of the country and its half-a-million residents are reeling from years of below-par monsoon rains. Latur is part of Maharashtra's drought-hit Marathwada region. Several media reports say thousands of people, mostly poor farmers, have left the area recently because of water scarcity. Last year around 1,400 farmers committed suicide in the region over crop failure from a lack of water and an inability to meet loan payments. And officials fear the worst this year as most of Marathwada's lakes and reservoirs lie empty months before the annual monsoon is expected to arrive. "The reservoir has completely dried up. We are trying to get water from other sources to cater to the demand," local official Pandurang Pole said. He said water was only being supplied to households through main's taps once a month, and that some of the 200 water tankers sent to make up the shortfall had been looted. There have been daily altercations at water-filling points, leading local officials to issue a ban on gatherings for two months, he added. FAIRFIELD Fred Garrity, a Democrat who serves as chairman of the Trumbull Planning and Zoning Commission, has declared his candidacy this year for the 134th District seat in the state House of Representatives, which represents parts of Fairfield and Trumbull. The seat is currently held by state Rep. Laura Devlin, a Republican from Fairfield. Garrity is also known as the executive director of the Connecticut United Ride, an annual motorcycle tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which raises money for police and firefighter causes. He works as director of operations for the Ruane Attorneys at Law firm, with three offices in the state, and previously was a senior manager for operations and labor relations for Northrop Grumman. He previously was chairman of the Greater Bridgeport Regional Planning Agency, and has also been a leader of organized labor in the region. He has served as a local union president, a member of the executive board of the Fairfield County Labor Council and a vice president of the state AFL-CIO. I believe that financial accountability at the state level needs improvement, Garrity said in a statement announcing his candidacy. Our states financial performance needs to be monitored on a weekly and monthly basis, not just during budget season. The state has not done a satisfactory job scrutinizing finances that needs to change now, as it is crippling Connecticut taxpayers. Garrity also cited as major issues for his campaign ensuring educational quality and improving transportation infrastructure. He is a graduate of Notre Dame Catholic High School in Fairfield, and Albertus Magnus College in New Haven with undergraduate and masters degrees in business management. New Delhi: Nobody can snatch the rights of Dalits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in New Delhi Monday, rubbishing talk that the BJP was against reservation for the community. Nothing has happened to reservation of Dalits and tribals in BJP-ruled states. These are lies spread to mislead the people, Modi said while launching the B R Ambedkar Memorial in the capital today. Delivering the Ambedkar Memorial Lecture, Modi said, Reservation can not be taken away even if Baba Saheb were to appear in person. Who are we to abolish it? Laying the foundation stone for the Ambedkar National Memorial -- to be built in Ambedkar's 26, Alipur Road house -- the Prime Minister accused his opponents of "spreading confusion and lies" on reservation, and said such attempts might serve politics but they weaken the nation's social fabric. "When Vajpayeeji became PM, a campaign was run saying reservation would be abolished. He was the Prime Minister twice and nothing of that sort happened." "BJP has ruled in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana for many years and the quota policy never suffered. Yet rumours are being spread. People, who are only interested in politics, fail to come out of it," Modi said. The Prime Minister's renewed pitch on reservation comes ahead of Assembly polls in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry beginning next month. He repeatedly questioned "why it took 60 years" to build a memorial to Ambedkar. He said Ambedkar as law minister had to resign from Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet because nobody would back the Hindu Code Bill -- a move aimed to codify and reform Hindu personal law in India by giving women equal rights in many spheres like property. Linking the waterways bill brought by his government in Parliament with Ambedkar's views on India's maritime strength, Modi said no work on it happened in last 60 years and the difference is visible now -- "when some bhakta (devotee) of Baba Saheb comes in government". The Prime Minister compared Ambedkar to world leaders Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, who had fought for the rights of blacks. Training his guns on opponents, he said it was "indeed difficult to digest defeat", a swipe at Congress which faired poorly in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. "Some people don't like us. They don't even want to see us. They get a fever on seeing us and lose control of their minds. That is why they lie and say absurd things. Those who did not work for 60 years have given us a chance and we take pride in building a memorial, he said. Modi said it was for the first time that the Prime Minister was delivering the Ambedkar Memorial lecture which is now in its sixth year. Without naming the Congress, the Prime Minister repeatedly attacked it on the treatment meted out to Ambedkar in the last 60 years, saying had the Dalit icon been projected rightly many that grip society now would not have existed. "Everybody knows what injustice was done to Baba Saheb and who did this injustice to him. What was the reason that previous governments kept the decision on Indu Mills pending for so long? Same was for the place Babasaheb stayed in London. Even after this, we are being blamed and bad-mouthed. Wherever we have got the opportunity to serve, we have taken decisions out of 'shradha' (reverence) towards Dr Ambedkar," said Modi, whose government was recently under attack by Opposition over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. Modi also listed several measures taken by his government for the welfare of Dalits. Ambedkars memorial will be built in his 26, Alipur Road house. Modi declared to inaugurate it on April 14, 2018. He said the memorial would be grand and iconic. The Prime Minister compared the contribution of Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Babasaheb Ambedkar and said while Patel united the princely states, Ambedkar united society. Modi also spoke about the three mantras given by Ambedkar -- to educate, organise and struggle, which are relevant even today. He also highlighted how the icon held no bitterness against anyone when he had power, despite suffering so much humiliation, including that against his mother. "No bitterness is seen in the expressions of Ambedkar. There is no feeling of revenge. For Ambedkar, the upper castes also belonged to him as also the dalits," Modi said, adding that sometimes the tongue is inadvertently cut by the teeth but we do not uproot the teeth for the same. Alluding to the defeat of Congress in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Prime Minister said it is very difficult to digest defeat, but noted that society and country are bigger than defeat and victory. In a veiled dig at his political opponents who have repeatedly targeted the government on Dalit issues, he said while Ambedkar worked for the cause of the downtrodden inspired by the duty for the nation and society and not for power, there are others for whom only the last mattered and not nation and society." Accusing the previous governments of not projecting Ambedkar in the right perspective, he said had this been done a number of social problems would not have existed. "This question can arise in any body's mind that Ambedkar passed away in 1956 but why work for a memorial is being started 60 years after. 60 years have passed, I don't know who will be held accountable for this. But, we had to wait for 60 years. Perhaps, it was a blessing of Babasaheb Ambedkar on me that I got the opportunity to do it," he said. Modi also recalled the vision of Ambedkar, saying he had envisioned a lot of things during his time, which later governments have brought in. He cited examples of labour reforms and steps taken for empowerment of women, besides strengthening India's maritime power. He also said that Ambedkar had worked a lot for labour reforms as he thought of industrialisation for the progress of India and labour reforms for the poor. Jammu: In the backdrop of the stalemate in Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday called on Governor N N Vohra but ruled out National Conference providing an alternative saying his party would rather prefer mid-term elections than indulging in "horse-trading". He, however, said nobody wants mid-term polls, but if a government is not formed, then election is the only way out. Read: 'God help J&K if Mehbooba remains indecisive,' tweets Omar Abdullah "There is an effort right now to gather support independent of Mehbooba Mufti. I think rushing to Delhi is Mehbooba Mufti's last ditch effort to save her party because she realises if she does not form the government on the terms and conditions set by BJP, her party will split and if her party splits then she will be in a much weaker position than she is today. So she is trying to save her party," Omar told reporters after meeting Vohra at Raj Bhawan. "I hope she meets the Prime Minister and the government is formed so that we can take the role of an effective opposition party. We have prepared ourselves for the role of opposition for six years," the working president of NC said. Governor's Rule was imposed in the state on January 8 after the death of chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Omar also said he would never prefer horse trading to end the stalemate. "Don't look towards us for an alternative. Jammu and Kashmir has not come out of what happened in 1984. I am not in favour of 20-25 people splitting PDP and forming another party. I am not in favour of that," he said. "I met the Governor after quite a long time. We discussed about the situation in the state, about the budget," he said, adding "If PDP cannot take support from Congress, then the Governor should dissolve the Assembly and order fresh elections." But he hoped a new government is formed and the state is saved from fresh elections. "My request to PDP is to take a final call and not to continue the stalemate. It's not that we want to force fresh elections on the state," he said. According to him, the governor is "waiting for the day" when PDP and BJP would come and stake claim to form the government. "Now BJP or elements attached to BJP are breaking parties. We have seen this type of government formation by horse-trading in Arunachal Pradesh and another attempt is now made in Uttarakhand," he claimed. He said Jammu and Kashmir has 'paid a very heavy price for this sort of splitting of parties.' "If 1984 had not happened, Jammu and Kashmir would not have been a victim of militancy today," he said, adding "I would be the last person to favour any sort of government that is made by breaking up of political parties." He also took a dig at PDP and BJP saying both the parties have been holding discussions for the past two-and-a-half months and PDP has not asked for anything new. "If you are not asking anything new, if this is only a misunderstanding, if the dialogue with Amit Shah was successful then why we have to wait for the formation of the government," Omar asked. "That is why I said if she (Mehbooba Mufti) is so indecisive as party president and God forbids she sits in the Secretariat and has to take decisions about the state, what will she do," he further asked. On land being vacated by Army in the state, he dismissed a political motive behind it as the decision was taken by the Governor. "Don't colour the decision of Raj Bhavan with politics. If for this decision the government formation was delayed then it would have been formed by now because they were waiting for PM's invitation after this decision," he said. "Whether this decision is good or bad we can discuss it later. I don't feel that Raj Bhavan took this decision so that Mehbooba Mufti could form the government," Omar said. The NIA's handout featured the bodies of the four slain terrorists with description of their height. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Ahead of the visit by a Pakistani probe team in connection with the Pathankot terror attack on an Indian Air Force base, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday released the photographs of four terrorists killed during the counter offensive which began on January 2 and lasted more than 80 hours. The move comes barely a few days before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Pakistan visits here to ascertain the facts of the case and investigation carried out by the NIA. The NIA's handout featured the bodies of the four slain terrorists with description of their height. The anti-terror probe agency has said one of the terrorists did not have a toe in both the feet. The NIA has sought information regarding the four terrorists. (Photo: Twitter) The picture has been circulated and public asked to share information about them. The agency has already approached the Interpol for issuance of Black Notice for the four. The international notice is issued for identification of unidentified bodies found in a country. Read: Pak probe team on Pathankot attack to begin work in India from March 28 About the remaining two, the NIA was planning to approach another forensic laboratory for conducting a fresh test of the samples recovered from the Airmen billet at the Pathankot air base. Forensic laboratory in Chandigarh had said they had found human remains in the samples handed over by the NIA. It will take some time before the identity of the remaining two was ascertained, an official source said, hinting the same may not be completed before the Pakistani SIT's departure from India. Read: Pathankot attack: India to grant access to Pak probe team wherever necessary The SIT will be arriving here on March 27 and would be holding consultations with the NIA about the probe conducted so far, the sources said. India has already sent a Letters Rogatory to Pakistan seeking certain details about the four. India has been seeking details of the phone numbers dialled by the four terrorists ahead of the attack on the airbase on the intervening night of January 1 and 2. Read: Rajnath: Ready for Pak team probing Pathankot, will work out protocol The numbers are believed to be in the names of people connected with Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group including Mullah Dadullah and Kashif Jaan. The numbers shared belong to the Pakistani telecom operators like Mobilink, Warid and Telenor. The NIA has also sought details and picture of sons of Khayam Baber, whose son had was part of the suicide squad that carried out the attack. Kashif Jaan, one of the key handlers of the attackers, had accompanied the terrorists till the border, the sources said. The bodies of four terrorists have been preserved. Out of the four, two of them have been identified as Nasir and Salim. Read: No coordination in govt on Pak probe team visit: Congress Nasir was the one who had called his mother, Baber, in Bhawalpur using the phone snatched from the jeweller friend of a Superintendent of Police of Punjab Salwinder Singh. The NIA has also given details, including the batch number of food packets used by the terrorists after infiltrating into India on December 30. The terrorists had carefully buried the packets which had Pakistani markings and manufacturing dates of November and December 2015, sources said. Dehradun: As the political crisis in the Uttarakhand government deepened, the Congress on Monday expelled former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna's son Saket Bahuguna and party joint secretary Anil Gupta for six years for 'anti-party' activities. Saket was among the nine MLAs who rebelled against the Harish Rawat government. State Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay said the disciplinary committee recommended to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) that Saket and Gupta be expelled on the basis of their statements published in newspapers and broadcasted by news channels. The Congress government in Uttarakhand is facing a major crisis with 9 MLAs rebelling against Rawat and the BJP, which has 27 MLAs, staking claim to form the government. Read: Uttarakhand crisis: 35 BJP, rebel Congress MLAs to meet President today Considering the activities of Saket, who was a two-time Lok Sabha candidate from Tehri seat, and Gupta as 'anti-party', the PCC accepted the recommendation of the disciplinary committee and expelled them for six years. Upadhyay said the party will not accept indiscipline and strict action will be taken against those who violate discipline. Uttarakhand Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal had on Sunday issued notices to nine rebel Congress MLAs asking them why they should not be disqualified from the House. Notices were issued following a request from party chief whip and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridayesh seeking action against them for violating the party whip in the state Assembly during voting on the Finance Bill. The notices have been pasted on the walls of the houses of the MLAs concerned which asks them to submit their replies to the Speaker by March 26 evening. Meanwhile, in a clear fallout over the rebellion, the Uttarakhand Congress dissolved all nine district units of the party in the state. Read: Uttarakhand government in crisis as 9 MLAs rebel Later in the day, 35 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from the state along with the nine rebel Congress leaders are expected to meet Pranab Mukherjee today, asking him to dismiss the state government. "Will tell the President to dismiss the current government in Uttarakhand as they have lost majority. Harish Rawat is now trying to buy people in a fit of desperation to gain support, but he will not succeed. It is his streak of corruption that has led to this situation," said BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya. Rebel Congress MLA Harak Singh Rawat has written to Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul, urging him to call an Assembly Session tomorrow for the floor test. Read: Uttarakhand political crisis: Harish Rawat floor test by March 28 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat who was set to arrive in the national capital today to discuss the political crisis in the state with the Congress leadership, has been asked by party vice president Rahul Gandhi to stay put and handle the situation there. Read: Uttarakhand Speaker serves notice to 9 rebel Congress MLAs Last week, Rahul had asserted that the blatant attempt to topple governments was the true face of BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Toppling elected Govts by indulging in horse trading & blatant misuse of money & muscle, seems to be BJP's new model, after failure in Bihar. This attack on our democracy & Constitution, first in Arunachal and now Uttarakhand, is the true face of Modi ji's BJP. Congress Party will fight demagoguery with democracy," Rahul Gandhi said in a series of tweet. Toppling elected Govts is BJP's new model of Governance. Congress party will fight their demagoguery with Democracy. pic.twitter.com/AFLr1x9vw4 INC India (@INCIndia) March 20, 2016 In a strong rebuttal, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated that the Sonia Gandhi-led party had 'lowered its level of ambition and was quite content in becoming the tail ender of any alliance' be it in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal or Bihar. The storyteller is a master of the craft, subsuming himself in the persona of his protagonist; switching pace, tone and character as the tale demands; building his narrative with canny twists and mounting intensity. The cello sets the tone; weaves in and around the story; illustrates, comments upon and supports it; and, when heightened emotion is called for, ventures where the actor dare not go. Its two storytellers for the price of one. Charlie Varon and Joan Jeanrenauds Second Time Around: A Duet for Cello and Storyteller, which opened Saturday, March 19, at the Marsh, is both a bracing, good story and the kind of adventurous experiment that takes very practiced, collaborative performers to pull off. Thats no problem here. Varon has been creating terrific, not to mention hilarious, mostly solo shows at the Marsh for 25 years, from Rush Limbaugh in Night School and The Peoples Violin through Rabbi Sam and others. Jeanrenaud, who composed the score she performs, has had a notable solo career since finishing a 20-year stint as cellist with the Kronos Quartet in 1999. Theyve developed Second with the Marshs maestro of new solo works, director David Ford. Named after a Duke Ellington number which plays a small part in the tale Second combines a World War II combat story with a contemporary generation clash, spiced with some senior sexual yearnings and familial regrets. Its the second in Varons projected epic series of fictional portraits of older Jews in a San Francisco senior facility, after last years intriguing Feisty Old Jew. This time the subject is 92-year-old Ben Rosenau, a former bomber pilot whos being interviewed about the war by a shy, awkward and, were told, underperforming high school student named Seth the grandson of Bens chronically worried fellow senior home resident Adele. Jeanrenauds sonorous cello sets up a contemplative, borderline elegiac mood, as Varons crusty, conflicted Ben tries to sort out his feelings about doing the interview and how he feels about this kid who hasnt been able to look him in the eye while Seth is fumbling with a digital video recorder he doesnt know how to use. By the time Seth is ready, and asks Ben to repeat what hes said so far, Ben is torn between a strong desire to help, contempt for the spoiled youth, reticence and a desire to record his story for posterity, especially his real and prospective grandchildren, if he ever has a close relationship with any of them. All these elements are further developed around and in the war-story-within-a-story as Second unfolds. Seth turns out to be a bit more complex than his elders think. Some of Bens fellow residents come into play, including the tantalizing Selma whom Varon introduced last year, and who deserves a show of her own. Political issues arise, ranging from the urgency of fighting climate change to illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The format may restrict Varons virtuosic mimetic skills. Theres less use of his usual exhilarating vocal shape-shifting ability in Second than in any of his many previous shows, perhaps because all of the other people introduced have to be filtered through Ben. But the intertwining of narratives is skillfully developed, and enticingly interwoven with Jeanrenauds eloquent cello, whether bridging the segues in Varons performance or enriching specific scenes. As Ben surprises even himself with the intensity of the combat story he relates, one hes never told anyone before, Jeanrenaud expands the immediacy and chaos of the scene. And when Ben is overcome with emotion, the cello delivers the full weight of a moment it could be embarrassing to watch an actor perform. In many respects, Second is as much a thoughtful parable for our times as it is a drama. Like Feisty, it also seems to be only a part of the larger story Varon is still developing, but it more than whets our appetite to experience the rest. Robert Hurwitt is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: rhurwitt@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @RobertHurwitt Second Time Around: Solo drama with cello. By Charlie Varon and Joan Jeanrenaud. Directed by David Ford. Through April 17. $30-$45. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. 70 minutes. (415) 282-3055. www.themarsh.org. Screenshot of nameourship.nerc.ac.uk As any company that has hosted a name contest can attest, there is a definite possibility that pranksters can commandeer even the most pure hearted intentions. The Natural Environment Research Council in England set up a "Name Our Ship" contest for their newest royal research ship (RRS), which is set to sail to Antarctica in 2019. The group set up a website for people to submit suggestions and vote on name suggestions for the 200 million British pounds ($289 million) research vessel. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HAVANA Laying bare a half-century of tensions, President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro prodded each other Monday over human rights and the long-standing U.S. economic embargo during an unprecedented joint news conference that stunned Cubans unaccustomed to their leaders being aggressively questioned. The exchanges underscored deep divisions that still exist between the two countries despite rapidly improved relations in the 15 months since Obama and Castro surprised the world with an announcement to end their Cold War-era diplomatic freeze. Obama, standing in Havanas Palace of the Revolution on the second day of his historic visit to Cuba, repeatedly pushed Castro to take steps to address his countrys human rights record. More for you Cruz blasts Obama's Cuba visit, but was silent when Abbott went there We continue, as President Castro indicated, to have some very serious differences, including on democracy and human rights, said Obama, who planned to meet with Cuban dissidents Tuesday. Still, Obama heralded a new day in the U.S.-Cuba relationship and said part of normalizing relations means we discuss these differences directly. Embargo faulted Castro was blistering in his criticism of the American embargo, which he called the most important obstacle to his countrys economic development. He also pressed Obama to return the Guantanamo detention center, which is on the island of Cuba, to his government. There are profound differences between our countries that will not go away, Castro said plainly. White House officials spent weeks pushing their Cuban counterparts to have the leaders take questions from reporters after their private meeting, reaching agreement just hours before Obama and Castro appeared before cameras. Its extremely rare for Castro to give a press conference, though he has sometimes taken questions from reporters spontaneously when the mood strikes. While the issue of political prisoners is hugely important to Cuban-Americans and the international community, most people on the island are more concerned about the shortage of goods and their struggles with local bureaucracy. Castro appeared agitated at times during the questioning, professing to not understand whether inquiries were directed to him. But when an American reporter asked about political prisoners in Cuba, he pushed back aggressively, saying if the journalist could offer names of anyone improperly imprisoned, they will be released before tonight ends. What political prisoners? Give me a name or names, Castro said. Frequent detentions Cuba has been criticized for briefly detaining demonstrators thousands of times a year but has drastically reduced its practice of handing down long prison sentences for crimes human rights groups consider to be political. Cuba released dozens of prisoners as part of its deal to normalize relations with the U.S., and in a recent report, Amnesty International did not name any current prisoners of conscience in Cuba. Ben Rhodes, Obamas deputy national security adviser, said the U.S. regularly raises specific cases and some are resolved, but added Cuba typically insists theyre being held for other crimes. Rhodes said, Ive shared many lists with the Cuban government. Obamas and Castros comments were broadcast live on state television, which is tightly controlled by the government and the Communist Party. At an outdoor cafe in Havana, about a dozen Cubans and tourists watched in awed silence Ricardo Herrera, a 45-year-old street food vendor said, Its like a movie but based on real life. White House officials said Obama did not plan to meet with Fidel Castro, the older brother of the Cuban president and his predecessor in office, hoping to keep the visit focused on the future of the island. JERUSALEM They landed in Israel late at night a man in a dark suit and traditional headdress, wheeling a suitcase; a mother, veiled, in a long black robe and holding a sleeping toddler; and a rabbi carrying a Torah scroll believed to be more than 500 years old. They were among a final group of 19 Yemeni Jews who were spirited out of their war-torn country in recent days, the Jewish Agency announced Monday, bringing a months-long clandestine rescue operation to a close. Photographs taken at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv by a representative of the Jewish Agency, a quasi-governmental body that deals with Jewish immigration, documented the arrival late Sunday of the last of the Yemeni Jews who wanted to go to Israel. They are remnants of an ancient and once-vibrant community that became increasingly imperiled by violence and anti-Semitism as Yemen descended into civil war. From Operation Magic Carpet in 1949 until the present day, the Jewish Agency has helped bring Yemenite Jewry home to Israel, Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident who is the chairman of the agency, said in a statement, referring to the airlifts of 1949 and 1950 that brought nearly 50,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel soon after the country was established. Roughly 50 Jews chose to remain in Yemen, including about 40 who live in a closed compound in the countrys capital, Sanaa, that is adjacent to the U.S. Embassy and where they are protected by Yemeni authorities, according to the Jewish Agency. The latest immigrants included a group of 14 from the northern Yemeni town of Raida, including the local rabbi, and a family of five from Sanaa. Exactly how they reached Israel, which has no diplomatic relations with Yemen, largely remains a mystery. Two countries that long facilitated Jewish emigration from Yemen, the United States and Britain, closed their embassies in Sanaa last year, as did many other Western countries. Saudi Arabia, which has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, has imposed a naval and air blockade of Yemen. All traffic to and from Yemen is supposed to be checked by the Saudis, including flights, which stop in Saudi Arabia for inspection while traveling to or from Sanaa. Israeli officials remained tight-lipped on the subject, possibly to protect the route in case the Jews who chose to remain behind decide at a later date to emigrate. BRUSSELS Belgian authorities are focusing a new search on a man known to have traveled with key Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was captured last week in Brussels, officials said Monday. Federal prosecutors appealed to the public for information about 24-year-old Najim Laachraoui, who allegedly traveled to Hungary with Abdeslam before the Nov. 13 carnage, and has been traced to safe houses under a false name. Laachraoui was checked by guards at the Austria-Hungary border on Sept. 9 while driving in a Mercedes with Abdeslam and one other person, Belgiums federal prosecutors said in a statement. Laachraoui, whose nationality wasnt disclosed, had traveled to Syria in February 2013, prosecutors said. It wasnt clear when he returned to Europe. Using a false identity, Laachraoui also rented a house under the name of Soufiane Kayal in the Belgian town of Auvelais that was allegedly used as a safe house, where prosecutors said traces of his DNA were found. The house was searched Nov. 26. Laachraoui is someone who must explain himself, Belgian prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said, stressing that clues dont amount to proof. Investigators have struggled with the complexity of the Paris attacks case. We are far from putting the puzzle together, Van Leeuw said. Investigators dont yet know the exact path taken by Abdeslam, who had crisscrossed Europe ahead of the Paris bloodbath and then fled. Abdeslam, suspected as a logistician in the attacks that killed 130 people, was arrested Friday after a four-month manhunt in the same neighborhood in Brussels where he grew up. Van Leeuw told reporters at a news conference in Brussels that investigators hope to find out the details of Abdeslams actions between the Nov. 13 attacks and his arrest, if he decides to tell us. Abdeslam, 26, a French citizen who grew up in Brussels heavily immigrant Molenbeek neighborhood, slipped through police fingers on multiple occasions, including the day after the attacks. He was interviewed three times Saturday, the day after his capture once by prosecutors and twice by an investigating judge. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) gives loans for various projects, especially railway-related projects at a 0.2 per cent nominal interest. Vijayawada: Trade unions are opposing private investment for construction of railway lines in the Indian Railways. The Railway ministry has already allowed private funds into various manners in railway department. But trade unions are opposing this, particularly for major works like new tracks laying and creation of infrastructure. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) gives loans for various projects, especially railway-related projects at a 0.2 per cent nominal interest. Now they are involved in the Vijayawada metro rail project. But they have also a right on the project until the loan amount is cleared. Railway trade unions are opposing the proposals as their bargaining may not work. National Federation of India Railways (NFIR) and South Central Railway Mazdoor Union are jointly opposing private investments in the Railways. SCRMU leader Ch. Shankar Rao said that in such a situation, the public would lose the questioning power and private regulatory authorities would only be having decision-making powers over railway operations. Kathmandu Holdings, the outdoor equipment chain that fended off a hostile takeover by Briscoe Group last year, turned to a first-half profit that met guidance and said its operating margin widened as it kept expenses under control. Profit was $9.4 million in the six months ended Jan. 31, compared to a loss of $1.8 million a year earlier, the Christchurch-based retailer said in a statement. Sales rose 9.3 percent to $196 million. The retailer's gross margin widened to 62.8 percent from 59.3 percent. Profit met the guidance of between $8.5 million and $9.5 million that Kathmandu gave in February, when it also affirmed a full-year forecast of $30.2 million, reiterated today. The full-year 2016 profit forecast would be a 48 percent jump on 2015 when earnings were hurt by aggressive discounting and an unsuccessful Christmas season that weakened the stock price and provoked the takeover offer from Briscoe Group owner Rod Duke. Kathmandu rose 3 percent to $1.71, edging closer to the theoretical $1.80 a share implied at the time Briscoe made its offer in mid-2015. "While it is good to be on track with our plan for the first half, as in every year, the full year result is highly dependent on the sales and margin achievement in our Easter and Winter campaigns," said chief executive Xavier Simonet. It was too early to comment on these prospects. "Sustainable growth requires continued cost efficiencies and leveraging existing investments and this will remain a strong focus for management in FY2016 and beyond." Simonet said gross margins "will come under increasing pressure" in the second half as US dollar hedges mature. Kathmandu will pay a first-half dividend of 3 cents a share, unchanged from last year, imputed for New Zealand investors and unfranked for Australian shareholders. Australian sales rose about 12 percent to $124 million, an 8.9 percent gain in Australian dollar terms, while same-store sales on that basis rose 4.3 percent. In New Zealand sales rose 4.6 percent to $68 million, or 3.1 percent on a same-store basis, while UK sales rose 19 percent to $3.6 million, or 1.6 percent in local currency terms. Online sales rose about 23 percent to account for about 6.6 percent of total sales, or about $13 million. The value of inventory rose to $103.3 million from $97.3 million, which Kathmandu said reflected a strengthening US dollar. Operating expenses rose 1.8 percent to $101 million, but decreased to about 52 percent of sales from 56 percent. Operating cash flow was $24.2 million from a $5.8 million deficit a year earlier. Gearing narrowed to 17.9 percent from 22.6 percent. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Mainfreight Investor Day / Market Update GFI - Greenfern - Offer closes 27th Oct MCY - Quarterly Operational Update VCT - Operational performance for the 3 months ended 30 Sept 2022 NZL - Forestry Estate Acquisition October 21st Morning Report Air New Zealand Limited Retail Bond Offer Books Close Spark welcomes C-band spectrum allocation AIA - 2022 Annual Meeting Chair & Chief Executive Addresses MOVE Completes Purchase of Vessel for Trans-Tasman Service The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has won an air cargo cartel appeal against PT Garuda Indonesia and Air New Zealand that agreed surcharges on cargo breached that nation's price fixing laws. The two are the only airlines of 15 that haven't settled with the ACCC since the Australian regulator began proceedings for price fixing on air cargo at ports outside of Australia destined for that nation. The Federal Court ruling is that the price fixing took place in a "market in Australia". "This decision is significant because it confirms the ACCC's view that the conduct by the airlines in fixing air cargo surcharges to be paid by Australian importers and ultimately passed on to Australian consumers were caught by Australian competition laws," the ACCC said. Total fines of A$98.5 million were imposed by the courts against the 13 airlines that settled, with the largest, A$20 million, imposed on Qantas Airways. The ACCC's original proceedings against Garuda and Air New Zealand were dismissed in 2014 in a ruling that found the behaviour didn't occur in a "market in Australia" as was required by the Trade Practices Act 1974 that was in force at the time. The ACCC appealed that ruling to the full court of the Federal Court. The regulator said matters against the two airlines had been remitted to the court to determine relief to be granted, including declarations, injunctions and penalties. The Australian action is one of a number that has embroiled major airlines, including a US class action filed in 2006 on behalf of six freight forwarders and has been led by global litigation firm Hausfeld that has seen 26 carriers cut settlement deals totalling US$1.19 billion. In that case, Air New Zealand and Air India are the only carriers left defending the civil lawsuit. In New Zealand, the Commerce Commission reached settlements with 11 carriers, including Air New Zealand, securing penalties totalling $45 million, or about 10 percent of the revenue generated from air freight forwarding services in and out of New Zealand in 2006. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Mainfreight Investor Day / Market Update GFI - Greenfern - Offer closes 27th Oct MCY - Quarterly Operational Update VCT - Operational performance for the 3 months ended 30 Sept 2022 NZL - Forestry Estate Acquisition October 21st Morning Report Air New Zealand Limited Retail Bond Offer Books Close Spark welcomes C-band spectrum allocation AIA - 2022 Annual Meeting Chair & Chief Executive Addresses MOVE Completes Purchase of Vessel for Trans-Tasman Service Proposals for Rs 14,146 crores cleared by FIPB in meeting held on 7th March. FDI inflow continues. Fast clearances make a difference, economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das tweeted on Monday. (Representational image) New Delhi: Giving fast clearance to foreign investment, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board approved 15 FDI proposals worth Rs 7,261 crore and recommended another proposal of Rs 6,885 crore to the CCEA for clearance. Proposals for Rs 14,146 crores cleared by FIPB in meeting held on 7th March. FDI inflow continues. Fast clearances make a difference, economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das tweeted on Monday. The FIPB, headed by the economic affairs secretary, is an inter-ministerial panel that can approve FDI proposals of upto Rs 5,000 crore. Japanese insurer Nippon Life Insurance, Tata AIA and Aviva Life were among the 15 companies whose FDI proposals were approved by FIPB. Yes Banks proposal to hike foreign investment limit was sent to CCEA. With his sudden death in February due to cardiac arrest, the family lost their only hope. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: Goka Mallesham (22) from Karimnagar, who traveled to Dubai to work as a painter at a car washing company, wanted to clear his family debts and get his sister married into a good family. With his sudden death in February due to cardiac arrest, the family lost their only hope. Till January, he regularly sent money home to clear debts slowly, and he had big plans for his sisters marriage as he was the only son, said his cousin Mahipal. Siddirama Goud traveled to Kuwait to work as a labourer in a construction company so that he could provide better education for his two sons back home. But after he committed suicide in 2015, the educational prospects of his sons became bleak. Mallesham and Siddirama Goud both had insurance under the PBBY scheme, but their families did not get any benefits as their deaths were not due to accidents. Mallesham (22), a native of Aravelly village in Pegadapally mandal of Karimnagar district had completed his intermediate. And though his parents Komuraiah and Anjavva own a three-acre agricultural land, the family was in poverty due to lack of rains leading to crop loss. He had two responsibilities ahead of him, to clear the family debts and marry his sister Malleshwari into a good family. He travelled to Dubai in September 2015. In January 2015, while at work he suddenly collapsed at the site and was in a coma for nearly 45 days before succumbing on February 28. Siddirama Goud (45) was a toddy tapper from Nizamabad who travelled to Saudi Arabia a year ago to work as a daily labourer. But depressed due to work pressure, he committed suicide by hanging himself. After my fathers death, it became tough to pay our fees. But my principal, who knew our situation, exempted us from paying school fees, said Siddiramas son Aravind Goud, pursuing ITI second year. His brother Rakesh is in IX class, while his mother runs the family by making beedies. Medical experts say that working in 50C temperatures during the day and resting in relatively cooler weather at nights causes dehydration and heat strokes. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: The bodies of nearly 500 migrant workers arrive at the Shamshabad Airport every year. Most of them die in Gulf countries are in the age group of 25 to 45 and are from Karimnagar and Nizamabad district in Telangana, and East and West Godavari and Kadapa districts in AP. This is in addition to the bodies of migrant workers from the two states that arrive in Chennai and Bengaluru airports. Extreme weather conditions and excess work pressure is the reason for most of the deaths. Medical experts say that working in 50C temperatures during the day and resting in relatively cooler weather at nights causes dehydration and heat strokes. Excess meat consumption also leads to issues like diabetes and increased blood pressure, sometimes proving fatal. Of the 500 dead bodies that arrived at Shamshabad airport in 2015, 426 were from Gulf countries. This year, till March 14, 65 of the 88 bodies that arrived were from the Gulf. As per statistics available with the government, around 10 lakh people each from TS and AP are working in Gulf countries, including those who are staying there illegally. Majority of the people who travel with valid work visas and medical fitness certificates are employed as unskilled labour. Skilled workers include sales and marketing executives and other professionals. Those in the unskilled category often work outdoors, and are exposed to the hot sun for up to nine hours a day. After completing the days work, they rest in a relatively cooler environment. The human body cannot adapt to such temperature fluctuations in a short duration, said senior consultant physician Dr Harikishan Boorugu. The main cause behind the death of workers is the food habits they follow. Meat is the major food there and they hardly get vegetarian food. In addition, they do not get time to exercise causing obesity, diabetes and related complications, said Dr Boorugu. Suicides are also reported due to excess pressure and unable to cope with loneliness. In addition to these, worksite accidents and road accidents are other causes. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lauded the Parsi community for its contribution to the country in various spheres. "The rich culture of Parsi community is an important and integral part of country's invaluable heritage. The Parsi community has made significant contribution in the country's different important spheres," Modi said in a message which was read by Minority Affairs Secretary Rakesh Garg at the inauguration function of an exhibition on Parsi here. "I hope this exhibition will make people aware about historical works done by Parsis for national unity and development," the message read. The exhibition - titled 'The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagaination' - was inaugurated by Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla at the National Museum here. Addressing the gathering, Heptulla said the exhibition explores the history of the ancient religion and its many journeys of rituals, language, teachings, practices and culture that have transcended through centuries. "The exhibition showcases extremely rare manuscripts, archaeological objects, sculptures, a beautiful replica of the Parsi Fire Temple which is otherwise a rare opportunity for people to visit and a large number of paintings which would give a glimpse of the Parsi history and culture," she said. "This exhibition celebrates Parsis' contributions to India and the world. For centuries, they have been a community of excellence, sharing and innovation this will be evident to you in the exhibition," she said. Having originated more than 3000 years ago, Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions of the World and much like the ancient Vedic culture. It was an oral religion transferred from generation to generation through priests, she added. Read Also: Cisco Chairman John Chambers Meets PM 7 Inspiring Indian Women Who Made Us All Proud NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet top officials of all banks and insurance companies this week in Mumbai to discuss the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana. Under the new crop insurance scheme, PMFBY, premium burden on farmers has been kept low - up to 2 per cent of sum insured, and claims are to be settled at the earliest. The scheme will come into force from April 1 for kharif crops to be sown from June. According to sources, the Prime Minister's meeting is scheduled at the Nabard office in Mumbai on March 22. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and senior officials from the ministries of finance and agriculture will be present in the two-and-half hour meeting, sources added. Since the new scheme PMFBY is both for loanee and non-loanee farmers, the meeting will deliberate on bringing more loanee farmers under the crop insurance scheme so that the target of 50 per cent is achieved and more farmers take up insurance coverage. At present, about 25 per cent the total crop area of 194.40 million hectares is being insured. Out of the farm credit target of Rs 8.5 lakh crore set for this fiscal, only a sum of Rs 75,000 crore is under crop insurance. So, there is huge scope to reach out to loanee farmers, sources added. The government is giving a big push to the crop insurance scheme after drought, unseasonal rains and hailstorms last year led to state governments seek total of over Rs 10,100 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund. READ ALSO: PM Modi Lauds Parsis For Contribution To Country Cisco Chairman John Chambers Meets PM A recent report states that 14 out of the 87 Unicorns (privately held companies that are valued at over $1 Billion) were founded (or co-founded) by an entrepreneur of Indian origin. That is a staggering statistic. It means that 16 percent of the most valuable startups in the U.S. were founded by Indians, even though Indians only constitute one percent of the U.S. population. Indians show up regularly as the ethnic group with the highest income level in the U.S. They are also the group with the second highest levels of education, after Taiwanese Americans. These are all good measures, but not surprising. Many Americans have come to see us as doctors, scientists, small business owners, besides the more visible presence as taxi drivers and managers of 7-11s. We have also gotten recognition as seasoned managers since Indians run large companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Pepsi. But from an entrepreneurship standpoint, this new statistic shows how we are an important force in the startup ecosystem as well. Indian Americans are responsible for some of the most successful companies in the new economy. There are eight unicorns in India, of which five are based in Bangalore and the other three are in Delhi. This is clearly a very admirable achievement for India but it does raise the obvious question: Why has a much smaller population in the U.S. been able to achieve something that a population that is 400 times larger is not able to achieve? Is there a problem with India or is there something magical about the U.S.? I suppose the answer is a bit of both or neither, depending on how you want to look at it. It turns out that well over half the U.S. unicorns are based in the Bay Area. Internationally as well, it appears that most unicorns are to be found at various hubs, whether it is Beijing, Shanghai, Israel, or London. Not surprisingly, Indian unicorns are in just two cities: Bangalore and Delhi. It is the hub itself that is important, more than the nation itself. In this respect, even if India needs another 50 years to become a middle-income country at its current pace of development, the government can do wonders by supporting three to four hubs like Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Pune. If these hubs can produce the next 20 unicorns for India in the next 5 years, the spinoff benefits of innovation and job creation may help drive the overall economy at a faster pace. The other interesting statistic about unicorns is that two-thirds of them are from new economy sectors like the internet, software, mobile, and e-commerce. This is where most of Chinas 33 unicorns come from as well. This is also an area where India has inherent advantages given its deep engineering talent from doing 40 years of outsourced IT services. Indias massive adoption of smartphones and the emerging support for digital payments, etc. makes the country ready to spawn dozens of potential unicorns. This is where the governments natural affinity to protectionism may not be a bad idea. Give domestic Indian firms some cover for ten years and let them blossom into dominant players in India before they are subject to global competition. This strategy has worked beautifully for China, where Google and Facebook are banned. Would Baidu have succeeded against Google if not for government protection? Many of the most successful companies in China have been started by Chinese students/entrepreneurs returning from the U.S. This is also true of the Indian unicorns. If that is true, what can be done to facilitate the free movement of people of Indian origin between the U.S. and India? The OCI card (Overseas Citizen of India) gives Indian Americans the same benefits as a NRI (Non-Resident Indian). However, when an American Indian makes an investment in Indian startups, in many cases, we end up paying taxes both in India and in the U.S.double taxation! This makes it difficult for U.S. investors to invest in India and that is the reason there is a migration of companies from India to Singapore. Making the flow of global money easy and efficient is critical to facilitating the emergence of the next 20 unicorns from India. These are three specific steps that India can take to make sure that more unicorns are created by Indians within India rather than elsewhere. What the U.S. data shows me is that Indians have the talent to build great companies. The Indian government should make it possible to build those great companies within India itself. The families of those who die face many difficulties in getting the dead bodies back to India (Representational Image) Hyderabad: Those travelling to Gulf countries on work visas are entitled to Rs 10 lakh insurance under the Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), which is valid for two years. By paying Rs 314, any individual travelling to Gulf countries can avail this benefit. But this covers only accidental deaths, not natural death, suicide or death in prisons. NGOs working for migrant workers rights say that the government should design welfare schemes for migrant workers as they too contribute to the economy. The families of those who die face many difficulties in getting the dead bodies back to India, starting from shifting the body to India to getting a NOC from the police. The woes are worse for illiterate families. PBBY covers accidental bodily injury leading to death or permanent total disablement resulting to loss of employment within 12 months of bodily injury. In case of death, it also covers transportation expenses of the body of the deceased back home. The policy does not cover natural deaths caused due to sickness or suicides or under the influence of alcohol or if the deceased person was working in a different job or in a different country or for a different employer than that mentioned in the form. Since very few migrant workers die in accidents, the policy becomes redundant. Activists working for migrants rights say that the state governments should at least design welfare measures for them and their families. Migrant workers are the least considered class here. By sending the money they earn in Gulf to India, they are helping our economy. The money is spent here in the form of taxes, investments. But still no one cares about them, said Migrants Rights Councils VP M. Bheem Reddy. In addition to these troubles, transporting a body after death is a cumbersome process. Families have to wait for days and even sometimes for months to take possession of the body. Governments can set up a desk at the cargo terminal to facilitate NOCs so that their wait can be minimised, said Mr Reddy. Talking about the charges in the FIR, Sultan Bazaar ACP said that the IPC sections for rape did not apply in this case since the victim and accused were of the same gender. (Representational image) Hyderabad: A man was allegedly sodomised and murdered by unknown people at Putlibowli in Afzalgunj in the early hours of Monday. The 40-year-old victims body was found near a local bar with his hands and legs tied. Cops, who found liquor bottles from the place, stated that they had found evidence that the victim had been sodomised before his death. The victim is yet to be identified and the police has booked a case for murder. Investigation officials said that after a preliminary report from forensic doctors, a section for sodomy and other relevant sections will be added to the FIR. The victims hands and legs were tied with clothes to make it convenient for sodomy. His mouth had also been tied. We suspect that he suffocated to death, said Sultan Bazaar ACP R. Giridhar. Police also suspect that there was more than one attacker. Going by the crime scene, it looks like the crime was committed by a group of people. We have collected some clues from the spot and we are investigating, said an official. The victims body also bore injury marks on the face and head. While there were no clear identification papers on the victims person, a tattoo on his hand read Lakshmamma probably the victims wifes name. Talking about the charges in the FIR, Sultan Bazaar ACP said that the IPC sections for rape did not apply in this case since the victim and accused were of the same gender. It comes under unnatural sex, under IPC 377. However, we are exploring other legal possibilities and what more sections can be added to the FIR, said Mr Giridhar. IPC 377 states: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to a fine. However, the word voluntarily is baffling the investigation officers in this case as the victim was subjected to sodomy against his will by a group of attackers. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has termed the Right to Education Act as waste. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, he said the previous UPA government had brought RTE Act without doing proper homework. Mr Chandrasekhar Rao found fault with RTE Act mandating 25 per cent quota for poor students in private schools. He said if this is implemented, state-run schools will face closure and government teachers will become jobless. He also said that RTE was obstructing the plans of TRS government in implementing KG-to-PG free education scheme. Education sector has been facing several problems not only in our state but in the entire country. This is because the successive governments at the Centre are coming out with new policies and reversing the decisions of earlier governments. The previous UPA government has enacted RTE Act in haste. This Act says that 25 per cent of secondary school students should be transferred to private schools. We have about three lakh employees, of which 1.40 lakh are teachers alone. If RTE is implemented, nearly 40,000 teachers would be left with no work to do, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao said. The Chief Minister also took a dig at the model schools launched by UPA government. They have set up several model schools in our state and recruited around 3,000 teachers. But after NDA government came to power, it stopped funding to these schools. With this, the entire burden is being borne by the state government now, he said. Referring to RTE Act, he said, I met Chief Justice of High Court and personally informed him about the follies in this Act. I told him that about 70 per cent of the total states in the country have been opposing RTE and the Centre has assured to look into this issue. I urged him to give some time for state government to take a call on implementation of RTE quota, Mr Rao said. We have decided to set up 70 residential English medium schools for minorities this year. This will be part of our KG-to-PG scheme. If we open these schools now and the Centre insists on RTE Act later, we don't know what would be the implications, he said. Unrecognised schools are a problem. But we can't close them just like that because students will suffer. We need to discuss on what to do, the CM said. Admitting that private schools have been imposing heavy fee burden on parents, the CM said the government was in the process to bring fee regulation authority to control fees. AIPAC bills itself as nonpartisan and has never endorsed a candidate. Yet the organization has delved into highly partisan political debates over issues of interest to Israel most recently and notably the Iran nuclear deal, which it vehemently opposed. In that, it is at odds with ardent deal supporters Clinton and Sanders, and to a certain degree, with Kasich, the lone Republican who has not said he would automatically rescind the pact. Best Canadian Blog 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 About Kate Why this blog? 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. This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me." (goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated! Katewerk Art Support SDA I am not a registered charity. I cannot issue tax receipts. Reconnaissance Man Economics for the Disinterested ...a fast-paced polar bear attack thriller! Want lies? Hire a regular consultant. Want truth? Hire an asshole. Weather Shop Click to inquire about rates. Dow Jones What They Say About SDA "Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert "I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick "The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle "Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs "You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella "Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky Intelliweather Seismic Map Comments Policy Read this Best Of SDA Hide The Decline The Bottle Genie (ClimateGate links) You Might Be A Liberal Uncrossing The Line Bob Fife: Knuckledragger A Modest Proposal (NP) Settled Science Series Y2Kyoto Series SDA: Reader Occupation Survey Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop Flakes On A Plane All Your Weather Are Belong To Us Song Of The Sled The Raise A Flag Debacle (Now on Youtube!) (.mwv Video) Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl Trudeaupiate Kleptocrat Jeans Child Labour I Concede Small Dead Feminist Protein Hoser: THK Interview The Werewolf Extinction Dear Laura (VRWC) We Wait Blogging The Oscars Jackson Converts To Islam Just Shut The HELL Up Manipulating Condi Gay Equality Rights Hyderabad: The TS government has asked the Centre to sanction at least Rs 1,000 crore towards drought relief. Though the state government had sought Rs 3,064 crore, the Centre had sanctioned Rs 791 crore and released Rs 55 crore till date, Deputy Chief Minister Mohd. Mahmood Ali told the Legislative Council here on Monday. However, the Opposition Congress and other parties grilled the government for tardy relief operations and demanded that all 438 mandals in the state be declared drought-hit instead of the 231 mandals, and also declare an agriculture emergency, utilise the legislators constituency development funds for digging of borewells and take up other relief operations. We sought Rs 3,064 crore towards drought relief but the Centre announced a Rs 791 crore assistance and released Rs 55 crore. A drought assessment team met me and disclosed that Rs 791 crore was released. We sought sanction of at least Rs 1,000 crore, the Deputy CM told the council. As many as 22 mandals were declared drought hit in Nalgonda, 46 in Medak, 64 in Mahbubnagar, 36 in Nizamabad, 33 in Ranga Reddy 33, 19 in Karimnagar and 11 in Warangal districts. No mandal has been declared drought-hit in Adilabad, Khammam and Hyderabad. Government sanctioned Rs 49 crore for urgent drinking water needs of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts besides taking up other measures, Mr Mahmood Ali added. Leader of Opposition Mohd Ali Shabbir accused the government of doing too little to take the severe drought in the state and of failing to send a report to the Centre on the severity of drought. Instead of blaming us for everything, the government should take up relief work on war footing, he said. TRS MLC Karne Prabhakar hit back, blaming the Opposition Congress and TD for the present drought conditions. Congress ruled the undivided state for 40 years and the TD for 17 years. They destroyed forests, neglected water tanks, failed to utilise 1,250 tmc feet of Godavari and Krishna waters etc, Mr Prabhakar alleged. Germany Will Need 1,000 Wind Turbines To Replace This Workhorse Nuke Plant: European utilities have been calling for capacity payments to avoid shutdown of too much thermal generation and causing an upheaval in grid reliability and energy security, but proposals for a capacity market were rejected just last year in 2015. According to Germany's Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft, more than half of Germany's planned power plants are at risk because of government policies on renewables. So even though Grohnde is the little reactor that could, its life will be cut short before it reaches its peak. And only for political reasons, not even the arbitrary economic pressure that is closing the new gas plants. On the other hand, Germany has lots of brown coal, and is buying electricity from surrounding nations at elevated prices when it needs grid stability. So not to worry. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: